Due to the current restrictions, we are only able to accept children of ‘Key Workers’ into nursery until further notice. We do have a limited number of vacancies which are being filled by the emergency planning team at Staffordshire County Council.
This page will be updated when re receive any further Government or Local Authority advice or directives. Thank you for your continued support.
UPDATE 23rd March 2020.
We are currently asking that everyone pays their March invoice in full as we had already put staff on the rota and payment was due by the 15th March. We intend to honour any credit built up as soon as we are able to return to normal.
Going forwards we are not expecting parents to pay for their existing bookings, until we are able to re-open to all. Children of Key Workers who are still attending will pay accordingly.
We will keep places open for everyone.
It’s going to be a very difficult time for the whole childcare industry and we are trying to ensure that we are still here to provide our services after this is over.
Please look after your family and we hope to see you all soon
Justine, Andrew and the Teddy’s Garden Team.
UPDATE 20th March 2020
We have been contacting parents today to ask if they are ‘Key Workers’ and therefore able to access our setting as usual – if you have not yet been contacted please call us on 01538 361600
KEY WORKER DEFINITION:
We understand that this is now if ANY parent is a Key Worker (and not ‘both’ parents as has been detailed elsewhere)
Parents whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined below will be able to continue to send their child to nursery (as long as we can remain open)
Government Advice Includes:
- If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.
- If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then nursery provision will be available for them.
- Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.
- Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.
Health and social care
This includes but is not limited to doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributers of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.
Education and childcare
This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach.
Key public services
This includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.
Local and national government
This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response or delivering essential public services such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies.
Food and other necessary goods
This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).
Public safety and national security
This includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic), fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.
Transport
This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.
Utilities, communication and financial services
This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.
If workers think they fall within the critical categories above they should confirm with their employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service.
If you have any queries – Please call us on 01538 361600 or email office@earlystages.ltd.uk