Call for early years staff to be vaccinated

The Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (Pacey), Early Years Alliance (EYA) and National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) have called for vaccine priority for staff, and also mass testing in early years settings.

They are also urging the government to reinstate early entitlement funding support for settings which have had to close, or have seen a fall in the demand for funded places.

The organisations also want targeted funding for providers, like childminders, who have suffered from falls in parental demand.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the EYA, said: "It is simply not acceptable that, at the height of a global pandemic, early years providers are being asked to work with no support, no protection and no clear evidence that is safe for them to do so.

"We know how vital access to early education and care is to many families, but it cannot be right to ask the early years workforce to put themselves at risk."