#StandUpForEarlyYears: Nursery group offers free childcare to parents hit by pandemic

The Helping Hands redundancy support programme is designed to take pressure off parents who are facing financial uncertainty.

The nursery group is making support available to families where one, or both, parents or carers have been made redundant this year, between 1 April 2020 and 31 December.

From November until the end of this year, Co-op Childcare, is offering qualifying families two free childcare sessions and 50 per cent off any additional session every week for up to six weeks.

Families are also being offered free half-hour virtual consultations with the nursery group’s childcare finance specialist, who can help them understand what other support is available to them.

Parents who make a permanent booking for their child will have their registration fee waived, and will be offered flexible payment terms as well as the first week’s childcare for free.

Sally Bonnar, chief operating officer of the Childcare Group at The Midcounties Co-operative, which owns Co-op Childcare, said, ‘We know this is an extremely challenging time for many and hope our Helping Hands initiative will help parents and carers by giving them a bit of breathing space as they look for new opportunities, as well as offer guidance and advice around their childcare.

‘Ultimately, we’re here to provide a safe and happy environment for children and we will keep working to support our communities however we can.’

The Helping Hands offer is subject to availability and interested parents should check the Co-op Childcare website for full terms and conditions.