Childminders, what will you do when the new funding comes in?

[Maggiesgirl]

I retired from being a CM a few years ago now, but even then the amount per hour that the funding paid was over a pound less than I charged an hour, and in Dorset you were not allowed to charge top up fees.
I managed because I charged more for under 3 year old, now I couldn't do it that so I woukd be losing so much I probably would close.
Will you be carrying on ?

I’m not a CM but I use one, and she thinks she will have to close, as it will no longer be viable.

Unfortunately I think a lot of CMs will. Leaving even less childcare available. Unless they can charge a top up fee it isn't going to work.

I think some childminders will just refuse to take the funding and when you combine those ones with the ones who will close I think a lot of parents might end up with 30 hours to use, but nowhere to use it.

Although it’s only proposed to be 30hrs for 38 weeks of the year, so for a full time child stretched funding over the year there would be 20 hours a week they could charge for.
I guess for parents transitioning a higher hourly rate for 20hrs will still be better for them than paying full time care?

Would you pay the top up fee, say funding is 5.00 per hour and CM hourly rate is 6.50. So you would pay 1.50 per hour for those 30 hours, if it was allowed to be able to keep the CM open?

@Jojobees that counts as charging a top up fee and wasn't allowed.

What sort of funding do they get now per hour for 3/4 year olds? Is it location dependent?

The government is supposed to be boosting the per hour rate and it will be sept 2025 before it comes in for under 2s so still a while to figure things out.

@nurseynursery the same amount per hour as a nursery, which is why most only take under 3 year old.

This is currently the case for some parents with 30 hours.

Hopefully the new. funding rate will be more realistic for you all. In Scotland we seem to be largely be funded at around or just above rates we charge privately

I currently have to charge an extra £1.90 per funded hour (make it up to £6). I stretch the funding over the 48 weeks that I’m open and give all new prospective parents a day cost without funding, a day cost with 15 hours and a day cost with 30 hours so everyone is clear from the get go. I then invoice monthly for the top up (consumables) and my LA gives me 80% of the funded hours at the start of each term and 20% at the end.
it’s going to be a real pain to have the little ones also be on the termly funding. I really hope that the rumours of a rise in hourly rate is true, though I’m not holding my breath. It should be a minimum of £6 across the board.

Just talking to a current CM, who tells me that the funding is also paid termly in arrears. Seeing as most CMs charge in advance that is another nail in the coffin of CMs.

It has felt for a while as if the Government wants all children in nurseries and CMs phased out.

@Ohlalahair we were not allowed to charge extra onto a funded hour.

If I’m forced to take the funding I will ask the parents to top us as it’s absolutely no chance I’m going to lose money. If I can’t top it then I will take it as a sign to stop childminding and do something else.

That’s just an impossible situation for CM in your area.Were you not even able to charge as a ‘consumables’ fee? - we are allowed to charge that but not call it a top up. I tell parents the funded covers education only and my consumables fee covers everything else; insurance, heating, nappies, snacks, paint, outings, business car insurance, resources, yada yada

Oh and yes no chance of getting paid in arrears !

My DD qualifies for 30 free hours from next month and basically I am paying the extra to top up to what I paid per hour previously.

I know technically I shouldn't, but I don't see why my brilliant childminder should actually lose money because I get 30 hours funding (which are not funded enough to be truly free).

I see it as a win win. I pay less but my childminder still gets the same hourly amount (as she bloody well should).

Dorset allowed a "consumable" fee which is a top up anyway in all but name. I know a lot of childminders who charged a consumables fee. The government plan that paying a one off £600 will have people clambering to be childminders is also laughable. It will have a very minimal impact on numbers of childminders.

This is all a fake bribe for votes from the government anyway. Having the new policy of 9 months+ for funding starting after the next general election (latest Jan 2025) shows that they don't expect to have to implement it.

No, funded hours were not able to be topped up at all. I ended up supplying a cooked lunch and charging higher for that but it still didn't make up for the money that I was losing ( all my children were full time m-f)

Consumable was classed as food as far a I knew not Insurance paint and such.

Consumables could be counted as food, nappies, wipes, toilet roll, soap, paper, pencils, paint, any toys etc........

As I said I moved and stopped being a CM a few years ago now so things sound like they have changed, but how do you work out what to charge for consumables? Add it onto other hours used? What if they only do the 15/30 hours how do you charge then?

Genuinely curious as it was just a flat rate in my day 😄

Most childminders consumables rate ends up almost exactly the same as they miss out from the funded hours 😉 it is just invoiced as consumables and charged per hour or day.

Most I know follow the same pattern as nurseries and say children must do x amount of hours a day and funded hours are charged with a consumables charge non funded hours are xyz charge.

I was listening and thought they also announced extra measures for childminders, although I can’t say I particularly paid attention to what these measures were!