MP Matt Western is calling on the government to provide urgently needed financial support for nurseries, childminders and other childcare providers which are at risk of closure.
Following a visit to Whitnash Nursery School, the Warwick and Leamington MP has supported their campaign for a secure future for maintained nursery schools and for financial support for additional costs arising from Covid-19.
The nursery school in Whitnash has joined the national ‘Save Our Maintained Nursery Schools’ Campaign, calling on the government to provide long term funding to ensure maintained nurseries, which helps and support some of the most deprived and vulnerable families, can stay afloat.
Mr Western said he had also spoken to many local nursery owners during the crisis and warned of the devastating impact mass childcare closures would have on working parents, disadvantaged children and economic recovery.
Mr Western said: “It was great to visit Whitnash Nursery again, where I met some of the children and all the terrific staff. Our nurseries and wider childcare sector need support to help them through this period, and also in turn to help families get back to work safely.
“This is all happening against a backdrop of the closure of many children’s centres in the community. Childcare providers were struggling before this crisis, with thousands closing every year, but this crisis poses an existential threat, with a quarter fearing they may be forced to close before the end of the year.
“It’s time the government recognised the importance of childcare and early education for our economic recovery, and brought forward a proper plan to save the early years sector.”
During a visit to a Coventry Primary school on Monday, Labour leader Keir Starmer accused prime minister Boris Johnson of placing parents in an ‘impossible situation.’
