Simon Hoare MP has met with local childcare provider Cheryl Hadland of Tops Day Nurseries at Tops Gillingham Nursery and pledged his commitment to support local childcare providers.
Simon Hoare MP joined Cheryl Hadland, Managing Director of Tops Day Nurseries, to discuss the crisis faced by Early Years providers at Tops Day Nurseries: Gillingham Nursery. Tops Day Nurseries is in its 30th year and is one of the Souths most successful nursery businesses, with a strong ethos in being socially responsible and environmentally sustainable.
In 2017, Cheryl Hadland caught the attention of the national news by banning glitter from all Tops settings, tackling the issue of micro-plastics polluting our oceans and entering our food chain. Since then Tops Day Nurseries have become textbook examples for sustainability in practice, issuing a ban on One-Use Plastic products and working with their suppliers to switch to sustainable alternatives. Recently, Tops Day Nurseries were accredited by Surfers Against Sewage with Plastic Free Champion status, which encompasses every nursery setting within its family.
Speaking after their meeting, Cheryl Hadland said: “I am delighted Simon Hoare, MP has pledged his support for childcare providers, families and children in Gillingham.
“At Tops Day Nurseries we provide top-quality early education to our children, and we’re pleased that the Government’s rise in minimum wage means we are able to pay our staff closer to what they deserve for the amazing job they do.
“However, with the 30 hours free funding for 3 and 4 year olds and the predicted minimal increase in funding, Tops, and the rest of the sector, are in crisis on how to remain sustainable. Tops already charge general extras for parents; come April 2020, we will have to raise our prices further, therefore, burdening parents with having to pay more towards their children’s education and care than any other parents in Europe.
“We also want a healthier environment and future for our children and grandchildren. This is why I look forward to working with our local MP to campaign for a more sustainable future for childcare providers, parents and children,”
Simon Hoare commented: “It was great to meet Cheryl Hadland, members of the team and, more importantly, my youngest constituents, at Tops Day Nurseries in Gillingham and hear about the fantastic work Tops does to give children the best start in life possible. I was particularly impressed at their commitment to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2025.
“It was concerning to hear of some of the issues which our childcare industry is facing, and I will be making representations in Parliament and to the Government to help ensure that the funding deficiency is addressed to ensure that early year providers are able to keep delivering the high quality early education for the children in Gillingham.”
Tops Day Nurseries offers care for children from 3 months – school age, as well as having an afterschool and holiday club for children up to the age of 8. Parents can benefit from extended opening hours of 6am-8pm subject to demand, for, 52 weeks a year including Bank Holidays. This is as well as the number of extra-curricular activities such as Forest School, which extend the experiences children have whilst at nursery. For more information, please call 0801 699650 or email enquiries@topsdaynurseries.co.uk