Children: Day Care

(asked on 2nd December 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to provide economic support in response to the covid-19 outbreak to childcare settings (a) nationally, (b) in Hampshire and (c) Portsmouth South constituency.


Answered by
Vicky Ford Portrait
Vicky Ford
This question was answered on 10th December 2020

The government recognises the importance of supporting the early years sector financially during the COVID-19 outbreak. This is why we are continuing to fund local authorities for the autumn term 2020 at the same level as before the COVID-19 outbreak, giving all nurseries and childminders another term of secure income, regardless of how many children are attending childcare settings.

Additionally, the government has provided a package of support for individuals and businesses across all local authorities which providers of childcare can benefit from. This includes business rates relief and grants, and the extended Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. As private nurseries typically rely on private income for a significant proportion of their income, unlike most state-funded schools, they are able to access support to furlough their staff via the extended Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme (CJRS). The CJRS will remain open until March 2021.

Early years settings will continue to benefit from a planned £3.6 billion funding in the 2020/21 financial year to create free early education and childcare places. On 25 November 2020, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced a further £44 million investment for the 2021/22 financial year, allowing local authorities to increase hourly rates paid to childcare providers for the government’s free childcare entitlement offers. This is inclusive of the Hampshire local authority and the Portsmouth South constituency. Further information on how this will be distributed will be made available as soon as possible.

We continue to work with the early years sector to understand how they can be best supported to ensure that sufficient safe, appropriate and affordable childcare is available for those returning to work now, and for all families who need it in the longer term. Local authorities are best placed to monitor and manage their local childcare market and have responsibility for ensuring sufficient childcare places.

Reticulating Splines