Any pathway to recovery relies on our vital childcare infrastructure
This is an unprecedented time for all of us as we respond to the impact of Covid-19 on our families, workplaces and society as a whole. The economy is expected to shrink substantially, with some sectors likely to be harder hit than others. The childcare sector is both one which will experience a significant impact, and one which is particularly vital.
Access to childcare is part of our essential economic infrastructure, and a key component of any pathway to recovery. Without access to childcare, it will not be possible for parents to progress through the five stages of the Executive’s Coronavirus Recovery Plan and move back into work – whether that is working from home, or as we start to phase back to our offices and places of work.
While it was frustrating that the Executive’s plan failed to mention childcare, we know that considerable work is ongoing, across Government Departments – particularly Health and Education – to support the sector. Employers For Childcare is part of a Childcare Reference Group and one of a number of organisations advising on the response to the crisis. Settings are now able to apply for welcome financial support either to remain open for vulnerable children and the children of key workers, or to mitigate some of the worst of the financial impact of their closure.
However, even as lockdown measures continue to lift, childcare settings will not be operating at capacity for some time. Ultimately, some may struggle to re-open, leading to a reduction in childcare places at the very time when the economy needs working parents, and a loss of employment for staff.
While we understand that work on the Childcare Strategy has been delayed as resources have been diverted to respond to the crisis, now is the time to look ahead and plan to ensure the future sustainability of our vital childcare sector – the importance of which parents who have been working from home, while juggling childcare and home schooling, are now all too familiar with.
For advice and guidance on financial support for parents or childcare providers, contact our Family Benefits Advice Service on Freephone 0800 028 3008 or email hello@employersforchildcare.org
www.employersforchildcare.org
