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One in six councils underfunding early years providers, EYA investigation shows

2 mins read Early Years Coronavirus
One in six local authorities in England are not following government guidance to help protect early years providers from the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Early Years Alliance (EYA) says.
Councils have been advised to fund childcare providers based on pre-pandemic figures. Picture: Adobe Stock
Councils have been advised to fund childcare providers based on pre-pandemic figures. Picture: Adobe Stock

Department for Education guidance says it is funding councils in England based on the number of children who attended childcare settings in their areas last year, rather than the number attending this year, until at least the end of 2020.

Official documents describe the move as “‘block-buying’ childcare places for the rest of this year at the level we would have funded before coronavirus, regardless of how many children are attending”.

Under current DfE guidance, councils are expected to take the same approach and fund nurseries, pre-schools and childminders “broadly the levels they would have expected to see in the 2020 autumn term had there been no coronavirus outbreak”. 

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