A KIDDERMINSTER woman on maternity leave has claimed she has had to go to work after she wasn’t paid by a nursery following its sudden closure.
On Friday, March 13, staff at Little Folks Day Nursery on Coventry Street received an online letter from the owners revealing that, due to current operational circumstances, it would not reopen the following Monday.
Laura Eve Wooding, who is currently on maternity leave with a newborn, said she had not been paid on time and was sent an online letter from owners later that day informing her the nursery would not be re-opening.
Laura has claimed that, in the month since the closure, she has still not been paid, meaning she has had to leave her newborn child with her parents and go back to work despite technically being on maternity leave.
She told the Standard that she has tried to get in touch with the owners of Little Folks Day Nursery in the weeks since the sudden closure, but to no success.
She added: “I’ve had to go back to work because I haven’t been paid.
“The company has gone into insolvency, so we need to wait for a code from the government to claim our money back, which could be another month.
“I still haven’t had my maternity pay either, that could be 12 weeks.
“The whole situation is just sad.
“My newborn is being dumped on my parents because I’m having to work.”
A letter sent to Laura on Friday March 13, from Little Folks’ owners seen by the Standard, said: “Due to current operational circumstances, Little Folks Nursery will unfortunately not reopen from Monday, March 16, 2026.
“This decision has not been taken lightly, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and upset this may cause to you and your family.
“We understand how difficult this news will be and appreciate your understanding during this challenging time.
“Unfortunately, the business is currently facing business operational difficulties, primarily due to challenges with the lease of our building.
“As a result, we are not in a position to process payroll for payment today as originally planned.
“Please know that we are actively working to resolve this situation and are awaiting support from our banking provider and a third-party assisting us with this process.
“We will communicate the payment dates and process as soon as we have confirmation from them.
“We understand this news may cause concern and uncertainty.
“We want to assure you we will keep you updated and share any new information as soon as it becomes available.
“If you have any questions or require support during this time, please do not hesitate to email us and we will do our best to assist.”
The Standard contacted Little Folks for further comment but did not receive a response by the time we went to press.
