Question: Will free childcare places have funding issues during the pandemic?

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus outbreak
section_headers: Funding
What will happen to funding for free childcare places during this period of disruption?
section_content: On 17 March 2020, the Chancellor confirmed that the government would continue
to pay local authorities for free early years entitlement places for 2-, 3-
and 4-year-olds.
We have published guidance on the use of free early education entitlements
funding setting out
how local authorities can use their free entitlement funding differently,
redistributing it - in exceptional cases and only when all other options have
been exhausted - in order to secure childcare for the children of critical
workers, and for vulnerable children, where their usual arrangements are no
longer possible.
Local authorities will need to ensure there are sufficient childcare places at
this time, and to redistribute funding across settings accordingly – in a
clearly focused and targeted way. This ability to redistribute free
entitlement funding in exceptional circumstances will enable local authorities
to ensure that critical workers, including NHS staff, are able to access
childcare where they need it. Any setting which sees their early entitlement
funding reduced, in order to fund childcare places elsewhere, will be able to
increase the proportion of their salary bill eligible for the Coronavirus Job
Retention Scheme in line with DfE’s guidance on financial support for
education, early years and children’s social
care on access to the scheme.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Has fairly detailed information about funding for childcare during the pandemic.
This is a justifiable answer to the question as it addresses any possible funding issues.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Acceptable

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus outbreak
section_headers: Considerations for settings that are open during this period
Will children attend their usual childcare setting?
section_content: Our priority is ensuring sufficient childcare for vulnerable children and
children of critical workers. We are asking settings to stay open to do this,
but we acknowledge this may not always be possible.
Where a setting is unable to stay open, local authorities will work with local
settings to determine the best way to support vulnerable children and the
children of critical workers.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Says that childcare facilities may not be able to stay open, but doesn't explicitly address funding issues.
This answer is addressing staying open and ignores the question about if there will be funding issues.

Reviewer ratings:
Bad
Bad

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus outbreak
section_headers: Considerations for settings that are open during this period
What if a setting has a large number of vulnerable or critical worker children?
section_content: Since the aim of closures is to slow the spread of coronavirus, settings may
wish to make arrangements with other settings to reduce the number of children
in their care, if a large number of children are eligible to attend.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Talks about closures due to pandemics, but doesn't specifically address funding issues.
This is referencing the slowing of spreading the corona virus. It ignores any funding issues that may arise.

Reviewer ratings:
Bad
Bad