'It is unclear how the Government expects early years settings to open at all'

On Monday afternoon, the Government suggested that they could return to work from this Wednesday. Later that same day, they were asked to prepare for a return on 1 June instead. Then on Tuesday, the Department for Education “clarified” that they could look after the children of one household from the following day.

Confused? Childminders certainly were, and it must have been quite a shock to have their partial return to work confirmed just the night before. This mess has left childminders worried about losing clients and terrified for their safety. They are by no means the only ones who have been left in the dark by the Government’s unclear, contradictory advice. This week’s guidance recognises that social distancing "may not be possible for very young children" – an understatement to say the least – yet it says that staff looking after them will not require any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Childcare workers are very worried about how they and their families will be safe if they aren't protected from the spread of Covid-19 in a setting where it’s impossible to stay two metres apart.