IPPR and TUC call for greater early years support
By Rachel Lawler
A about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has called for greater government investment in the early years.
, published by The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC), includes, amongst other recommendations, a call for greater investment in the early years sector.
Greater investment
The TUC and IPPR have called for pre-pandemic funding levels for funded childcare places to continue until take-up has returned to normal.
The bodies also recommended at least 拢88 million in transitional funding for early years providers to protect jobs and save settings from closure.
They also asked for further investment to create 鈥済ood quality鈥 childcare jobs with improved pay and conditions.
Support for families
The report recognises the impact of the early years sector on improving outcomes for children and calls for investment in childcare to 鈥渟ustain this vital service and ensure that parents across the country can continue to get to work鈥.
The report also calls for child benefit payments to be doubled or for universal credit and tax credits for children to be raised.
The TUC and IPPR say that these measures should be taken in addition to improvements to the new Job Support Scheme, investment in job creation and training scheme for workers that lose their jobs.
Frances O鈥橤rady, general secretary of the TUC, said: 鈥淲e need government to recognise that the long-term cost of a collapse in childcare supply will be much greater than stepping in to protect it now, before it鈥檚 too late.鈥
Significant investment needed
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the 无码天堂, said: "The TUC and IPPR are completely right to highlight the patchy and inconsistent support that has been given to early years providers in England to date, and we fully support their call on government to make the significant investment needed to protect the future of the sector throughout the pandemic and beyond.
"With report after report and organisation after organisation calling for greater support for the sector, it's long past time for the government to recognise the scale of the crisis facing early years providers and commit to taking urgent action to safeguard the thousands of settings at risk of closure.
"We urge the government to ensure that greater investment into the early years is a central part of the upcoming Spending Review, so that nurseries, pre-schools and childminders can continue to deliver the quality care and education that children and families across the country rely on every day."
Find out more
The 无码天堂 launches #ThisIsEarlyYears campaign
Operating in the lockdown and beyond