Extended Services: Coronavirus

(asked on 2nd March 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will allocate funding to wraparound care providers to ensure that they continue to provide support to key workers, vulnerable children and working families during the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Vicky Ford Portrait
Vicky Ford
This question was answered on 10th March 2021

The department does not currently hold a central register of wraparound providers. Therefore we are unable to make an accurate assessment of the effect of a potential reduction of providers. However, we understand and recognise that the wraparound childcare sector, like many sectors, is facing unprecedented financial pressures as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. We also recognise the value this sector offers to our children and young people, in terms of the enriching activities they provide and, in particular, the valuable support they provide to our working parents and carers, and to vulnerable children.

Ensuring working parents and carers have access to the childcare they need remains a priority for the government. We acknowledge that this childcare will be crucial in the UK’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak. That is why we have ensured that all before and after-school clubs, holiday clubs, and other out-of-school settings have been able to continue to stay open for children eligible to attend school on-site (i.e. for critical worker children, and vulnerable children and young people), for the duration of the recent national lockdown. From 8 March wraparound childcare and other children’s activities have been able to open for all other children, where their parents/carers need the provision to support them to work, attend education, seek medical care or attend a support group, as well as for other essential purposes. Vulnerable children can attend childcare and other children’s activities in all circumstances.

The government has made a range of financial packages of support available for businesses to access throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. This includes tax relief, business loans or cash grants through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, as well as a £594 million discretionary fund for councils and the devolved administrations to support local businesses that may not be eligible for other support, during the current national lockdown.

We are also still encouraging all local authorities to consider using local grants that have been made available to them during the COVID-19 outbreak, to support the wraparound childcare sector in their areas, and to safeguard sufficient childcare provision for all families. This includes the expanded Holiday Activities and Food Programme which comprises a £220 million fund to be delivered through grants to local authorities. This programme will give children eligible for free school meals the option to join a free holiday-time programme that provides healthy food and enriching activities during the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays in 2021.

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