15 Hours Per Week Money Distribution

[DarrenNesbitt]

Hi All,

Hope some guidance can be provided.

We have two children in a private co-operative nursery which does the free 15 hours per week. Our children have been receiving the free chidcare for over 1 year now. Instead of being invoiced for individual payments each month based on term time / not term time (as the 15 hours is only allocated during term time) our nursery spread the cost over 12 Months so you pay the same every month and it makes it easier for them and us.

Problem is our children are finishing the nursery a month earlier at end of July and therefore not completing the full year Sept - August. Because the nursery have based the 15 hours free allocation over 12 months we have not recieved the allocated of money for the 15 hours. Due to this we understand the nursery owe us £139 per child as this is what they have worked out per month is free and then we paid any amount over that.

The nursery are saying that they do not have the money to pay us the £139 x 2 back for August and are offering us the 15 hours per week free for august instead but we have to cover the Dinner costs if we do mornings.

Can anyone suggest where we stand policy wise on this.

Thankyou

[LIZS]

Have you given the specified notice ?

[DarrenNesbitt]

Hi Yes,

We gave them 4 weeks notice at the end of June. They are saying that no one has asked the question before which make me think how much money have they been not paying back to other people.

[dribbleface]

Yes they should give it back in my opinion, as its what you would have received at nursery had it not been averaged. I refund my parents this. Call your local Early Years department at council for guidance, or ask nursery for their contact details, bet you the money is refunded then!

[HauntedLittleLunatic]

Don't forget that the free place is only for term time. £139 per child.per month sounds like a lot. Whilst I agree that it is money you are entitled to make sure you have done your calculations right.

[HauntedLittleLunatic]

And you could probably report to lea (of whoever administers) if you wanted to.

[dribbleface]

£139 sounds about right to be honest, in Essex we egt £3.90 per hour x 15 x 38, so £2223 per year / 12 months = £185.25

[DarrenNesbitt]

Hi,

Thanks for the info. I thought i was right, just wanted to see if anybody else had thoughts on it. The £139 a month is the figure quoted from the nursery as to what the total is spread over 12 months = £1688. They actually receive more money than this from the local authority but apparently they are under no obligation to pass on the whole of the money they receive to the parents, so if they receive £5 per hour for example, but their hourly fee is only £3.50. They then pocket the spare £1.50 and use it as (nursery funding to supplement the nursery's income) instead of giving the extra to the parents to further reduce any extra payment outside of the 15 hours.

Weird and wonderful world of private daycare i suppose.

[dribbleface]

In most areas the entitlement doesn't cover the hourly rate and the nursery has to stomach the shortfall so that is unusual