TEY-10.2

The challenges of operating a viable, sustainable early years setting have become more acute in recent years. A number of changes to policy, particularly to funded entitlements, coupled with increasing operating costs, have brought additional pressures to the day-to-day management of services. The need to undertake a strategic review and maintain an oversight of viability has never been more vital. Creating and developing a sustainable setting is not just about money (as important as that is), so reliance on fundraising and grant aid is no long-term solution. To find out more visit bit.ly/3kFkGvL News Roald Dahl Day is nearly here. Before September 13 why not download a free Matilda Lesson Pack with 5 0 pages of activ ities from bit.ly/3g1rOze “The Government must urgently provide targeted support to the childcare sector” KATE GREEN MP, LABOUR’S SHADOW EDUCATION SECRETARY, Save the date SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES Batten down the hatches OF EARLY YEARS WORKERS HAVE BEEN WITH THEIR CURRENT EMPLOYER FOR LESS THAN TWO YEARS A REPORT FROM THE SMC STATES. Teachearlyyears.com 07 If it hasn’t been tough enough already, claims from the Labour Party that a perfect storm could hit early years provision have been backed by the Early Years Alliance. New analysis by Labour has found that childcare costs have risen between two and a half and three times as fast as wages since the Conservatives came into office in 2010. Analysis of data from the Early Years Alliance has found that there are nearly 19,000 childcare providers in England that are at risk of closing in the next year. The Early Years Alliance found that 25 per cent of childcare settings felt it was somewhat or very unlikely that they would be open in 12 months time, meaning nearly 19,000 of England’s 75,000 childcare settings are now at risk of closure. There will be further costs or challenges in accessing childcare if families cannot turn to the informal childcare provided by grandparents. A survey by the Department for Education found that over one in four children aged 0-4 used childcare provided by grandparents. Without this support available families will find themselves needing to find and pay for additional support. Kate Green MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, said: “The Conservatives have created a perfect storm for working parents across the country, with a crisis in the childcare sector locking children out of early education and making it impossible for many parents to return to work. “The Government must urgently provide targeted support to the childcare sector, and ensure that parents can access the childcare that they need.” Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said: “Failure to provide the funding the sector needs in the short- and long-term could mean the closure of thousands more providers, leaving parents without the childcare they need to return to work. If the government is serious about ensuring our economy is able to recover from the impact of the pandemic, it simply cannot let the childcare sector fall by the wayside.” 37%

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