Reydon mum calls for more childcare options after Alpha Nurseries shuts

The Brambles Nursery in Reydon was among 22 facilities run by Alpha Nurseries until the company closed on 29 December

A mum is calling on the government to encourage more people to become childminders in rural areas following the closure of her local nursery.

Katie Tyler, from Reydon, Suffolk, who has two sons, said she would struggle to return to work after maternity leave because of the lack of local childcare.

The Brambles Day Community Nursery was one of 22 shut on 29 December.

The government said it was rolling out the "single biggest investment in childcare in England ever".

Brambles was one of 22 providers that was"regretfully" closed by Ipswich-based Alpha Nurseries amid financial problems.

It ran nurseries in eight counties.

In a letter, the company said: "Essentially there was no ability for the business to continue to remain open."

Katie Tyler said there was a lack of childcare provision where she lives

Ms Tyler, who is 27 and has sons aged four and six months, said a lack of places at local childcare centres meant she faced having to find a new job 12 miles (19km) away from home, in Lowestoft, in order to obtain easier access to childcare.

She said: "All of my family is in Ipswich and me and my partner only moved here [Reydon, near Southwold] in September so we've got no real friends that I could leave my children with.

"My only option is finding a certified childcare provider but there's only one other nursery and one childminder in Reydon and Southwold which, as far as I'm aware, haven't got any space at the moment."

Ms Tyler, who has called for "more childcare provision", added: "I want to work, but I can't and that is the bottom line. And I can't afford not to work so I'm stuck. It's a catch-22 situation."

Alpha Nurseries, based in Ipswich, provided facilities in eight counties

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "To make sure there are enough places across the country, we are investing hundreds of millions of pounds to increase hourly funding rates, and have allocated £100m in capital funding for more early years and wrapround places and spaces.

"To increase staff numbers, we are also launching a new national recruitment campaign and are looking to introduce a new accelerated apprenticeship route into the sector."