Parents say they have been left devastated after a popular nursery in Tameside has been forced to permanently close.
"I think now we are really seeing the true effect of Covid," she said. "Since 2019 there has been a steady decline in numbers as now more people are working from home. Lucy Lafferty, whose daughter Lola currently attends Funtasia for 15 hours a week, said she 'cried all day' when she found out the nursery would be closing.
"She is going to have to cope with a new set of teachers after March and then again when she starts school later this year, it's a lot of change for someone that young," she said. "They take them out on trips and even help the parents with workshops and cover things like weaning and potty training. I cried when I found out it was closing, I'm still emotional about it now.
"My son is really settling down and I don't want to have that ruined," she said. "We are trying our hardest to keep the nursery open. "The government don't seem to realise that early years is the most important part of a child's life. We just aren't given enough funding.
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