Membership organisation PACEY, have launched a survey today for Childcare Providers to complete in order to use the results to lobby Parliament in relation to the very real threat that thousands will go out of business due to the current coronavirus health crisis.
You can access the survey from the link below:
It is all part of the action the Professional Association of Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) took today as tens of thousands of childcare providers closed their settings to help slow the Coronavirus. PACEY is calling for urgent government action to save these vital childcare settings from permanent shutdown. Our survey will help us demonstrate to Government the short and long term impact of these closures. We believe that Government needs to help:
- 41,000 self-employed registered childminders in England and Wales who are not eligible for the majority of financial support for businesses announced to date.
- Just under 28,000 childcare on non-domestic premises who may be eligible for government business support but need that help today, not in a month’s time, as their business doesn’t have the cash flow to keep them afloat until government support is accessible.
The COVID-19 closure survey today to demonstrate the impact of the forced closures across England and Wales. Childminders and other childcare providers are being urged to answer a few vital questions this week. By doing so, PACEY can demonstrate to government how many settings fear that temporary closure of their service to families, is likely to lead to permanent closure in six months to a year’s time
We know government advice to close has been necessary to help slow the spread of Coronavirus. We are urging every childcare provider to follow government guidance. But, we all have to recognise this will have a devastating impact on the long term sustainability of so many early years and childcare settings, services that families rely, services that have been underfunded for many years.
Of upmost urgency right now is support for the 41,000 registered childminders in England and Wales. Most do not qualify for the current government support available to business. They are self-employed sole traders; most do not deliver early education places so will not continue to receive that funding. Most are on low incomes, many are single parents and, as of today, can only look to the benefit system for support.
PACEY shares government’s priority to support the childcare providers to survive the impact of Coronavirus and the closures it is forcing on so many of their businesses. More has to be done to understand the long-term impact and the support all childcare providers will need, especially childminders, so that there is a strong early years and childcare sector that families can rely on when we are all able to return to our normal working lives.
PACEY will be presenting the findings to Government by the end of this week