The early years sector is at crisis point. We  are underpaid, undervalued, overworked and mentally exhausted  

If you read all the millions of comments on social media from early years practitioners across the country, you will notice a very common thread. Early years is at breaking point. 

The foundation stage plays an important part in each child’s development and practitioners are required to be highly trained and competent in Maths and English. The job role is extremely underpaid and the work load unacceptable. Mental health is deteriorating, staff are unable to be found anywhere as you can earn more by retail work where the stress is no where near what it is in the childcare sector. The government underfunds the free funding entitlement and nurseries are struggling to stay open due to this and the lack of available quality staff that need to be employed for legal ratios. 

We are expected to provide high quality childcare, risk assessment, attend safeguarding meetings, employ one to ones for SEN children. How? Children’s behaviour is becoming more challenging because parents are not taking responsibility and expecting practitioners to take over. 

We are at crisis point! 

Soon there will not be enough settings that are open, due to lack of staff through leaving regarding mental health, or the fact that no one wants to enter this sector anymore. We need to make the job more employable by offering more money, more support from the government and the local authority. We are human beings and are expected to be superheroes!