Claiming funding for looking after my son

[RandomAccessMemory]

I'm a Childminder in Essex and as well as looking after other parent's children I also look after my own son, my son turned three a week ago and I was looking forward to being able to claim free entitlement funding for him from the spring term.

However I have just discovered that because I'm looking after my own son the local authority will not allow me to claim the funding for him, they say that there is a blanket ban on childminders claiming funding for children whom they are related to.

I don't want to send him to another childminder so should I kick up a fuss? I don't see why I should miss out just because I happen to be looking after him.

I am an escort and make a living by selling sex. Should I give any discount to my husband?

In which case it does seem a bit illogical that the simple difference of the legal framework you operate under, even if you are doing pretty much the exact same thing, will mean that in one case the place is funded for an 'own' child, in the other case not
this is what i argue. Either no childcare setting can claim if a relative of an owner / employer works there, or all can claim. This is why PACEY are making a big play to try and get the rules changed

It is entitled and grabby because as somebody mentioned upthread it is no different than buying a house and then renting it back to yourself and expecting to get housing benefit to cover that rent. Bloody bonkers!

And the argument about rent could be : well if I was renting from somebody else the govt would have to give me housing benefit so why is it any different just because I own the house

But housing benefit is means-tested, so that comparison is ridiculous. A closer equivalence would be if EVERYONE got their rent paid by the government, apart from the OP because her landlord is related to her.

@strawberrygate did you miss my post? Ofsted have confirmed that even if your own little one is in 15 hours nursery you can fill that space if you have a contingency plan. It used to be like that but not any more. I find your know it all attitude quite aggressive especially when you’re not technically giving the correct information.

No looneytune, it's if they're using 30 hours.not 15. This is from the Pacey website

"f a childminder is providing wraparound care (before and/or after school) for a 3-, 4-, or 5-year-old child taking up their 30-hour place in a school (that is a maintained school, academy or independent school, but not a PVI setting), an exception to the usual ratios can be made."

Sorry if someone giving their opinion makes you think they're aggressive. are you generally an anxious person?

Oh, and I'm happy to be corrected if someone has the facts for it as it would make my life easier. just that everything I've read says it used to be your own child counted at all times, but now you can make an exception if they are in 30 hours a week

No I’m not anxious at all but when you tell someone they clearly don’t know what they’re talking about when it’s you yourself giving out incorrect information it’s a bit off! Obv the info you’ve given there about the 30 hours is correct but it’s also correct that once your child is with another carer you can take on another child.

https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2015/03/ChildminderRatioss_FAQ.pdf

I was saying it doesn't relate to if a child is only in pre school for half a day, which I believe is correct

It does, read the article

What about using his hours for something different to what he gets at home eg preschool/ forest school. You could then use the spare place to look after another child.

Is the idea of funded hours not to give children experience of a learning environment away from home prior to starting school (and allowing parents to do paid work?)

Right, we're going round in circles. i'm off.

Op..you kiding that you thought you get money to lookafter your son.

I’m a registered nurse, when my grandma was ill I nursed her at home for 8 months until she died. I wasn’t working then as my children were very young.

Shall I bill the nhs for the 8 months at 24 hours a day?

Curious as to what you'd do when the 15 hours end? Sorry child I'm no longer paid to look after you so go to your room.

What I'd do if it was me is use the funding to send them to a nursery or preschool. Assuming it's the loss of wage that's bothered you rather than the entitlement of getting it cause others get it.

Whilst I can see the op point as her child takes up a space meaning she’s losing out on pay I do think she’s being rather daft not looking at the bigger picture. Op if your child qualifies for the 15/30 hrs book them into preschool because it’s good for their development in building relationships away from you and gaining independence. I say all this as a childminder myself who would never dream of kicking up a fuss about receiving funding for my own child because she is entitled to funding just not in my care.

I’m curious as to whether you were hoping to claim 15 or 30hrs ?

I'm with kittens. It is insane that the government will pay someone else to look after my child but they won't pay me.

Either childcare should be paid for or it shouldn't.

It shouldn't make any difference who is providing the care (assuming they have the right qualifications).

Now we appear to have a situation where two child minders can swap kids and claim the funding, but can't just look after their own child and claim the funding.

That is properly stupid.

Surely one of the purposes of these hours is to introduce children to a different environment to home prior to starting school.

The OP's child wouldn't get this benefit from staying with the OP, maybe that is a reason??

Even though somebody said that 2 CMs swapping children and getting paid was stupid, I think that makes much more sense.

All 3yo are entitled to 15 hours funding.

The Op simply wants to claim that for a CM (that happens to be her) rather than send him to nursery and try and fill the 15 hours with another child and get funding for that child.

TBH it's a difficult situation because in fact OP will be losing a FT placement wage not just the 15 hours and the funding is less than it costs for a place in most areas.

I personally think any child in an ofsted registered setting should get the 15 hours funding - including where the CM is the parent - but that the parent then must keep developmental records etc as they do for other children as they are a cared for child.

It is insane that the government will pay someone else to look after my child but they won't pay me.Either childcare should be paid for or it shouldn't

Childcare is paid for. Parenting is not. If you can't see the difference you shouldn't be teaching anyone, anything.

Yes to what peppa said ☝️

Oh do fuck off with your ‘let’s rinse the government out of as much as possible’ bullshit. Why the fuck should my taxes pay for you to look after your own child.

Unbelievable. I really do hope this is a wind up. Or I despair.

The 30 hours is to enable parents, usually mothers, to do paid work which they wouldn't otherwise be able to afford. That's why it's there. Not so that entitled parents can get some more cash - that would achieve the opposite of what the funding is for.

OP, like every other parent, could earn more money if she used the 30 hours she's entitled to, for childcare.