Helen Hayes has been MP for Dulwich and West Norwood for seven years, replacing Sure Start champion Dame Tessa Jowell.
It is just six weeks since she took over from Tulip Siddiq as Labour’s shadow children and early years minister but has already made waves in parliament, quizzing government ministers on delays in children’s mental health treatment and lack of support for childcare.
Did early years need more support from the government during the pandemic?
It has been a stark illustration of how the government doesn’t properly see early years as part of the education system.
It really wasn’t clear whether settings were meant to close or remain open; early years workers didn’t have key worker status. It is absolutely understandable that the sector feels that they were ignored and badly let down during the pandemic.
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