However, childminders are yet to be included in the home testing roll-out, in spite of all household members of school age children now able to access home test kits.
The Department for Education has confirmed that nurseries and pre-schools will start receiving deliveries of lateral flow devices (LFDs) from Thursday 11 March to be used from the week beginning 22 March.
Government guidance on rapid lateral flow testing has been updated so that it applies to nursery staff, and anyone in the household or support bubble of nursery children and nursery staff.
Households, childcare and support bubbles of nursery children will now have regular access to rapid lateral flow tests, it has confirmed.
It has also published new guidance on lateral flow testing for private, voluntary and independent (PVI) nurseries and pre-schools in England.
Commenting, Neil Leitch, Early Years Alliance chief executive, said, ‘Nursery and pre-school staff will breathe a huge sigh of relief today as details of the long-overdue home testing roll-out are confirmed.
‘Given the close contact early years staff have with children, parents and colleagues, the ability to identify asymptomatic cases will be critical in keeping frontline nursery workers safe, and in work. While this is a hugely welcome step, it is one that the sector has had to fight hard for, and that should never have been the case.'
Helen Donohoe, policy advisor at the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY), said, 'It is inconceivable that thousands of registered childminders and nannies who provide close-contact provision for young children have been left out of home testing plans, whilst nurseries, schools and recently, parents of school-aged children and the "wider school community" get regular access to these.
'The inaction has understandably left childminders and nannies feeling like second class service providers with morale at an all time low. This news comes at a time when the Government is highlighting the role of education and childcare staff in its "education recovery" plans. If childminders cannot safely deliver care and education in their settings without putting themselves and their families at risk, how are they expected to support children to build on from the impacts of the pandemic?'
Mr Leitch added, ‘It remains unacceptable, however, that even now, childminders are still waiting for Government to acknowledge the unique risks they face, not only through looking after children from other families, but through bringing them into their own homes. With lateral flow testing now so widespread, including access for larger businesses and entire households of all school age children, there is no excuse for their continued exclusion from this testing programme. As such, we look forward to the Government announcing a strategy to keep all of our early education professionals safe, not just those in nurseries and pre-schools.’
More information
The Government's guidance can be viewed on their document sharing platform here. This includes:
- Guidance to support the set-up of testing for staff, including a ‘How To Guide’
- Information and videos on how to self-test from home
- Step-by-step information for settings delivering the testing programme
- Frequently asked questions
A delivery schedule detailing when each individual nursery or pre-school will receive tests, and how many boxes of tests you will receive, is also available here.