A surge in the number of childcare settings closing due to the pressures of the pandemic has raised fears about the viability of the childcare sector in some parts of England, with experts warning that more providers will be lost without additional government support.
Early years organisations point to latest Ofsted data showing a four per cent decline in childcare providers registered with the inspectorate between 31 August 2020 and 31 March this year. Around 1,800 of the 3,300 de-registrations are childminders, however, there has been a decline across all types of provider over the period.
Nursery closures
A new study by the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) also found that there was a 35 per cent rise in nursery closures in England in 2020/21 compared with the year previous. The NDNA’s Nurseries and the Impact of Closures in the First Year of the Pandemic report found that closures were highest in the most deprived parts of the country and nearly three quarters of closed settings were in areas with a government-funded childcare rate of £5 or less per hour (see graphics). Closures were also highest in London and the South East, regions that have seen the biggest change to parents’ working patterns.
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