Nursery World - Coronavirus: More childcare settings closing their doors

An increasing number of nurseries are closing, because they feel that the risk of spreading Covid-19 is too great.

Audit Scotland says councils have just half of the staff they need for settings to deliver the 1,400 hours from August

It comes after the Government’s Coronavirus Bill was given royal assent last night. Under the emergency legislation, the education secretary has the power to force childcare settings to close or stay open. However, he will have to decide whether to devolve this power to local authorities.

Writing on social media, nursery owners/managers and childminders say they have made the decision to close to vulnerable children and those of key workers because they either don’t have enough staff, due to them being classed as ‘vulnerable’ to Coronavirus (COVID-19), ‘high-risk’ or in self-isolation, or because they feel that the risk of catching the virus is too great for their employees. This is a particular issue for many when households where just one parent is a key worker are continuing to send their child in.

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