Co-ordinated by Cherubs Nurseries, a group of 13 nurseries based in Nottinghamshire, it has so far been signed by more than 120 providers, including nursery groups such as The Old Station Nursery Group, Tops Day Nurseries, Tommies Childcare, Three Little Birds Children’s Nurseries, as well as smaller single-site providers and pre-schools.
Harry Mills, brand officer at Cherubs, told Nursery World, ‘The reason behind the open letter is because we don’t feel that early years is getting the recognition or support it needs - especially coming out of the Coronavirus pandemic.
‘Private providers have been left to fend for themselves and the sector in its current format is no longer sustainable. Disappointingly, I wrote to all our local MPs for the areas that Cherubs Nurseries serve at the end of 2021 - I still have not had a response from any of them, which highlights the fact that they aren’t interested in early years. I really struggle to understand how early years cannot not be a priority - it’s our next generation!’
The open letter follows an investigation by the National Day Nurseries Association, published yesterday, which highlights millions of pounds in local authority funding that is not reaching the frontline.
Meanwhile a survey from Pregnant Then Screwed, out today, shows that a quarter of parents are having to choose between paying for food or childcare, while a parallel survey from the Early Years Alliance reveals that more than a third of providers are being forced to increase fees because Government funding does not cover their costs.
The letter states, ‘Over the years the sector has become one of the most highly regulated but underfunded sectors – with many contributing factors that need to be highlighted to fully understand and appreciate the crisis currently facing early years.’
It points out that nurseries are ‘experiencing the biggest recruitment and skills shortage of this decade. Recruitment for the sector is at an all-time low.’
It blames a catalogue of failures in Government policy on early years, stretching back to 2010 when the Government introduced 15 hours of funded early education and childcare to all three-and four-year-olds, and which it claims from the start did not cover the cost for providers of delivering places.
It also highlights the impact of more recent crises, including Brexit and the pandemic.
It states, 'European staff returned to their home countries and the visa requirement set the wage bar too high for us to be able to employ European staff. In 2018, more than 37,000 EU workers were working in childcare in England, making up 5.1 per cent of all workers. European staff create a diverse early years workforce which is essential to give children the very best start in life and understanding of the world.
'The Coronavirus pandemic spotlighted the sector and showed its unwavering resilience and commitment to ensuring the very best care and education for the future generation – despite an uncertain and unprecedented situation unfolding and minimal support from local authorities and Government. Due to the pandemic, many workers chose to leave the sector due to stress and associated mental health issues. They also left in favour of higher-paid, less-pressure jobs – despite those working in the sector being classed as “essential” workers – a token but empty gesture from the Government.
‘As a sector, we had hoped that the Government would use the recent Spring Statement to reallocate the substantial underspend from the Tax-Free Childcare Scheme to the early years sector. Alongside, providing additional financial support by increasing the amount given to Local Authorities for the 15/30 hours funding. Again, we have been forgotten and let down.’
The letter ends by saying that, ‘It is important to acknowledge the providers that were not able to sign this letter, as they had to prioritise the running of their setting by being in ratio, due to being short-staffed because of the crisis early years is currently facing.’
Mills has now created a petition on change.org for other providers to sign the open letter
The petition is available here
Comments from nursery signatories
‘As a small setting, we have truly been impacted by the recent events of the past couple of years. Our main difficulty, as most in our sector have faced, has been staff retention. This open letter hits the nail spot on. To become an Early Years worker, you are expected to not only have a qualification that is deemed ‘suitable and relevant’ but also undertake CPD, First Aid, Safeguarding (the list is endless) however we are only able to pay our staff at minimum or pennies above the minimum wage, with minimal increases to funding or support available.
'Our staff are highly motivated and cherish their Early Years careers and to us this is heart-breaking that so many are choosing to go onto other career paths that pay well above the minimum wage. We cannot compete with the likes of supermarkets etc. We have been truly devastated at the lack of compassionate, timely support from the government in terms of the Covid crisis.
'Our team worked throughout the pandemic, with a large portion contracting and still suffering the long-term effects of Covid yet we were not prioritised for any help e.g., vaccines or PPE yet were classed as essential. This is another factor for staff retention being so low.
‘We wish for a brighter future for Early Years and to gain the respect that our sector deserves and by addressing these key issues, our sector as a whole may begin to recover from years of let downs.’
Laura Quinn, Teddy Towers Nursery, Leyland
‘We feel like the forgotten sector, staff work hard to provide the best care and education for children. It is often said that the experiences that children have, and the education they receive begins before they reach school age, and has a lasting impact on their overall future. So why is it that staff are on a basic wage but yet providing the same education, care and following the same guidelines early years framework as those who work in a school nursery?
‘Why are settings like ours, who are a registered charity, barely making ends meet and relying on fundraising efforts of parents to keep our setting open? The local authority has informed us that the free entitlement funding is going up, however this is not enough when 90 per cent of our children are funded, it is not covering the expenditures we have including rent, staff wages and replenishing resources. It is hard to recruit staff into this profession, why go for a job that has huge responsibilities and workload when they can go to a factory down the road and earn the same wage, if not more. We are fortunate to have a qualified early years teacher, however, sadly she is not on the same wage as a school early years teacher. We imagine that many staff will leave once they get the qualification due to this inequality.’
Julie Swaby, Heyside Pre-School, Oldham
‘I would have loved to add my name and business to the Open Letter. However, my setting closed at Christmas and all 5 staff made redundant. This is a stark reminder of the reality currently facing the sector due to the crisis we are currently in. The team had over 100 years of experience between them. We have been warning the Government for years that a crisis like this would be inevitable. I fear they have left it too late now.
The number of well-qualified, highly experienced and passionate people who are now leaving or who have already left the sector will take many years to replace. It’s very, very sad.’
Sue Shuttleworth, St Mary’s Pre-School, Kent
The open letter can be downloaded below
