Closing Sheffield nurseries would impact too much on working parents, say councillors
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Early years practitioner Jane Wratten asked councillors to write to the education and health ministers asking for nurseries to only open for key workers and for staff to be prioritised for vaccines.
But the children’s scrutiny board said the issue was very complex and closing nurseries could put too much pressure on families and working parents.
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Hide AdMs Rattan made the plea in a letter to the board. She said: “In early years we cannot socially distance from the children and they certainly don’t socially distance among themselves.
“They may not suffer effects of the virus but inevitably they can transmit it. We’ve been recommended to not use masks or any other PPE yet children sneeze, cough and wipe snot on us on a daily basis, as well as the daily need for cuddles and nappy changes.
“We are obviously key workers that have not been put on a priority vaccination list. Teachers have been mentioned as possibly being prioritised when schools reopen yet we are open now.
“I work in a private nursery and if they close or reduce the numbers voluntarily, they will lose their funding and consequently have to lay off staff and probably close.”
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Hide AdBut councillors were uncomfortable supporting it. Coun Mike Lavery said: “A lot of families rely on nurseries, particularly those working from home or living in limited space such as flats.”
Coun Joe Otten said: “There are dozens of groups who are key workers and deserve priority vaccines but when you move one group up, another group has to move down the priority list.”
And Coun Kaltum Rivers said: “Having your children at home when you’re working is really hard. We need to really think about what pressure that would put on parents, especially those who are dealing with other children or lone parents.”
The committee decided not to support the request.