to ask about 30hrs free childcare for 3+4 yr olds that govt has promised

[CillianMurphysOtherWife]

www.gov.uk/government/news/government-brings-forward-plans-to-double-free-childcare-for-working-families

it's only for working parents, but if I work, eg, 20hrs, do I still get the other 10hrs free?

Is this what happens with the existing free childcare for 3+4 yr olds? Or maybe is free for all at the mo, regardless of whether they're working or not

[SprogletsMum]

I don't know if it varies by area, but in my area both parents have to be working at least 16 hours to qualify (or 16 hours for lone parents)

[gruber]

It's free for all 3 and 4 year olds at the moment. 15 hours each week 38 weeks of the year. However. The 30
Hours scheme is:
a) only a trial from this September in a few (7 I think) areas;
b) likely not to be implemented everywhere because not every setting can afford or is able to offer 30 hours;
c) may not come into existence at all depending on the results of the trials

Basically, don't build your life around it, get a job whew you can afford the child care you need for that job, because there will be no guarantee that it will exist to meet your needs.

I don't know how the 20/10 hours would work; again, depending on what area you are in, you may get 30 hora regardless, or only if you meet certain criteria, or not at all. You may not find a setting that offers the 30 hours you need. Sorry to be so negative but it really isn't a good scheme - it's ill thought out, not supported and rushed through parliament.

[RubbleBubble00]

it's a joke where we are. Day cares that have funded nursery places included are not reducing the price of their day fees if you have a child in the setting.

[Noodledoodledoo]

We are in a pilot area and from the information I have been sent its 30 hours if both parents are working the equivalent of 16 hours NMW a week. (Or the only parent in a lone parent family), and is earning less than 100,000 a year. The 15 hours will stay as it is - the extra 15 require you to fulfill the above.

The risks are that setting don't have the space to fulfill the 30 hours for all who need it.

You don't need to take all of the additional hours.

[CillianMurphysOtherWife]

thanks for the replies everyone
so hard planning life as a single parent with a mortgage!

[Willow2016]

I wouldnt hold your breath that all nurseries or cm's will offer this.
The Gov give funding to the councils but they dont have to use it for childcare, they can skim off whatever they like for other areas. Most nurseries etc find that they are paid a lot less for the 'free' hours than they would normally charge and therefor they are actually subsidising the 'free' hours. When its only 15 at the moment many can set their hours as in am or pm with an hour for lunchtime seperate at normal rate or later pm at normal rates. Some may charge for lunch in that time. Ther arent supposed to charge anything extra during the free hours to make up their losses. Many are told by the council what hours they can offer.

If I was getting paid less per hour and losing money by offering 30 'free' hours I wouldnt be doing it. Staff still need to be paid, and so do overheads. Its bloody typical of gov to big something up as their great offer yet expect someone else to pay for it for them.

[Noodledoodledoo]

My nursery rates are about £5.50 an hour when you break it down. They get given less than £4 an hour for over 3s free 15 hours so make a loss. The do charge wrap around to increase it to the full day. I have no problem with this.

Also the free 30 hours is only for 38 weeks a year, so term time. Or it was 22 hours a week if spread over full year.

I am working on the basis in terms of planning that the 15 hours will be what I get anything else is a bonus!

[2beautifulkids]

Does anybody know where the pilot areas are?

[Noodledoodledoo]

www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1155818/30-hour-pilot-areas-unveiled-as-criticism-mounts

Although there are rumours for our area it won't be the whole county just certain areas.

[AndNowItsSeven]

Only one parent needs to be working if other parent is in receipt of dla/pip or a carer, unsure about ESA.

[WordGetsAround]

Swindon (one of trial areas) is asking that preschools offer the additional 15 funded hours outside of normal working hours.
I'm not sure how it will work from Sep '17, but as a PP said, don't plan anything based on it - a lot of settings don't have the spare capacity to offer these sessions.

[FireTruckOhFireTruck]

Our nursery aren't offering the 30 hours, they begrudge even offering the 15!

[Willow2016]

Maybe the dont begrudge you they just begrude subsidising the governments plan that wasnt thought through and that the local la/council can take the money they are given for it and do what the hell they like with it?

Why should nurseries and child minders work at a loss so that the government can take the credit?

[CesareBorgiasUnicornMask]

Does anyone know if student parents count as working? I'm going to go with probably not...

[Ubercorn]

I'm a CM in one of the trial areas and I'm not offering it because the payment is less than my usual hourly rate. Out of the other CMs I know, only one is going to offer it.

[noblegiraffe]

A couple of local pre-schools have recently closed because they couldn't afford to run on the £3.75 per hour the government gives them for funding, so in my case it has made childcare more inaccessible. I can't imagine that many settings would leap at the opportunity to reduce their income even further.

[Katymac]

I've just closed my nursery as a result of the 'free' funding

I used to get £5.06 an hour for funded children on 1st Sept last year it dropped to £3.30 (I got £3.91 due to offering extended hours & having a level 7)

That's a drop of £17.25 per child per week multiplied by up to 12 children morning & afternoon (maximum loss £414 a week)

Double it?

I went bust

[Tanith]

Willow is absolutely spot on.

Childminders, nurseries, Early Years commentators have highlighted this problem again and again to the Government. We have carefully explained the funding issue. We have pointed out that the "free" childcare is anything but and that providers will be expected to make a substantial loss in exchange for more bureaucracy and paperwork.

As always, they are not listening to us. The Early Years minister adds insult to injury by dismissing our concerns as "a myth".

The 30 free hours was a desperate, last minute bribe for votes at the end of the last election campaign. Like Willow says, don't hold your breath!

[katemiddletonsnudeheels]

Apparently they are awarding more money per child.

[TipBoov]

willow yes of course it's not parents the begrudge.

But don't worry, they certainly make their money back! They've increased the daily rate, increased capacity so now they only meet ratios (previously they had many more staff than required), charging more for meals and certain activities.and increasing the hourly rate to ensure that parents don't actually save anything by using the 15 hours if they also go full time.

[ThePinkOcelot]

Government ploy to get voted in obviously. Can't remember it saying in their manifesto that there were restrictions attached. However, they were voted in .....

[AndNowItsSeven]

Our local nursery wants the thirty hours and charges notio ups just £2 for lunch.

[hotcrossbun83]

Our nursery doesn't offer any free hours, just subsidized so you have to pay the difference between the gvt rate and their rate. Couldn't more places do that? It's better than not getting it at all

[Willow2016]

kate
yes but the money the give to the councils isnt ringfenced for childcare so they dont have to pay it all out in childcare, they can take what they want off it for other things and just pay what they want to nurseries etc.