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04
Jul 2022
Harrogate nursery urges parents to oppose 'unsafe' government plans for childcare
A children's nursery in Harrogate has urged parents to voice their opposition to government proposals which could see fewer staff caring for young children.
Rachel Wilkinson, proprietor of Green Gables Montessori Nursery on the Great Yorkshire Showground, said the plans to allow one member of staff to care for five two-year-olds were "not safe".
In childcare settings in England, each member of staff can currently care for up to four children aged two. The government today said it will consult with childcare professionals and parents over whether to increase that to five.
Meanwhile, the number of children with additional needs who require extra support has grown significantly since covid. Ms Wilkinson said it was down to children having much less social interaction during lockdowns - and those born since March 2020 were at the greatest risk, she said.
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The government said its proposal would help childcare providers to reduce costs and they could then pass savings on to parents, to enable them to access more affordable childcare as the cost of living rises.
However, Ms Wilkinson said the approach is completely wrong and there are better ways to address the challenges in the sector, such as increasing funding.
Children aged three and above receive funding for up to 30 hours' childcare per week in term time in England.
Ms Wilkinson said the amount paid to the nursery for those hours was inadequate - it costs her £1.64 per hour more than she receives to care for each child.
Nurseries are not allowed to charge top-up fees and can only increase their prices so far. If rates rise too far, she said, providers would price themselves out of the market as parents would choose not to work.
Instead, she said she would like to see a range of measures to tackle the problems facing parents and childcare professionals.
Children aged two would be affected by the proposed changes to childcare settings
Since covid, she said, nurseries have struggled to recruit, along with other relatively low-paying sectors, such as hospitality and social care.
Ms Wilkinson said she has managed not to need to close any of its rooms when staff are off sick, but other childcare settings have not been as fortunate.
Parents of children at other nurseries have told the Stray Ferret about last-minute cancellation of their childcare when too many staff have called in sick and there have not been enough agency workers to cover for them.
Combined with the increasing costs of fuel, food and other day-to-day expenses, Ms Wilkinson said it is no surprise that many nurseries are closing their doors.
Having established her nursery 27 years ago, she said she is increasingly concerned about the state of the sector.
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