Opinion

Staying open in the coronavirus outbreak: 'Our approach has been to take a positive view on how to offer childcare in this "new normal" '

Coronavirus Viewpoint
As nurseries start to reopen for more children, one nursery owner shares her experiences of social distancing for three-year-olds, reassuring parents, and hand sanitiser shortages
Sandra Shepherd, director, Associated Nurseries: 'We have been working very long days and seven days a week'
Sandra Shepherd, director, Associated Nurseries: 'We have been working very long days and seven days a week'

We run two day nurseries one in Burton Upon Trent. Our Swadlincote nursery (54 places) has remained open throughout the whole pandemic and although numbers were drastically reduced, we did find we took on a number of new children (due to their nurseries closing).

Our Burton nursery (53 places) remained open for the first week after the lockdown but as people became furloughed and others at home could look after their children it soon became clear that there was no point in remaining open.

We have been able to furlough a number of staff which has been essential to our survival. Though we are yet to receive the money, we are one of the lucky ones who are covered by insurance (although loss of Revenue actually seems to mean something subtly different!)

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