Free childcare hours - what happens with holidays?

[Dinoswearunderpants]

Hi all

I know I should just ask my childminder but wondering how others are working it out.

During parents holidays (not school holidays) my CM charges 50%. I'm wondering how this will work with the free hours.

I currently pay for 30 hours pw. So I'll be getting it 50% which is great. She's explained during school holidays, I'll be charged the full 30 hours but I wondered how it'll work during my holidays.

The childminder still gets paid if you choose to go on holiday as the setting remains open.

I'm not sure that's correct. I wondered whether she would simply still claim for those hours and she's get paid therefore I wouldn't pay anything but not sure if that's fraud or not.

It's not fraud. Settings still get paid for absences. If you already have an agreement to pay for extra hours, then you'll still pay for those too.

She will still get paid for those hours from the council. Just like nursery and school teachers still get paid when kids are off for whatever reason, holiday, sickness whatever. The funding is provided regardless of you taking a family holiday. It's not fraud.

Sorry I feel really dumb so she can simply apply for the hours, regardless if I'm there or not?

If so, then surely I just won't get charged for the week I'm on holiday as it would usually be 50% and she's already receiving that.

If I was your child minder I would change my policy. How many holidays does she allow you to have?

However, you have agreed to pay 50% for parent holidays just because she now gets funding doesn’t change your agreement. It’s not fraud. The council will pay her either way. You don’t get a free pass because of this.

The funding is for term time only op, so if you have holidays during school holidays the childminder won't receive any funding and you'll need to pay 50% of the full 30 hr rate. If you have time off during term time they'll still receive the funding as it's usually allocated per term rather than on a weekly basis.

So it will be 50% of the part you pay for then. Funding is applied for termly.

She doesn't dictate that and I would be furious is she even tried.

She tends to take four weeks off a year. I might take an additional 2-4 weeks off.

I'm not sure claiming hours for a child who isn't in the setting, isn't fraud.

I remember thinking this but your CM is a business. If everybody did this your CM would be massively out of pocket per parent of child.

I would pay her then because not many child minders allow unlimited holidays.

Whether it is fraud or not is not your concern that is between her and the council. You agreed to pay 50% so pay it.

I'm not sure claiming hours for a child who isn't in the setting, isn't fraud.

Of course it's not fraud. She keeps records of absences. She wouldn't not get paid just because you're choosing not to attend. The same as when your children are at school, the teacher will still get paid.

Every nursery and childminder I looked at when DD needed it charged full price for parents holiday times.

If the setting was closed by the owners choice then there was no charge but if the setting was open and care was available but you chose not to use it then you would be charged full price.

Don’t go against OP she will get furious!

You need to ask your childminder. All settings will do it differently. Also it's funded hours not free, no settings can afford to do it for free as they will not be paid enough from the government! There may additional charges (consumables or sustainability charges) that you will need to pay.

Exactly this! No settings that I have been too charges 50% for parents holidays. They charge 100% as they arr open and your child is able to go. Childminders locally charge 50% if they go on holiday and the setting is closed!

Well then prepared to be furious! That's how it works.

I'm not sure that's correct. I wondered whether she would simply still claim for those hours and she's get paid therefore I wouldn't pay anything but not sure if that's fraud or not

So you expect her to lose money because you've decided to go on holiday?

In my local authority childminders and nurseries apply for the funding in term long blocks, eg 15 hours per week for 14 weeks. The childcare providers aren't allowed to switch it off and on again at parents request and they get paid it all in a lump sum. It covers all child absences and the LA are very aware that some weeks parents will choose not to put their child in through holidays or other absences. I would imagine this is similar to other LAs, but I think it's down to the individual council to manage?

You may be able to find the t&c of funding on your council's website if you want to check.

Can you carry free nursery childcare hours between terms? Or do unused hours get handed back to government between terms?
My two year old currently recieves 15 hours, however, she has only been using 8 hours a week over the Autumn term. We are looking to go up to two days and were hoping to carry over the unused hours into the spring term.

No you can't. They would never have been claimed by the provider in the first place, so there's nothing to hand back to the government, and they can't be carried over to the next term.

You say you pay for 30 hours, so how would the childminder claim for those off the council ? The childminder can only claim the hours that you are entitled to for free so you're not paying anything for those whether you're on holiday or not. I get 15 hours free childcare during term time split over the year which works out at 11.5 a week. My kids are in for 18 hours so I pay the additional 6.5 hours a week. when I'm holiday I get 50% off. The childminder willl still get the 11.5 hours off the government but the ADDITIONAL I pay will be 50% less so she'll still be losing money. Deffo not making more xx