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Around half of nurseries staying open for key worker families

Around a half of nurseries in the UK are staying open for children of key workers and vulnerable children, a survey by the National Day Nurseries Association suggests.
Nurseries that are open for key workers and vulnerable children are running at just 12 per cent occupancy
Nurseries that are open for key workers and vulnerable children are running at just 12 per cent occupancy

However, many nurseries are losing hundreds of pounds a day and struggling to remain viable, as around 40 per cent of nurseries’ income is dependent on parents paying fees, and most are not charging families whose children are unable to attend during the current crisis.

The online survey, which ran last week, received responses from standalone nurseries and nursery groups representing 2,570 nurseries in England, Scotland and Wales, and found that 50 per cent of them were currently open. Responses were received from nearly all local authority areas.

NDNA said it is lobbying all three UK governments hard for more financial support for nurseries, without which many critical workers on the frontline, such as NHS staff, would not be able to carry out their essential work.

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