The Famly Early Years Corona Hub
Stay informed with official coronavirus updates and exclusive expert articles on what it all means for the early years. Let’s get through it together, you’ve got this.
Latest coronavirus advice and information
Updated Daily – With credit to the NDNA, and the Early Years Alliance, the best places to stay informed on what the latest government advice means for early years.
- 🏴 The DfE have released the full detailed guidance for early years settings hoping to reopen fully on 1 June.
- 🇬🇧 Watch the full recording of our live conference on reopening childcare, featuring five of the UK’s top early years experts, and a Danish Nursery Manager who has been reopened now for over 3 weeks.
- 🏴 Early years settings are one of the educational groups who are expected to prepare for reopening on 1 June. Four key documents have been released in the past week to support the reopening. First, a specific document for early years settings on reopening. There is also a general document with guidance for all educational settings, and a document on protective measures and cleaning specifically Finally, an overview of the scientific advice that has led to the decision to reopen.
- 🇬🇧 Rishi Sunak has confirmed that the Job Retention Scheme has been extended until at least the end of October, with no change until the end of July. Employees will continue to receive at least 80% of their salary but during the transition period of August to October, employers will be asked to start paying a percentage – More details to come later this month.
- 🇬🇧 The chancellor has announced a new Bounce Back Loan scheme for small businesses, which gives you access to a loan worth 25% of your turnover, up to £50K. The loans will be interest free for the first 12 months and guarenteed by the government.
How to support your business
- 🇬🇧 The chancellor has announced a new Bounce Back Loan scheme for small businesses, which gives you access to a loan worth 25% of your turnover, up to £50K. The loans will be interest free for the first 12 months and guarenteed by the government.
- 🇬🇧 The government will pay up to 80% of an employee’s wages if they would otherwise lose their job due to the coronavirus pandemic, up to £2,500. More details on the scheme available here and how it applies to the early years available here.
- 🇬🇧 If you are registered for VAT for other services your provide or use, VAT will be defered until the end of June, to be made payable at the end of the tax year.
- 🇬🇧 Self-employed childminders can access the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, which is a grant worth 80% of trading profits up to maximum of £2,500.
- 🏴 Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed that private childcare providers will also be able to defer their business rates for one year starting from April 1st.
- 🏴 The government will continue to pay funding for ‘free’ childcare entitlements, even if nurseries close or children don’t attend. No announcements yet for Scotland 🏴 or Wales 🏴.
- 🇬🇧 Statutory Sick Pay will be refunded by the government for businesses with less than 250 employees.
- 🇬🇧 Businesses with a turnover of no more than £41m a year can apply for a Coronavirus Business Interruption loan of up to $5m, guaranteed by the government. This will launch next week.
- 🇬🇧 Businesses can receive extra time to return taxes under the HMRC Time to Pay scheme.
Click for more information on all coronavirus business support schemes.
All government advice and information
- 🇬🇧 The nationwide government guidance, updated at 2pm every day.
- 🏴 Department for Education guidance for educational settings. The official helpline is 08000 046 868.
- 🏴 Scottish government guidance for educational settings. The official helpline is 0300 303 0660 (Mon-Fri 8:30-17:30)
- 🏴 Welsh government guidance for educational settings. The official helpline is 03000 6 03000
- 🏴 The DfE have released a document to help education and childcare settings to prepare for a potential reopening on June 1.
- 🇬🇧 A survey by the Early Years Alliance have has found that a quarter of providers fear closure within a year, and nearly half may need to make some staff redundant.
- 🏴 The government have laid out how local authorities can flexibly apply education entitlement funding in ‘exceptional circumstances’ and ‘when other options have been exhausted’ to ensure there are enough childcare places for the children of key workers. This includes allowing the funding to follow the child when they move to a setting that remains open.
- 🏴 Essential workers in England, including education and childcare workers, will have access to testing, along with everyone in their household. See the current guidance for 🏴Scotland, 🏴Wales and N. Ireland.
- 🇬🇧The DfE have updated their guidance on furlough and funding for Early Years Settings in line with HMRC clarifications made last week. Our Twitter thread here covers the main points.
- 🏴The DfE has produced a guide to home learning for parents of 2-4 year olds. They explan that ‘No one expects parents to act as teachers or childcare providers’, and cover topics like routines, staying active, and digital access.
- 🇬🇧 The government have updated their guidance for early years settings, including limitations on how settings in receipt of ‘free entitlements’ can access the Job Retention Scheme for furloughed staff. In essence, the changes suggest the more income a provider gets through government funding, the less support they will be able to get for staff wages through the Job Retention Scheme.
- 🏴 The DfE have released an update to their guidance to early years settings, including now-confirmed temporary changes to the EYFS.
- 🇬🇧 Clear guidance on how the Job Retention Scheme will be applied has been released. The scheme will allow employers to ‘furlough’ staff and claim back 80% of their wages from the government, up to £2,500. Read our guidance on the Job Retention Scheme, made in collaboration with Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance
- 🇬🇧 The Furlough Scheme ‘cut-off’ has been extended until the 19th March, meaning you can place staff on furlough who you employed on or before that date.
- 🇬🇧 The government’s updated guidance for employees on the Job Retention Scheme confirms that you can place employees on furlough more than once, opening up the possibility of rotating employees to support partial closure.
- 🇬🇧 The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme announced here, should help to support childminders. The scheme allows the self-employed to claim a grant worth 80% of trading profits up to maximum of £2,500, however it won’t be made available until June.
- 🏴The DfE has released an exhaustive list of expectations and guidance for early years care. It includes details of support, clarity on vunerable children and key workers, and the request that as many providers as possible try to stay open during these times.
- 🏴 The list of key workers whose children schools, colleges and early years providers are being asked to stay open for has been released. Check the NDNA page for incoming details on Scottish 🏴 and Welsh 🏴 key workers.
- 🏴 The DfE have published advice and FAQs on the closure and what it means for early years. Read more here.
- All early years inspections have been temporarily suspended, in 🏴 England, 🏴 Scotland, and 🏴 Wales
Exclusive expert Famly articles for the sector
Exclusive expert Famly articles for the sector
Activities from our early years community
By Bianca, Kangaroos Kids Nursery
‘Dear Zoo’
Story Time
What you’ll need:
- Listening ears.
By Isobel, Flying Colours Nursery
Rainbow Painting
for the NHS
What you’ll need:
- Paint (a few different colours)
- Glitter (optional)
- Paper or card
- Tape (to stick in window)
By Bianca, Kangaroos Kids Nursery
Earth Craft
Day
What you’ll need:
- Paper plate
- Paint
- Crayon
- Recycled paper
By Leanne, Flying Colours Nursery
Junk
Modelling
What you’ll need:
- Junk
- Scissors
- Glue/cellotape
- Paint
Activities from our early years community
By Bianca, Kangaroos Kids Nursery
‘Dear Zoo’
Story Time
What you’ll need:
- Listening ears.
By Isobel, Flying Colours Nursery
Rainbow Painting
for the NHS
What you’ll need:
- Paint (a few different colours)
- Glitter (optional)
- Paper or card
- Tape (to stick in window)
By Bianca, Kangaroos Kids Nursery
Earth Craft
Day
What you’ll need:
- Paper plate
- Paint
- Crayon
- Recycled paper
By Leanne, Flying Colours Nursery
Junk
Modelling
What you’ll need:
- Junk
- Scissors
- Glue/cellotape
- Paint
