Nursery are threatening to remove my child as I questioned fees

You are being unreasonable. Good luck finding another nursery, and good luck in life if you are this entitled in general

It’s not an excuse to charge parents more to make up that shortfall though! The government want people in work they need to pay the nurseries enough to make it financially viable for them to stay open. Passing the cost onto parents either through high fees or additional fees dressed up as ‘consumables’ isn’t fair.

The harming staff's mental health line would get my back up. Is that everyones excuse for everything these days?!

But I think YAB a little U. Apologise and explain you were juat seeking independent information and say what you said here about their care etc never being in question.

£29 extra sounds alot. But our nursery is an extra £60 a day on top of 30hrs funding and set to go up by another 3 percent in April thanks to the NI and minimum wage increase (already went up 10 percent in January). The nursery aren't the problem the stupidity that is our goverment is the problem. Early years was already significantly underfunded. But it's got worse with their costs skyrocketing and their funding not increasing in line with this.

I agree.

They need to call the extra £17 what it really is, a top-up charge.

Wait until April when the minimum wage goes up.

I agree.
To suddenly add a 'consumables' fee when the child isn't actually getting those services is wrong. If you're telling people the fee is foe something then I'd expect that something to be provided.
If its a 'top up'to cover the shortfall then it should be represented as such. It may be perfectly legal but its misleading.

Government nursery funding is complete and utter bullshit tbh. I'd take it up with your MP directly and apologise to the nursery. Not that they should be getting all shitty with you but I guess they're in a bind.

This is quite interesting. So if the cost of the place costs more to provide than the government are willing to pay, then the nursery cannot charge a top up fee? Even if it is a private enterprise?
they can only dress it up as “consumables”?
so a parent could say the don’t want any consumables, and refuse to pay?

the nursery could, however, terminate the contract?
have I got that right?
how much does the government pay?

But that’s the thing - they aren’t raking it in.

They struggle to make money - that’s why so many close down.

Yes they can but they shouldn't be using "mental health" as an excuse.

It does seem high to me even taking into consideration the funding levels. From age 3 rations change that's why the council pays less. Far fairer in my options to only use the "free hours" for set sessions and get parents to pay for the dinner hour, breakfast hour and tea time hour if required. It was my understanding you could elect not to pay for consumables and send in your own

You weren’t unreasonable to ask and shouldn’t have told nursery that you would question it with the council. Why did you go to the council? If the nursery was fleecing parents then they may have to shut to over 3s or charge full price to over 3s instead and you would be in a different screwed situation.

Of course nursery can terminate the contract because they’ve fallen out with you. However they are being dramatic saying that it’s caused mental health issues when simply saying that the investigation was stressful would have sufficed.

The over 3s hours are often called free hours by politicians and the press but are only partially discounted really and nurseries charge for consumables to bridge the gap between what they are paid and the cost that they would charge if there was no funding. I’m not surprised that they charge more for consumables for the over 3s to balance the books

If their mental yis impacted by a few simple questions, I wouldn't trust them to do anything difficult, like actually care for children.

I'm surprised so many posters are on the side of the nursery here...
Why do people buy into this narrative? Nurseries are hamming this up charging ridiculous "consumables" charges on top of funding. They have ridiculous isolation periods for the most common illnesses - see 5 days after a rash appears for slapped cheek (nhs says no longer contagious and no need to isolate.) You get no refund for I'll children (so they take the fee, consumables charge) and then they sell your slot on.
The owners of the nurseries are raking it in and really taking the piss if you ask me! Not your nursery alone. You're right to call them out and there's a reason they don't appreciate it. They know it's wrong.

This. The nursery are being both unprofessional and ridiculous. If this has impacted staffs' mental health I'm surprised that can actually make it through the day. The OP is quite within her rights to question the nursery about the fees and consult the council to confirm what she had been told by the nursery was correct.

It’s insane to force nurseries to run at a loss though. That is, quite clearly, unsustainable.

Nurseries will just stop offering the additional hours, as is already the case in a number of nurseries.

You tried to beat the system and the system bit you on the bum.

They are putting their ability to keep running (which supports many children’s welfare) above keeping one difficult client.

They are a private business, probably with a waiting list, who will have increased costs come April with the increased NIC, who are underfunded by government and who had to spend staff time on this complaint.

They don’t owe any one child continuity at the expense of staff or service.

When you take action there is your aim and also consequences. In this case it has damaged your relationship with the nursery.

What did you think the outcome would be? Either they would investigate and find they were overcharging, in which case your relationship with them would be damaged and they might struggle financially to continue operating, or they would investigate and find they were doing nothing wrong, in which case your relationship would still be damaged.

You are in your rights to speak to the council, but they are equally in their rights to no longer want you as a client.

It’s surely universally acknowledged that the nursery sector is struggling and that the free hours cover very little of the real cost. Questioning the nursery for a list is one thing, but it’s clearly inflammatory to go to the council.

I understand the maths from the Nursery's point of view, but if your three year old is out of nappies how do you get to £29 of consumables?

I'd be happy to pay for food and music lessons and send in wipes and nappies if needed.

The fees are high- my 3 year old in school attached nursery is charged £15 a day for consumables. But they were very clear when telling us about them they have to charge consumables because the funding is not enough to cover costs on its own. Maybe your nursery failed to really talk frankly about their costs- its possible if you are in an expensive rent area that their costs really are that much higher.

Yes, they can choose who comes to their nursery

Well if I had complained/queried and that was the outcome I certainly wouldn’t feel bad about the nursery managers mental health to be honest…

But overall, as many have said, the nursery can terminate. Hopefully OP is able to find a spot elsewhere!

I think you were right to question fees OP , seems expensive to me

To all the people quick to post “it’s not meant to be free!” Please see @BloominNora s post because she has the correct information.

Charging artificially high “consumables fees” and making them compulsory is in violation of the guidance. This is why I’m actually surprised that the local council found in favour of the nursery in this case.

OP certainly did nothing wrong questioning, and actually, punishing her child for it (which let’s be clear, is what the nursery is doing by suggesting she finds another setting, disrupting the child’s education/progress) is really
unethical and poor show from these nursery workers. They’re putting their own hurt feelings above the child’s welfare.