The childcare sector is in serious trouble according to a Federation Early Childhood Providers survey. Childcare facilities have been closed since 13 March and are not due to reopen till 19 April at the earliest.
A snap survey of 600 members conducted over five hours shows few providers are considering retaining staff on the Temporary Refund Scheme.
The results show that 53% of childcare providers said they would not survive, a key reason given for this was that short term borrowings could not be serviced by low-profit services.
Less than 7% reported an intention to leave staff on payroll during the Covid-19 crisis. On Wednesday, Minister for Children announced new emergency measures to ensure childcare workers are paid in full, while