Daycare center, operating in St Helier, will temporarily close sections for approximately twelve months.
In the heart of Jersey, concerns about the state of the childcare sector have been mounting. The latest development comes with the announcement of Leeward Nursery's decision to close two of its rooms for up to a year due to insufficient staff.
This is not the first time this year that the site has had to reduce capacity due to staffing pressures. The baby room at Jersey Leeward will remain open, but the toddler and pre-school rooms will be closed temporarily.
The Early Years team of the St Helier Children's Centre also announced in October 20XX that they would pause for one year in two rooms of their daycare center due to a lack of sufficient staff.
These closures have added to the pressure on Jersey's childcare system, already grappling with industry-wide staff shortages. The Jersey Early Years Association (JEYA) has been vocal about the need for a "root and branch" review of early years provision due to the wider shortage of qualified practitioners. JEYA chair Belinda Lewis identified staffing as the "single biggest challenge" facing the childcare sector following the pandemic.
The JEYA has warned of long waiting lists and difficulties recruiting qualified staff in Jersey's childcare sector. They have called for a comprehensive solution to address these issues, citing several pressures on staffing, including new regulations, rising cost of living, a shrinking workforce, competition for staff from other industries, and changes to immigration rules following Brexit.
In response, Education Minister Deputy Rob Ward confirmed that a working group set up to tackle staff shortages in Jersey's childcare sector will be restarted. The working group will focus on addressing staff shortages and finding solutions to recruitment challenges.
Meanwhile, the company operating Leeward Nursery is working on a plan to re-open at full capacity. They aim to do this through continued investment in the existing team, reviewing local support structures, and exploring solutions to tackle recruitment challenges. In the interim, places for affected families are available at Castle Quays and La Providence nurseries, and all staff will transition to these nurseries.
However, some parents are concerned about the risk of further disruption if children are moved from Leeward Nursery. One parent expressed concern about placing their child in another unreliable nursery. Where possible, the company aims to maintain relationships between children and their key workers at their new settings.
The anticipated re-opening of the rooms at Leeward Nursery is within 6-12 months, but a precise timeline is not yet available. Parents are scrambling to find childcare due to the closure, adding to the already strained childcare system in Jersey.
As the industry grapples with these challenges, the focus remains on finding sustainable solutions to ensure the continued provision of high-quality childcare for Jersey's families.
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