Nursery and 15/30 hours "free" funding

[Rosti1981]

Hi
Just after some quick advice. Our nursery has made the decision it cannot afford to offer the 30 hours funding for next academic year but will continue with the 15 hours universal offer it has done previously. Completely understand that it isn't financially viable for them and also that it would limit the number of places they could offer (it is also massively oversubscribed nursery) if people started doubling their hours. I send DS (3) for 3 days a week 8am-4.30pm and it costs about £450 per month (15 hours is offered as discount rather than actually free, which I again understand is quite common).

However I am struggling with my work and the childcare I currently have available, and I wondered if there was any way of using a different provider for the additional 15 hours- can you do that? We are definitely eligible for 30 hours and I have code from HMRC. I know this is massive issue for nursery and just to be clear I don't blame them at all for their decision, just wondering if the 30 hours is actually going to be any use to us at all (and only way I can see it might be is if I could ask for an extra day or 1.5 day with a different provider - but again I imagine it probably wouldn't actually be free). Can you in theory split the hours like that between providers?

[Mummysh0rtlegs]

`yes you can split across providers as you can now.

[Morecaffeineplease]

As with PP, yes, I do that. The two different childcarers have to speak to each other, you'll have to comete some easy-ish paperwork. If you go over & above your "free" hours, make sure you allocate your hours to the higher priced carer. (If that makes sense?)

[Char22thom]

Yes you can def split your hours, but it is worth considering whether that is best for your child. If you really need the 30hrs free then it may suit your child better to move to new nursery and take all 30hrs there in order to provide more consistency for your child.

[Rosti1981]

Thanks, that all makes sense. The other provider would be a childminder and i would want to keep him in nursery for the 3 days we currently have as it's an amazing nursery / forest school and he spends his days grubbing around under logs and up trees. Plus school readiness etc. So any additional hours would purely be for me to work more hours and i would want him in a more home like environment for that time. Thanks everyone for confirming what I thought was probably the case, I am finding it quite hard to find info (there's the government advice that doesn't seem to reflect what actually happens on the ground, then lots of info from childcare providers who can't actually afford to provide the 30 hours!!).

[thiswillhavetodo]

I think it's a good idea to use both, (as a nursery worker myself) the current nursery and other form of childcare (be it another nursery childminder playschool etc) should do their best to make the transitions between the 2 as smooth as possible for your little one and as a pp said above, some paperwork will be filled out and both providers will liaise with each other. If you feel you want to help to it is best to discuss these changes, however minor with your little one too so he is informed and knows exactly what he'll be doing. Most children don't appreciate change too much so he will be prepared for it!! Good luck hope all goes well 💙

[insancerre]

Good luck with finding a childminder who is offering the 30 hours
Fewer childminders are offering the extra hours than nurseries
It might be an idea to look for another nursery that does offer the 30 hours