Early Years Covid-19

Latest government information

• Child Safeguarding posters
• Opening schools and educational settings to more pupils from 1 June: guidance for parents and carers
• Implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings
• Actions for education and childcare settings to prepare for wider opening from 1 June 2020
• Temporary changes to Paediatric First Aid requirements
• Early Years Foundation Stage coronavirus disapplications
• Guidance on coronavirus testing for essential workers
• Letter from the Secretary of State for Education 23 April 2020
• Ofsted COVID-19 rolling update
• Actions for Early Years and Childcare Providers
• Sign up for email alerts about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) UK government response
• Business Coronavirus Support Finder

Health and wellbeing

• Cheshire West and Chester - Mental Health Helpline
• RCPCH - Advice for parents and carers when a child is unwell or injured
• World Health Organisation - mental health considerations
• NHS – One You

Cheshire East information

Daily Childcare Survey – Covid-19: Following government advice, it is essential that we are able to support key workers and vulnerable children as the lockdown situation continues. All childcare providers (excluding schools) will receive an email each morning from the Early Years team with a link to an online survey so that we can plan provision for the priority groups and inform parents of the places available. Unfortunately not all providers are completing the survey each day. It is essential that a response is received from all childcare provision. Thank you for your co-operation and continued support.

• PPE suppliers for setting (PDF, 130KB)
• Together we can open an Early Years Setting during Covid 19 (PDF, 581KB)
• Model Risk Assessment for reopening your setting (MS Word, 54KB)
• Childcare for vulnerable children and children of keyworkers (PDF, 170KB)
• Domestic Abuse- Request for Help from the Police and Crime Commissioner (PDF, 2MB)
• Business Support Plan (PDF, 408KB) - Guidance on the package of measures to support public services, people and businesses through this period of disruption caused by COVID-19.
• Cheshire East Business Rates support
• Tips for providers who have stayed open (PDF, 65KB)

Support for home learning

• National Literacy Trust’s Family Zone
• BBC Tiny Happy People
• Hungry Little Minds
• Help for children aged 2-4 to learn at home

Latest Early Years sector information

• Foundation Years Vodcast – Planning for opening on 1 June 2020

DfE guidance consultations

If you would like to discuss any of the above guidance then join the Childcare Development Team and other childcare providers for an informal group discussion around the DfE COVID-19 guidance. 

As these are open discussion sessions we won't have a fixed agenda. Our intention is for everyone to share and learn from one another and to understand the approaches taken by different settings to the guidance. 

The sessions will be held on

• Monday 20 July at 2.30pm
• Thursday 23 July at 10.30am
• There are no sessions week beginning 27 July
• Monday 3 August at 2.30pm
• Thursday 6 August at 10.30am
• Monday 10 August at 2.30pm
• Thursday 13 August at 10.30am
• Monday 17 August at 2.30pm
• Thursday 20 August at 10.30am

Register your interest in joining our discussion

We will send you a link to a Microsoft teams meeting which you can use in your web browser. You don't have to download software.