STAFF from a local nursery and pre-school have appealed for routine Covid-19 testing and vaccinations to be rolled out to all key workers in early years settings.
Following news of the national lockdown, schools across England closed their doors to most pupils this month, whilst most early years settings remained open.
And whilst they are “pleased” to stay open, BebeTots Nursery and Pre-School staff say that they are concerned about the risk of catching Covid-19.
The Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (Pacey), Early Years Alliance (EYA) and National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) have also said that they want staff in nurseries and pre-schools to be given priority to receive the vaccine, and for mass testing in early years settings.
Speaking to White Horse News, Jennifer Morris from BebeTots said, “As a team, we are pleased that BebeTots Nursery and Pre-School is able to remain open, allowing us to continue to support children with their learning and development.
“Especially so when the children are not able to mix with other children and loved ones outside of the nursery, supporting predominantly their personal, social and emotional wellbeing.
“However, as key workers, we are concerned about the rising number of cases, the new strains that are now present in England and ultimately we are concerned about contracting the virus, passing it on to the children in our care, their families and our loved ones at home and welcome the introduction of routine testing and the roll out of the vaccinations.”
Whilst staff wait for news about when they will receive the vaccine, BebeTots Nursery and Pre-School’s determination to stay open and the safety measures put in place, has received praise from parents and carers.
“Our parents and carers have been amazing in their response to the challenges this pandemic has brought,” said Jennifer. “They have been thoroughly supportive of our nursery and the measures we have implemented.
“Our key worker parents were very grateful that we chose to remain open during the first lockdown, allowing them to continue their key roles. When we were able to welcome back all children in June, initially the reaction from parents was mixed. We found that although some parents were apprehensive, having discussed our measures and risk assessment, most were feeling relieved that their child could safely return to us.
“This has allowed parents to work, care for relatives and/or care for other children and help them with home schooling in more recent days.
“We understand the measures we have put in place have been very strict, but we cannot thank parents enough for being so patient and accepting. Ultimately we are trying to keep everyone as safe as we can.”
About the safety measures in place to help keep staff, children and parents safe, Jennifer explained, “Having remained open for key workers throughout the whole pandemic, we have implemented many measures to reduce the possibilities of anyone bringing Covid-19 into the setting, this has included the use of face masks when facing the parents, taking temperatures, and the use of hand gel when children and the team enter the nursery, as well as more frequent hand washing throughout the day.
“We have been open and honest with parents, informing them of the measures we have put in place, preventing children from attending the nursery if they, a family member or someone they have been in contact with has had any symptoms or tested positive.
“Our cleaning regimes have been very effective and thorough; where possible we are sterilising our toys daily. Where this is not possible, we quarantine them for four days after use. Our nursery caretaker has taken great measures to ensure a thorough clean on a daily basis. The team are also cleaning contact points multiple times throughout each day, in addition to opening doors and windows to refresh the air within the nursery, to name a few.”
“We cannot thank our team enough for their hard work and dedication in providing a safe environment for the children to learn and develop in their early years.”
