Early years staffing crisis: New solution

Parenta, one of the UK’s leading early years training and solutions providers, has successfully launched its Early Years Workforce Stability Framework alongside the Abacus Advantage™ System at the Childcare & Education Expo in London (20^th - 21^st March), marking a significant step forward in addressing the sector’s ongoing staffing and sustainability challenges.

The Early Years Workforce Stability Framework helps early years settings address qualification gaps and retain staff for longer, with clear pathways for practitioners to achieve Level 3 qualifications more quickly. The framework has been developed in response to ongoing challenges around staff shortages, qualification requirements, and the long-term sustainability of early years provision.

Alongside this, Parenta has introduced the Abacus Advantage™ System. This brings together nursery management software, hands-on support, and a structured way of running your setting. It helps providers clearly see and manage key areas of their business, including occupancy levels, income, and staffing costs.

Together, these two initiatives address the growing need for integrated solutions that support both workforce development and financial stability, especially as settings continue to face rising costs and ongoing staffing pressures.

The launch drew strong interest from nursery owners, managers, and sector leaders, all seeking practical solutions to workforce instability, a widely recognised issue impacting recruitment, retention and quality across early years provision. Parenta’s newly unveiled Workforce Stability Framework is designed to help early years settings close critical qualification gaps and strengthen long-term workforce retention. The framework provides a structured pathway to develop staff, including enabling settings to address Level 3 qualification shortages within as little as 53 weeks.

With workforce instability identified as one of the sector’s most pressing challenges - driven by low pay, high workload and limited professional development opportunities - the framework offers a timely and practical response to improve both staff retention and quality of care.

Parenta Group CEO, Dr Allan Presland, said, “If we want to improve outcomes for children, we have to start by stabilising the workforce. That means investing in people, creating clear development pathways and making it easier for settings to grow their own qualified staff.”

Alongside the framework, Parenta showcased the Abacus Advantage™ System - a comprehensive business transformation approach that goes far beyond traditional nursery management software.

The system combines:

A proven operating model based on best-performing settings
Implementation training and guidance
The Abacus software platform
Ongoing expert support

Together, these elements provide nursery leaders with greater visibility over their business performance, helping them understand key drivers such as occupancy, session profitability and cashflow pressures.

Unlike standard systems that focus on recording activity, the Abacus Advantage™ enables providers to make confident, data-informed decisions and build financially sustainable settings.

At the heart of the Abacus Advantage™ is Parenta’s established Abacus nursery management software, which streamlines administrative tasks, supports staff management, and delivers detailed reporting to improve operational efficiency.

By automating processes such as invoicing, staff scheduling and compliance tracking, the system enables early years teams to reduce administrative burden and refocus on delivering high-quality care and education.

Dr Presland commented, “Too many nursery leaders are making critical decisions without the full picture. The Abacus Advantage™ changes that - giving providers real insight into what’s driving their business so they can act with confidence, not guesswork.”

As the exhibition drew to a close on Saturday evening, he continued, “Launching at Childcare Expo has been incredibly powerful. The response from providers has confirmed what we already knew - the sector is ready for practical, integrated solutions that genuinely make a difference.

“The early years sector is facing a perfect storm of staffing shortages, qualification gaps and financial pressure. What we’ve launched here isn’t just another product - it’s a joined-up solution that tackles the root causes of workforce instability while giving providers the clarity they need to run sustainable settings.”

With over 25 years of experience supporting early years providers, Parenta has developed a fully integrated approach that combines training, recruitment, and technology to address the root causes of workforce instability.

The dual launch of the Workforce Stability Framework and Abacus Advantage™ System represents a sector-first solution - bridging the gap between workforce development and operational performance.

Visitors to the Childcare & Education Expo responded positively to the launch, highlighting the need for joined-up solutions that not only attract and train staff but also help settings operate more sustainably.

Parenta’s team delivered consultations throughout the event, showing how settings can move from reactive firefighting to proactive, strategic management.

As the early years sector continues to face mounting pressures, Parenta’s latest innovations aim to empower providers with the tools, training and clarity needed to build resilient, high-performing teams.

By aligning workforce development with business insight, the organisation is helping to create a more stable, sustainable future for early years education across the UK.

About Parenta Parenta is a leading UK early years solutions provider, supporting childcare settings with training, recruitment, and innovative software solutions. With over 25 years’ experience, Parenta works with thousands of providers to improve outcomes for children and strengthen the early years workforce.

Media Contact:

Gail James, gail.james@parenta.com

01622 824372