Coronavirus: your nursery/childcare setting questions answered by the Early Years Alliance

[RowanMumsnet]

Hello

Understandably parents have had a few urgent questions about nursery/childcare setting closures, and in particular what they can do if they or their partner have suddenly lost their jobs or had their income reduced.

Our friends at the Early Years Alliance - an educational charity representing 14,000 early years membership organisations - has kindly offered to answer some of the questions we saw being asked most frequently.

Obviously they're under a lot of pressure at the moment, with many early years organisations facing huge financial challenges, so this isn't an ongoing Q&A - but let us know if you have any really burning further questions and we will see if we can get answers.

NOTE FROM MNHQ: this information is dated March 20 2020. We will do our best to keep it updated, but please let us know if you think we need to look again at any of the information here.

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If nurseries close down because of Coronavirus/Covid19, do I have to pay full fees?

This will depend on the terms and conditions as set out in a parent's individual contract with their childcare provider. We would advise parents to check their contracts if they have them to hand, or to discuss with their provider directly. It's important to remember that when these contracts were drafted, a global pandemic that resulted in mass childcare closures, potentially for several weeks, would have been unthinkable so it may well be that providers are willing to offer some flexibility on the existing terms of their contracts. That said, we would stress that providers are facing incredible financial challenges themselves, and many will still be required to pay staff wages and rent during times of closure. The government has said that it is "asking providers to be reasonable and balanced in their dealings with parents".

If our household income is badly affected by Coronavirus and we're having difficulty paying fees, what should we do?

We know that these are worrying times for parents, particularly those worried that they will face difficulties paying fees as a result of the impact of Coronavirus. In such circumstances, we would recommend speaking to your provider in the first instance and making them aware of your concerns. Again, it may be that some providers are able to offer some levels of flexibility, though of course, many are facing significant financial struggles themselves. The Early Years Alliance is actively lobbying government to provide financial support for both families and providers during the coronavirus outbreak.

Do all nurseries have to close, other than to children of key workers?

While the government doesn't currently have the legal power to close childcare providers at the moment, the Coronavirus Bill which is going through Parliament will give it the ability to do so.

The Department for Education has been clear that all providers are expected to close to all but vulnerable children and children of key workers as of Monday 23 March. This applies to all registered childcare providers in England, regardless of whether or not they receive government funding. It is important to note that this does include childminders as well as nurseries and pre-schools.

It's worth remembering that the reason for these partial closures is to keep local communities as safe as possible during the coronavirus outbreak and to minimise the spread of the virus. For this reason, we would expect that providers will follow government guidance on this. Parent classed as key workers have also been asked by government to only use childcare if they are unable to look after their children at home.

Do you think nursery owners will act on a case-by-case basis or are they likely to act together as a sector on this?

The majority of the childcare sector in England is made up of single-site, small providers and childminders, and so the likelihood is that providers will act on an individual basis, and make decisions based on what is most sensible and sustainable for their respective businesses.

Are nurseries insured for events like this?

This will depend on the insurance cover your nursery, pre-school or childminder has. However, many childcare providers are not covered for closure due to Coronavirus, and in particular, closure due to a government order (rather than an outbreak at the setting itself).

The whole thing is farcical it really is. I have a 5 year old in reception but as I'm a key worker I'm expected to work and send my 5 year old to school still where she will be in a class with mixed age children from the junior school too which I don't think is on. I don't want her in a class with 10/11 year olds!
I'd rather stay at home, both of us and still be kept on by my employer and paid 80% of my wage. Should I request this?

@stardance Same at our nursery. Only a small number of families were denied place. I feel the manager has purposely stretched the definition of key workers and offered places to way more families than he should have, counting on a number of parents who qualify pulling their children out of precaution, but then he can claim their full fees. A token few have been denied to comply with the closure policy, and are yet to negotiate the fees as well. Completely ridiculous.

Are nannies ok to continue and if they have their own kids, can they bring them with them / take the nannied children back to their house? (They are all looked after together during school holidays)

Are the staff not able to be furloughed therefore releasing the pressure on parents to pay?

I think it's important to make clear @earlyyearsalliance that you are referring solely to childcare in England. The rules are different for Scotland wales and Northern Ireland, all part of the uk also.

This assumption that England is 'the UK' is causing a lot of confusion amongst parents and childcare settings.

I have key worker children. Their parents have given me a copy of a letter from their employer, stating that they are key workers. Those that thought they might be, but weren't have also been given a letter stating that.

Are settings supposed to request documented evidence? I didn't know these letters existed until I was given them.

@CatAnnoyance

Same as MoochPooch. We get the 30 hours funded childcare for our 3 year old but we're expected to pay £150 per month on top of that to top it up to what the childminder actually charges. She will still get the government funding but do we still need to pay the top up?!

Then

I forgot to add, my childminder is passive-aggressively telling us that unless we continue to pay the fees then they can't hold a place for us! Is that right?

Do you realise how mean and entitled you are coming across??
This is someone's small business, their livelihood! This is totally out-with their control.

Do you realise that CM's are not entitled to small business grants or extra help the government has announced?!

You are already getting largely free childcare and your moaning about paying to help keep her business afloat for you to return to?! Wow

Will you still be getting paid ? If not you will get 80% of your wage from the government. Lucky you!

Go on, refuse to pay but I can guarantee you she will not take you back when she re-opens. She'll stick with the families who valued and supported her through this crisis and she'll make sure all the other local cm's avoid having you too.

@LucieLucie

I get 30 hours free government childcare as my child is three years old. She only attends there three days per week. Childminder is still getting the government funding but wants us to pay the extra top-up to cover for meals and activities. If we don't pay for meals and activities, that we won't be getting, she will take us off the books. And you think that's fair and I'm being entitled? Okay.

@frezia i believe that's what my nursery is doing as well

@Tanith ah good question, I wondered that too. Both my partner and I are key workers and have had letters to say that. But the childminder has her own criteria for who she deems key workers and wouldn't accept us. Unsure what the criteria is, but I wondered about whether the letters were actually worth the paper they're written on and it appears not.

£150 extra is not really for meals and activities, it's because everyone else who pays that £150 as a normal fee.

People who claim the 'free hours' don't realise that the funding rate is much lower than the childminders hourly rate, meaning there is a shortfall. The way round it is to charge a fee for extras. If her normal hourly rate is £4.50, the funding rate could be just £3.75. The other children who attend her setting and not claiming funding are paying the full amount.

You should speak to her face to face instead of ranting on here. She's a human being with her own family to feed.

I'm posting on a forum that relates to this particular issue, for advice. Isn't that the point?!

I have brought it up with her of course I have. I had to show her the letters to say my partner and I are key workers and so when she said she still couldn't continue to mind our little one I asked about the additional payment. I understand she is a small business but not everyone can pay out for a service they're not getting. That money is now needed for food and activities for three days per week here, at home.

I was hoping there would be clearer guidance and advice for both parents and CMs but it all seems very vague.

In reality parents in this situation have the benefit of consumer rights legislation which doesn't permit T&Cs to contain unreasonable terms. Obviously we don't have any court cases yet on whether an ongoing requirement for parents to pay regardless of whether any service is actually being provided in a pandemic situation is an unreasonable term, but it's certainly not as simple as "you have to pay if the T&Cs say so

This.

Those mentioning nannies.
Nannies are not regulated childcarers and so are not covered by this. They can voluntary register with Ofsted.
Nannies generally care for the children of one family.
Nannies can be employed in a nanny share where they are employed by two families to care for the children of two families together. Or if they take are employed by one family and bring their own child to work.
Nannies can not legally care for the children of more than two families at the same time. If they are working and caring for the children of more than two families they should be registered as a childminder.
Should a nanny still go to work and bring her own child.
At the moment we have been asked to adopt social distancing, we can still go to work. So yes.

Are the staff not able to be furloughed therefore releasing the pressure on parents to pay?
I’m led to believe this is a bit tricky as the nursery will need some staff to come in to look after the key worker children. So they will need to be paid in full for their work.

So if they furlough some workers and they are sat at home on 80% of their wages, this is going to lead to resentment amongst the staff. But, it is crucial that some childcare staff are still working to provide places for the critical staff.

If you have a childminder, please remember that she is self employed and currently there are no plans to help the self employed financially, so please consider paying fees if you can.

If you are put on 80% of your normal salary, consider paying them 80% too, keep it fair. That money would already have been allocated for childcare in your Family budget
If you have been laid off completely and are not being paid at all that’s completely different, but if your financial position hasn’t changed, please consider paying for things as normal.

As a childminder I would like to know that all childcare settling are closing to the majority. It seems very unfair that some settings are not closing and are interpreting the key worker lists so openly. There seems little point in some shutting, while others carry on as normal spreading the virus around.

I imagine keeping staff but not paying full wage bill is a priority over a few resentful staff. Especially if the alternative is being let go.

They’ll just have to get over the petty feelings or work out a rota.

When will nurseries be able to reopen again? Will it be before schools?

Hi folks we are both key workers but private nursery closed to all children and want 50% retainer fees anyone else in this situation?

@mondeofan I'm in the same position just want to keep my DD home and safe

The nursery my dd attends will not be opening, they have said they will not charge parents for extras.
My husband is a key worker and have a child with an EHCP but as I stay at home none of my children will be attending school.
If a parent is home then children should be as well, the less children and staff in the safer for everyone.

I'm a m Keyworker and nursery has closed. Still want full fees! Not sure what to do next!

I'm really confused about this 80% retainer thing. The nursery I work first said that we would have to take unpaid leave but now they say they are claiming the government 80% wage thing so we all have to come into work doing our normal hours on 80% wages even though they don't need everyone in. So they will find jobs to do.

I thought that the whole point of the 80% wage was to enable you to stay at home.

That's what I thought but they said they had got this help with wages so everyone is to come in a work as normal.