Nursery World - September early years funding will be based on pre-Covid occupancy to protect the sector

Local authorities will receive early years funding for the autumn term on the basis of how many children were attending settings before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Early years settings are struggling to survive with much lower numbers of children attending than is usual

Children and families minister Vicky Ford said that funding nurseries and childminders based on the level they would have been funded before Covid-19 would give them security and offer them longer protection to recover.

Nurseries and childminders are suffering financial losses from the impact of the pandemic, as far fewer children have returned to settings since they were allowed to open more widely from 1 June, as lockdown eased.

According to official Government statistics, only around a quarter of children are attending early years settings than would usually attend in term-time.

The Department for Education has updated guidance for local authorities advising them as to how they should fund nurseries, childminders and pre-schools from September.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included