15-30 free hours for parents: what's your opinions?

In my area childminders have been told the 30 hours start in April BUT we won't be paid for those hours until July so effectively we have to offer 15 hours a week in advance of payment! I have 2 children eligible in my care. So I'm supposed to work 30 hours extra a week but no pay for 3 months!!!!!!!

It could certainly stir up the childcare market. What happens when the dust settles is anyone's guess.

I think it's a bad thing personally. It's going to put nannies out of a job in my opinion!

Sorry I butted in and confused things

I think it's disaster, tbh. The government's reimbursement rate isn't high enough for nurseries and preschools to survive. One of our area's best closed down last year because of it. They're not charities run by volunteers Staff need to be paid a proper rate, and the reimbursement rates aren't high enough to make them viable.

Yes, same number of annual hours, just split differently. However not everyone realises that, they may be thinking they get 15 hours per week, every week.

That's the same thing though isn't it?

So in hours, rather than 15 hrs pw/38 weeks of the year we get 10.96 hrs pw 52 weeks of the year.

Those that are funded/term time only don't pay anything other than additional fees for meals.

They also spread the funding over 12 months rather than only giving it term time only.

That is something they can do. So instead of say 15 hours over 38 weeks, they do 11 hours over 52 weeks. Mathematically that does not quite work out but close enough for this example.

Nanny oops

Not sure if this is helpful or relevant as it relates to a nursery, but the nursery we use passes on the amount of funding they receive from the LA rather than giving a set amount of free hours. So we get a discounted bill as opposed to 15 hours of childcare.

My understanding is that providers are not allowed to do that.

We are not allowed to top up or deduct the funding received. Any CMs or nurseries doing this are breaking the terms of their funding agreements.

It would be much clearer if we could simply deduct the funding received, but the reason why this is not allowed is that the hours must be free and the families who most need extra help will not be able to afford top ups.

No provider will be able to charge a top-up. The 15/30 hours has to be provided free at the point of use. What I believe providers can do is charge for anything that is an addition... so charge for a lunch hour between sessions, charge for food, charge for outings, charge for late pickup, charge for additional hours.

In a document I have read... it says "provider must give you the choice to bring a packed lunch or allow you to take your child out of the setting over the lunch period."
The 15/30 hours is based on a 38 week year... so if a provider provides care all year round, they may do the funding all year round but the number of hours per week will drop - so the total funded hours per year remains the same.

Not sure if this is helpful or relevant as it relates to a nursery, but the nursery we use passes on the amount of funding they receive from the LA rather than giving a set amount of free hours. So we get a discounted bill as opposed to 15 hours of childcare. They also spread the funding over 12 months rather than only giving it term time only. Is that something CMs can do too? I have minimal understanding of childcare as a business but the manager seems happy to do it this way.

Also I think a place is guaranteed if we want a year round place rather than term time only. So will still be paying full whack in the holidays (but again I accept that as I don't want the nursery to cut staff etc)

Our pre school is doing the 30 hours but I am somewhat assuming we will have to pay for meals etc that are currently included from then on.
I would certainly rather pay "top ups" in whatever way they suggest than see any diminution in the quality of care.

I realise this is a homecare thread but its caught my attention. Ds is only 19 months but we currently pay £7 an hour for nursery. Quite looking forward to the drop when he's entitles to his funded hours, but we will be paying top up. Why cant childminders charge that? For us that still £3.10 an hour but we're happy with that. Could cms not charge the extra £1 per hour?

It can't be right that people expect free snacks etc? At my private nursery we are able to claim the funding but pay £7 per day for meals and what they loosely define as 'supplies'. It doesn't bother me because I know they can't offer the standard of care my DCs receive for the council hourly rate.

True nannynick, I wouldn't be surprised if some parents see costs of meals, etc rising.

NotAQueef - it is very relevant. It will be interesting to see what you find your bill is once the funding kicks in, if it make a dramatic difference or if you find that things you do pay for increase in cost.

Why would there be free snacks and meals? Surely parents aren't expecting that... are they?

There's no dispute it's a massive benefit to parents and I would be 100% behind it if the government were truly funding the hours and not just pretending they are. Providers are paying towards your child's childcare.

I am offering it, because I like the families I work with. There is enough business in my area for me to just work with under 3s, but I like to see children through to school and their parents want them to stay with me.

Sorry just realized this is a home childcare thread. Apologies for posting a non-relevant comment!

Well on a very personal note I am delighted having paid between £10-13k nursery fees every year since 2011. This will make us several hundreds of pounds better off each month from next April when my daughter will be entitled. My nursery has confirmed they are offering it to existing parents.

They're not allowed to charge top up fees, the hours have to be free, so if the child only does those hours, they don't pay anything.