Their report – Prioritising early childhood for a happier, healthier society – concludes that; ‘Ensuring young children have access to positive relationships, experiences, and surroundings impacts not only their own futures, but the health and prosperity of the economy and society’.
Following the report’s release, a number of new business initiatives for the early years sector were announced, including funding for early years apprenticeships and leadership programmes.
Modern-day nurseries offer far more than a babysitting service, they provide a diverse range of educational experiences and activities to deliver the early years foundation stage curriculum. The vocational nature of early years careers stems from the satisfaction that dedicated practitioners derive from enhancing the cognitive, social and emotional skills of the children in their care and the relationships that they build in the process. As a society we cannot underestimate the importance of their role in providing our children with strong foundations for future education success and social wellbeing.
Nursery provision works best when thoughtfully integrated into our planning processes alongside schools, community and parent co working spaces. The most successful nurseries become integral parts of their local community, encouraging parental engagement and understanding whilst fostering invaluable local support networks for young families.
The average cost of a full-time nursery place in the UK currently stands at £302.10 per week, which equates to £15,709 per annum. With 3.5 million children aged 0-4 years and an increase in dual income families and single parents for whom reliable and quality childcare is a necessity, it is no surprise that the children’s day nursery sector is estimated to contribute £6.7 billion to the UK economy.
In recognition of this cost burden for working parents, the previous government extended its free/funded childcare scheme for eligible parents, resulting in many children from the age of 9 months now being eligible for 15 or 30 hours of childcare per week. This has resulted in increased funding available for the sector and further demand for childcare spaces.
These elements have all contributed to growth in the sector of 25% since 2020, ensuring that it offers significant potential to generate stable income for providers who can deliver quality early years education in a profitable way.
By providing a strong brand and a proven business model coupled with an effective training and mentoring programme, franchising smooths the path for childcare professionals wishing to run their own nursery or for entrepreneurs wishing to enter this unique sector for the first time. The property based nature of the business makes it attractive for those who already have suitable properties from which they wish to generate a stable income or for those who are looking to further invest in their property portfolio.
Canopy Children’s Nurseries is a fresh new brand in the market which prides itself on meeting the evolving needs of modern parents. Whilst aligning the quality of care and education with parents’ aspirations for their children remains the priority, today’s parents also expect state of the art security systems, flexibility to fit around new work patterns, digital communication and information platforms as well as highly ethical working practises.
With 4 nurseries operating and another 4 in the pipeline, Canopy won this year’s prestigious HSBC BFA Emerging Franchisor of the Year award and the team at Canopy pride themselves on working closely and collaboratively with their franchisees, supporting them to open the nursery business of their dreams.
Investing in the early years is far more than a business opportunity, it improves the outcomes of the children who attend, offers vital support for young working families, builds an asset for our local communities and ultimately affects the health and prosperity of our society as a whole.
This article comes courtesy of Canopy Children’s Nurseries, the award winning nursery franchise which nurtures better beginnings.
