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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

Truss in the Telegraph

33 replies

fraktion · 16/10/2012 10:00

Here

A distinctly toned down version IMO. Still pointing st other countries without, I think, really understanding the systems there or the overall quality of childcare as measured against British standards...

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Italiana · 17/10/2012 08:58

Many c/ms are willing to pay their way and pay more in line with other providers

Our registration fee at £35 is not sustainable and was agreed many years ago...time for a rethink...I think that may come out of the Childcare Commission
Lets wait and see

nannynick · 17/10/2012 00:01

If Ofsted are still going to inspect individual childminders, who is going to pay for that? Wonder if they will go down the full cost recovery line, passing the cost of inspections to the childcare providers - but if they did that, would that push up the cost of childcare?

Oh it's still all a mess isn't it. One day what the Government has decided to do will be known, until then it's still all riddles.

Italiana · 16/10/2012 22:20

Many c/ms may feel we have won but as I said in the other post we need proposals on the table and clear explanation that agencies have been abandoned together with the increase in ratio

While I feel is DfE has been listening to our concerns and suggestions but we must wait for her announcement
She will speak at Daycare Trust conference on 4 Dec so maybe some more news will come out ...I am going so glad to report

MrAnchovy · 16/10/2012 22:14

I said this earlier: "Notable though that she has publicly abandoned the Dutch agency model", but now I am not so sure. What she actually said was "Ofsted will still inspect individual childminders."

But she also said "The underlying philosophy is similar to the Government?s school reforms: trusting local leaders to deliver". What local leaders? Childminder agencies? If now is the time for plain speaking then let's have plain speaking, not riddles that say one thing but mean something else.

Italiana · 16/10/2012 21:31

Apologies Fraktion I did not see this post so have put another one tonight
Also added a report for IPPR arguing against Truss' dutch model

Original poster
fraktion · 16/10/2012 12:13

In France I pay 2.70?/hour (income based and that's the highest because we had a joint income of more than 50k?) for crèche. That would be the same for a network CM. The state effectively budgets x per hour per child and gives the nursery that, minus the income that the nursery had the previous year. So every state nursery gets the same and there's a big incentive to be careful with money. They can apply to the town for major works/investment but the day to day running costs must be covered by the income. Very few private nurseries. Very few private nurseries, some parental cooperatives which are cheaper because half the adults on ratio are parents.

Non-network CMs charge what they like but there's a minimum wage equivalent. Nannies are minimum wage at least, like in the UK. The state either gives a means tested grant or allows you to deduct 50% of the cost of your CM/nanny from your tax return.

So totally different and financially very viable but probably not under the UK fiscal system.

OP posts:
MaryPoppinsBag · 16/10/2012 11:54

Do the other countries subsidise childcare?
I don't see how individual childminders or private nurseries can cut costs.

State run childcare such as Surestart nurseries are heavily subsidised, staff being paid over £9 an hour, but charge £3.50 an hour, whereas in the private nursery down the road staff were paid a lot less most on minimum wage. And Surestart nurseries have lots of funding for resources.

I couldn't possibly charge less as a CM because I just wouldn't want to do it for less than £3.50 an hour (cheap area most charge £3-3.50 per hour).

It always riles me when they start talking about Childminders being to expensive, it's as though we are being greedy. We aren't we are just earning a fair living for what is a very intrusive job!

MrAnchovy · 16/10/2012 10:20

Notable though that she has publicly abandoned the Dutch agency model.