Birthdays late in the academic year

[TinkerBellesMum]

There is almost a year between my niece and Tink but they're in the same year. My niece will be starting nursery in September but I have to wait till next July to get Tink in.

I feel sad for her that she'll be missing out on a year of nursery compared to the older children in her year but also she's very bright and sociable (apart from having no concept of sharing from being an only child ) so I think she would really benefit from nursery. She's on a free place with a childminder at the moment courtesy of Sure Start and they've said they can try to extend it to help during my pregnancy (as I'm high risk and going to need a lot of hospital time).

Anyway, my question is have any other parents of younger in the academic year children got them into their nursery place before they were three? Any advice?

[nancy75]

my dd started at playgroup/nursery when she was 2years 4 months, but it is a private one that i pay for, you dont get funding until they are 3.

[TinkerBellesMum]

There's no way I could pay for her to have a place as I don't work. The childminders has been good for her but I don't think I can get Sure Start to extend it that far. My hospital doctor said I could do with her being at nursery, so I don't know whether I could use that.

I think it's very unfair on babies born late in the year because they're all going to school together.

[nancy75]

do sure start pay the childminder?, could they not pay the nursery instead of the c/m? - sorry if im being thick i dont really know what sure start is or how it works.

[TinkerBellesMum]

It's a scheme called something like childminders inclusion scheme. They pay for 15 hours a week for 13 weeks. They've said they can try to get her a full time place with the CM if I'm taken in and will try to extend the provision.

[nancy75]

i think the problem with the free nurserys is that if the child is under 3 they have to have more staff per children, iyswim?
does the childminder look after more than 1 child or is it just your dd?
if there are other kids at the cms its not really much different to being at nursery, she is still seeing different people and getting used to being ina different environment.

[TinkerBellesMum]

There are a few children there. She has three little girls during the day (Tink is the youngest) and a few others on different days or afternoons. I'd happily let her stay there but I doubt they will be able to get her enough time to carry on till her next birthday and there's no way I could afford it, her dad said he will try to pay for some time there as she loves it there but couldn't afford the 4 am's she has at the moment.

[nancy75]

i see, so how old is your daughter now?
if her dad is willing to pay for her to go a nursery might work out cheaper, i pay£10.50 per am (9-12.30) but i live in london so it might not be so expensive where you are?
if they stop the cm thing i am sure she would benefit even if you could just send her once a week, it is nice for them to meet/mix with other kids

[TinkerBellesMum]

She was 2 three weeks ago. I can probably push them till the end of the year when the baby comes (due Feb but have prem labours). She was supposed to finish in September but CM is on 3 weeks holiday ATM, has jury duty coming up and another week not long after that so that will push it to the start of October (just counted). If they can do the same again (if I'm not in hospital) it would be good and take me just into New Year. I'm going to talk to Sure Start about it because I will be having three scans a week from when the provision ends to the end of my pregnancy so will really need the help with her.

If I can keep her at the CM I'd be happy about her not going to nursery. I really think she needs to mix and be stimulated by someone who knows better than me what to do with a two year old. I don't know how (before CM) she has learnt colours (she loves cars and will run to the next colour I tell her), she knows clothes (she does my washing for me ) and can count to ten (10 puffs of an inhaler a day for the count of 10). I've asked her to do something that I've not asked her before and she will do it. I don't have the patience to keep her stimulated like that!

[TinkerBellesMum]

He couldn't afford the four mornings she has at the moment, probably two at the most. Although I worked out how much I will be getting when the baby comes and if we can keep the free place till then we might be able to go halves.

[nancy75]

no , i understand totally, nursery has been a god send to me, some kids are happy at home all the time, others need to mix, mine needs stuff to do all the time!
i think i would definately look in to the doctor writing you a letter saying that as you are having a difficult pregnancy ect it would be best for your well being if they could carry on with the cm, it cant hurt to try.

do you recieve benefits? if you do there is a grant that they sometimes payout to help in extra ordinarinary circ, i dont know too much about it but a friend of mine had to go into hospital recently and had nobody to look after her dd during the day and could not aford childcare, she got this grant (which didnt have to be paid back) to pay for childcare whilst in hospital. again if your doctor could write something saying you need x amount of hours rest per week and frequent visits to hospital you might be able to get this kind of help and use the money to pay the cm?
i dont know what its called but it might be a community care grant?

[TinkerBellesMum]

I didn't know the community care grant could be used like that, I was looking into it earlier as I might be moving. I'm going to try and see the Sure Start lady and see what she can do for me with the CM.

I think it's a shame that some kids will get two years at nursery and some only one because of when they're born (guess it could be worse, she was supposed to have been a September baby) it's got to put older kids at an advantage when they start school.