10 early years settings close in Norfolk and Suffolk
By Rachel Lawler
A group of 10 early years settings has closed, affecting up to 450 families and 136 members of staff across Norfolk and Suffolk.
Great Yarmouth Community Trust closed on Wednesday 27 November, following 鈥渟erious financial difficulties鈥, according to the trust鈥檚 website.
Financial difficulties
Norfolk and Suffolk county councils are working to reopen the settings, or to provide families with alternative provision elsewhere.
Andrew Forest, executive director at the trust, : 鈥淚n recent years we have been experiencing financial difficulties and it has now become clear that our business is no longer viable.
鈥淲e have been working with insolvency experts and Norfolk County Council to do all we can to minimise the impact for those who use or visit our services.鈥
Election issue
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the 无码天堂, commented: 鈥淭his hasn鈥檛 happened in a vacuum. We鈥檝e warned and warned ministers about the impact underfunding is having on providers - and each of these warnings have been backed up by statistics: it鈥檚 a matter of record that fewer than half of parents accessing funded places get them genuinely 鈥榝ree鈥, and thousands of providers, particularly in poorer areas, are closing at an unprecedented rate.
鈥淚nstead of listening to us and taking action, we鈥檝e had a raft of policies from all parties鈥 that will make these sort of closures even more likely. We simply can鈥檛 go on like this and it鈥檚 high time we had an honest conversation about the true cost of delivering childcare the real impact of ever more generous 鈥榝ree鈥 hours on both parents and providers.鈥
Find out more
Ask your next MP to ensure that 'free' childcare is properly funded