A Halifax nursery under new ownership is welcoming parents back after its sudden closure left them without care for their children.
When Debbie Main took over the re-named Little Foot Day Nursery and Out of School Club in Luddendenfoot, near Halifax, last October, she vowed to meet the individual needs of parents and encourage families back into the fold.
She explains, 'The nursery was very popular within the community. Many parents accessed their funded sessions at the setting and said how convenient it was positioned next door to the local school. However, when the nursery closed after a day's notice, parents were forced to enrol their children at the setting in the next village, which charges higher fees that some could not afford to pay.'
The nursery owner is now hoping to bring parents back through the doors and build up the nursery's reputation. To achieve this she has extended its opening hours by half an hour at each end of the day, as well as opening early three mornings a week to provide care for a boy who has Down Syndrome and whose mother works as a nurse. The age range catered for by the after school club has also been increased up to 11 years old to make life easier for parents who have younger children attending.
Ms Main says she took on the running of the nursery because she wanted a challenge and felt that it would be a fantastic opportunity.
'The owners, who are two local business men who run a nursery in the vicinity, told me about the nursery's closure,' she explains. 'They wanted to know about the setting and the demand for childcare in the area and asked me as I had worked there eight years ago when it was under different management.
'Having had 19 years experience in childcare and wanting to start a nursery from scratch, I suggested that we go into partnership and I take on the running.'
The site underwent a full renovation which saw carpets and furniture replaced and walls knocked down to create more space. The use of the small conservatory was also changed from a children's cloakroom to a waiting area for parents, which Ms Main says 'has tightened the nursery's security as staff find it easier to control who comes and goes now that parents aren't queuing outside and letting others in.'
She believes it is the little things that make the difference. 'We've tried to make the nursery feel more homely and have introduced a colour scheme of black, red and white throughout,' she says. 'Parents who have come back to us have been overcome by the changes we've made.'
Next on the to do list is to improve the outdoor area by turning the green space that surrounds the building into a secr
et garden.
As well as welcoming parents back, Ms Main also took on four members of staff who had worked at the nursery before it suddenly closed. She has since employed a further six practitioners, who she says are all working a couple of hours each until more children start at the nursery. Currently there are 26 children registered at the setting, which opened at the beginning of January.
The nursery owner is confident she will make the business a success and has already been awarded top marks in Calderdale Council's Scores on the Doors scheme for its food hygiene practices.
'It's going well considering we have only been open for a couple of months,' Ms Main says. 'It's all about having the right team and my good reputation has certainly helped.'
She adds, 'My aim now is to achieve an outstanding in our first Ofsted inspection this summer, but I would be happy with good with outstanding elements.'