Greater Manchester nurseries struggling amid rising costs

By George Crafer

BBC News

Twenty one nurseries in Greater Manchester have closed amid staff shortages and rising costs, figures show.

Ofsted data shows the nurseries closed in the city region in 2021, with many shutting in deprived areas.

Nurseries in those areas mostly received their funding from the government, which pays for up to 30 hours of childcare each week per child.

Managers said some staff are opting for higher paid jobs in other sectors.

While nurseries can charge parents for any hours beyond their statutory entitlement, staff say families are finding it hard to find the money as finances are squeezed by the cost of living crisis.

Hailey Mills, a manager at Littleways Day Nursery in Longsight, said: "We definitely wouldn't be able to stay open if we just relied on the government funding.

"You'd be at a loss every day."

In England, nurseries apply to their local authority for funding, which is paid out via the Nursery Education Funding (NEF) from the Department for Education.