Recommendation 19

HM Government Not Addressed

Nurseries, pre-schools and childminders have been central to this country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, with early years professionals up and down the country providing safe and high-quality childcare for those who need it the most. Since the beginning of the crisis, we have been working hard to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on all parts of our society, including individuals and businesses. The Government has and is continuing to work with the sector to1 understand how it can best be supported to ensure that sufficient safe and affordable childcare is available for those returning to work now, and for all families who need it in the longer term. The 1 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-test-and-trace-statistics-england-16-july-to-22-july- 2020/ weekly-nhs-test-and-trace-bulletin-england-16-july-to-22-july-2020 The impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave: Government Response 17 Government has announced a package of support for workers and businesses which will benefit childcare settings including childminders, such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. We have said that early years settings can access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme while continuing to be paid the early entitlements funding via local authorities (LAs). Guidance published by HM Revenue and Customs on 26 March made clear that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme could not be used for the same costs as public income such as free entitlement income. But both schemes can be used alongside each other by the same organisation, where they receive a mix of free entitlement and other income. Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through- the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme. At the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, even before the government announced the closure of schools and childcare, we made it clear we would continue funding free hours of childcare for 2, 3 and 4 year olds, even if settings were closed. Our expectation is that local authorities should be continuing to pay the early years entitlements to all childminders, schools, and nurseries. We are planning to spend £3.6 billion this year on entitlements funding. On 20 July we announced our commitment that this autumn term we will continue funding Local Authorities for childcare at the levels we would have funded before the pandemic, regardless of whether fewer children are attending. If providers are open, but caring for fewer children as a result of low demand from parents or due to public health reasons, they can continue to expect to be funded for the autumn term at broadly the levels that they would have expected to see had there been no coronavirus outbreak. This gives the assurance of another term of secure income to early years providers. Early years providers should discuss precise allocations with their LA.