News

Worries about children's safety putting parents off sending children back to nursery and school

Concerns about their child’s health and safety mean that thousands of parents will not be sending their children back to nursery next week, despite Boris Johnson giving the go-ahead for early years settings and primary schools to open from Monday.
From Monday (1 June), children can return to early years settings and Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 in primary school
From Monday (1 June), children can return to early years settings and Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 in primary school

Ahead of Monday’s reopening, separate surveys by PACEY and parenting and education charity Parentkind  reveal parents' concerns about the health, safety and well-being of children as they return to school and early years settings.

Research from the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) suggests that parents will not be rushing to send their children back to settings or school.

The survey of 1,000 parents found that nearly half of parents of young children who responded will be keeping their child at home next week.

The reasons given for not sending children back to their setting were largely due to health and financial worries.

When parents were asked how they would manage childcare, 85 per cent said they would continue to look after them at home themselves.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

  • Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month

  • Unlimited access to news and opinion

  • Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here