Edinburgh private nurseries still charging parents despite closing due to coronavirus

Some nurseries have continued charging fees despite children not attending.

Nurseries in Edinburgh are charging fees due to confusion around government policy.

Confusion over government and council policy around the cost of providing emergency childcare in Edinburgh has been blamed for private nurseries charging parents for care despite closing or operating on a smaller scale.

Several nurseries, including Blossom Tree Nursery and Edinburgh Academy’s junior school, are charging a percentage of fees despite shutting their doors to non-key worker parents for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.

Edinburgh Academy said they were charged 25 per cent due to providing online learning services, while Blossom Tree said their 50 per cent charge was necessary to ensure the nursery survived the crisis and was supported by the majority of parents.

Blossom Tree said that it was awaiting confirmation on the financial support being made available by the Scottish Government for families and had informed parents that any rebates in funding would be passed straight on to them.

Others, including Bright Horizons, are charging key worker parents full fees despite council guidance suggesting the cost should be covered by the local authority and parents should not be charged.

A spokesman said: “We will of course look very closely at the proposals from the council. We are keen to do all we can to help the city’s critical key workers.”

Early Years Scotland (EYS), the country's leading national third sector organisation for children under five, said confusion around access to funding for nurseries is leading to potentially unnecessary charging.

June Brumpton, EYS’ chief executive, said funding committed to nurseries by the Scottish Government was “welcome support.

She said: “From our understanding at this time, early learning and childcare settings also have the potential to claim 80% of furloughed staff wages, and other small grants that they may be eligible for, to support the business sector.

“EYS is however aware that many of our members have been unsure about being able to access both the funded entitlement support, and the UK grant at this time, and therefore, this is why they may still be charging some parents in this way.

“We are continuing to support our members to help them to access the appropriate support, when their setting is closed, and this will hopefully help their parents/carers.”

Edinburgh City Council leader Adam McVey said no key worker should be charged for care in the Capital during the coronavirus crisis.

He said: “We’re working extremely hard on providing support to key workers and to lessen the financial impact on our private partner nurseries who have remained open so they can provide the necessary support to key workers.

“Our plans will be finalised in the coming days and have informed our private partner nurseries not to charge key workers. Any costs incurred for providing this support will be part of these proposals.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson added: “Advice from the Chief Medical Officer is that all non-essential business sectors should close unless and until we can all be clear how operations can be undertaken safely and in a way that is fully compliant with social distancing.

“We have published guidance which makes clear that businesses can only continue to operate if they can, by working together with staff and unions, establish ways to keep their employees safe, both in travelling to work and at work. The social distancing rules must also be applied in order to protect workers’ lives.

“Charging policies are a matter for individual businesses, however we are asking childcare providers, including childminders, to be reasonable and balanced in their dealings with parents, recognising the unprecedented situation. The UK and Scottish Government have developed a range of business support measures and have published information on the support available to childminders.

“We will continue to liaise with stakeholder organisations in the industry to ensure that everyone understands what is expected of them.”