Nurseries around the island are taking baby steps in opening further as more residents prepare to return to their workplaces. Reporter Jess Ward speaks to Toddlers United Playgroup in Strang and Hopes & Dreams Nursery in Douglas about the changes they’ve made while remaining open during the pandemic.

With more people returning to work as Covid-19 restrictions are eased, it means more children are able to see their nurseries and schools for the first time in weeks.

During the pandemic, 10 of the island’s nurseries remained open to provide care to key workers’ children below the age of four. A total of 33 of the island’s 75 registered child minders have also remained open for business.

For more than seven weeks, these nurseries have been practising more rigorous cleaning and have changed routines to create the safest environment possible for staff and children.

These changes were first implemented at the start of the pandemic with each nursery having created its own emergency contingency plan for Covid-19 based on government guidelines.

After a few weeks, this had to be updated ahead of the new influx of children of those returning to work in the construction, trades and horticulture sectors.

Toddlers United Playgroup in Strang is currently caring for 15 children, having previously had seven key workers’ children. Its normal roll has a total of 39 children.

Manager Seraphina Batty said: ’It was a big drop, but it’s nice having small groups. In the nine weeks we’ve been open, no one has been ill.’

She admitted that social distancing is ’practically impossible’ with nursery-aged children, but they do the best they can.

’From day one we decided, and I put in my policy, that we were going to carry on as we are. If we can social distance we will, but if we cannot, we cannot,’ she said.

’We try to seat the children apart at tables and it helps doing circle time as they can also sit apart then. Other than that we’re not going to stop them.

’When it comes to adult-to-adult we try and keep that apart. Adult-to-child is also practically impossible. If a child falls over we pick them up and cuddle them. We then go and wash our hands and then their hands.’

She believes that fretting over children socially distancing all day could worry the children.

The nursery’s parents are in agreement with this, she said. ’We work with our parents on this and we do not let them come inside. They drop their children by the door.’

Other than the guidelines, she said they have not had much else from the government. She understands this as ’each environment is different’.

’We have one large room and masses of outdoor space. Some nurseries have lots of rooms and no garden. You cannot have one rule for one and one rule for another.’

The children often go outside for fresh air, which is easy to do so as the nursery is based on Union Mills’ Football Club grounds.

When it comes to cleaning, the nursery’s toys are disinfected and floors can be scrubbed easily as they are not carpeted. This is carried out by its four staff members.

Seraphina said: ’I always tell the staff "if you’re not happy, you don’t have to work. If you feel unsafe you can go home".’

She added that the children have been kept occupied with lots of play and making apt art such as a huge rainbow made out of their handprints for the NHS.

’We’re having so much fun with the children. They don’t know anything different and are loving it themselves,’ she said.

Before the pandemic, Hopes & Dreams Nursery on Woodbourne Road in Douglas had 207 children on its roll. This went down nearly 90% leaving only 10 children of frontline workers in attendance.

After the announcement about the return to work of construction, trades and horticulture, the nursery currently has 32 in its care. Not all attend full-time.

Gary Pierce, owner of Hopes & Dreams Nursery, said: ’We have had a lot of support and guidance from Registrations and Inspections (RNI) and the Department of Education, Sports and Culture.

’They speak to us daily to monitor attendance numbers and are always available to answer our questions.

’They have provided specific guidance on undertaking risk assessments and we are expecting further guidance any day now on how we can operate safely as we welcome more children back to nursery.’

He added that the total number of children they will be able to accommodate full-time during the current health emergency is 77.

In a letter to parents, the nursery said it had increased the frequency of hand washing with the children and the scope of cleaning routines.

It had eliminated unnecessary visits and arranged its staff members into teams to reduce opportunities for cross-contamination.

Activities that would increase the spreading of the infection have been removed with ’physical distancing’ being introduced ’as far as possible’.

The letter reads: ’We are concerned that people in general, and perhaps particularly children, are at risk from the effects on their mental health from becoming socially distant.

’For us there is a really important difference and distinction between social distancing and physical distancing.

’We will work hard to ensure that all children returning are socially included and helped to feel emotionally safe when they return to our nurseries.

’Of course, wherever practicable, we will also be following physical distancing guidelines as they are essential.

’What physical distancing in nursery with really young children will look like is still being debated and developed.

’We are keen to ensure that any physical distancing measures do not unduly increase the feelings of disconnection, uncertainty or anxiety for young children who may not be able to understand and process what is expected of them.’

The nursery, like the rest of the population, admits it remains a little in the dark about the near future and the challenges that it will bring.

But it remains optimistic for its next steps, while relying on parents’ feedback and support.