Warwick and Leamington MP warns that childcare sector is at risk of collapse without targeted Government support

Following a visit to Whitnash Nursery School, the MP for Warwick and Leamington 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 fully supports their calls.

He has also spoken to many local nursery owners during the crisis and has warned of the devastating impact that mass childcare closures would have on working parents, disadvantaged children and our economic recovery. In Warwickshire, the number of childcare providers has reduced by 191 in the last five years, and research by the Early Years Alliance suggests that a quarter may not survive.

Matt Western’s intervention comes as Labour leader Keir Starmer visited a Coventry Primary school yesterday (Monday 20th July), where he accused the PM of placing parents in an ‘impossible situation.’ He told The Guardian that “parents got a back-to-work notice on Friday just as the summer holidays began. We need proper support for children to learn and for parents to get back to work.”

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.”