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<p>Since April 2020, we have been collecting weekly data from all English local authorities
to monitor the availability of early years childcare. We collect and publish information
on the number of open and closed early years providers as well as the number of children
attending. This information contributes to our regular publication, ‘Attendance in
education and early years settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak’, which
is available here:<br> <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak"
target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak</a>.</p><p>Term-time
attendance at early years settings has been increasing since September. On a typical
day in the autumn term, we estimate attendance to be around 887,000 children, due
to different and part-time patterns of childcare during the week. We estimate that
753,000 children attended early years settings on 8 October, which is approximately
85% of the usual daily level, and an increase of almost 340,000 from at the end of
the summer term. 80% of early years settings were estimated to be open on 8 October.</p><p>From
4 July, wraparound childcare providers and other providers of out-of-school activities
have been able to care for all children, with protective measures in place. We have
published further updated guidance for providers who run before and after-school clubs,
tuition and other out-of-school settings for children on the protective measures that
should be put in place to ensure they are operating as safely as possible. This is
also to ensure that with the introduction of our new local COVID-19 alert levels,
that wraparound childcare is able to remain open, to support parents to continue to
work. The guidance is available here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak</a>.</p><p>We
also know that many schools operate their own breakfast and after school clubs, and
they should be working to resume this provision, if they have not already. As part
of our guidance to schools on full opening, we have provided schools with guidance
to support them in reopening this valuable provision. The guidance is available here:<br>
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools</a>.</p><p>The
department does not hold information on the reasons for redundancy. However, the poll
of 1000 parents of 0-4 year old children in May 2020 showed only 7% of critical worker
families disagree that ‘the hours their child(ren) can access childcare or school
at the time of the poll fits with the working hours of the adults in the household’.
Of all parents surveyed who previously used childcare and were not intending to return
to formal childcare after the wider reopening on 1 June, only 6% said this was because
their usual provider or school was remaining closed and 4% stated their child’s usual
provider is only open for some children and their child is not eligible. More details
on the poll are available here:<br> <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/parents-0-4-year-olds-and-childcare-1st-june-2020"
target="_blank">https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/parents-0-4-year-olds-and-childcare-1st-june-2020</a>.</p>
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