Supporting Early Years

In these challenging times, here at Wivenhoe Park Day Nursery, we are fully aware of the urgent steps needed to support and protect Early Years settings with their safety and financial sustainability.

As proud members of the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), we are delighted to hear of the #ProtectEarlyYears collaboration with Pacey and the Early Years Alliance to protect the safety of the early years workforce.

We are fortunate that our nursery staff benefit from regular lateral flow testing. Others are not so fortunate. Unlike schools and other care facilities, they are not yet able to access these crucial asymptomatic tests.

We are approached by private companies looking to capitalise on Government shortcomings by offering the service at £8 per person per day – a cost that simply cannot be met by our struggling pre-schools and nurseries.

As well as access to testing we support the campaign in their calls to:

* Prioritise Covid-19 vaccines for early years staff and

* Introduce targeted funding for providers reliant on private income who have been hard hit by falls in parental demand

Despite the natural anxieties of critical workers at this harrowing time, rest assured we are all committed to providing first class care for children whose parents continue to provide vital services to others.