AIBU? Should I take daughter out of nursery?

[LauraJade0308]

Not sure if I’m overreacting, or just being over emotional, please advise!

We took DD out of her previous nursery due to it being extremely unreliable (always closing at short notice, lots of staff sickness, etc)

We found a nursery much closer to home which seemed perfect, good reputation, big chain, lots of good reviews...

DD started last Monday (25thFeb). She is entitled to the 30 hours free government funding per week as we both work. Nursery had told us that the only sessions available equaled to 25 hours per week, which we were fine with, because it was still within her free allowance.
Anyway, she attended Monday all day, didn’t go Tuesday as that was a day they couldn’t do, and went an afternoon Wednesday. When we picked her up Wednesday, we asked how she had been, all was fine, nothing to mention.
When we put her in the car I noticed her eye was slightly red and puffy and had gunk in the corner. Straight away I could tell what it was. Conjunctivitis. Got her home, traveled to 3 different pharmacies to find eye drops.
The next morning I called the nursery to inform them that she wouldn’t be in the rest of the week as she has conjunctivitis (They have a policy that children can’t attend if they have medication that isn’t prescribed by a doctor) The lady who answered said “Oh, yeah we’ve had a few cases of that recently!” And laughed.
Am I right in thinking parents should have been informed of this?
So, on top of already being miffed, I receive an email on Friday from the nursery with an invoice for £85! ... For nursery fees...

I just don’t know what to make of this!
From our perspective, she’s been there a full day and 2 half days, has caught a BAD case of bacterial conjunctivitis, we have spent our whole weekend having to bathe her eyes every 10 minutes, fight her to apply drops and ointment, (not very fun at 41 weeks pregnant) and now they are expecting us to pay £85 per month for her to go there when she isn’t even attending the amount of hours that she is entitled to?!

What do I do?

Also a low fat food policy for young children is absolute bollocks. I personally wouldn’t put my child in a nursery that had that policy because it’s fucking stupid.

Their low fat thing sounds really troubling and not based on any good nutritional advice. Honestly, of all of this, that’s what would concern me the most as it would make me worry what other parts of their practice were not based on evidence but from the pages of a women’s magazine.

I'm afraid that most nurseries charge a 'top up' fee due to the short funding on the 30 hours. Our nursery fees dropped from £600+ a month to between £100 and £150 (we also didn't use the full 30 hrs p/w) I was happy to pay that amount if it meant nursery could afford to give my child the best!

OP didn’t ask for advice on her daughter’s diet

OP did ask the question, Fair enough they have a policy, but isn’t a main, crisps and drink a standard lunch these days?

some cheddars in there, which they wouldn’t give her because they were cheese flavour, and they didn’t even really want to give her the yogurt I had packed as it was a munch bunch one and not ‘low fat’

That's just plain ignorance. An under 5 should be having full fat yoghurt not low fat!! I would be concerned about a nursery that didn't know this. Also cheddars are fine when part of a balanced diet. Did you send cheddars and crisps? I can see why they objected to a 3 year old having both if you did.

Would she eat breadsticks with some dips? Pom bears? Rice cakes?

I doubt the yoghurt was unacceptable because it wasn’t low fat but rather because it is basically a pot of sugar. Was she really allowed to starve? My dd barely touches her packed lunch because her pre school provides snacks throughout the day and she is understandably not very hungry after a buffet of crumpets, toast, pitta, humus, fruit, veg sticks, cheese and ham. I still send her with a lunch though which I think is more about the act of sitting with her friends but if I didn’t she wouldn’t go hungry. I’d still pack her some fruit and veg, even if she doesn’t eat it, picky eaters will sometimes just decide they like something else now so keep offering healthy nutritious options.
The pink eye is just normal stuff, you didn’t need to keep her off.

Nowhere will tolerate sausage rolls and crisps these days. Orange juice that is filled with vitamin C and ergo beneficial is treated as toxic. The ideas on food these days are hopeless. Full fat milk is better for children as it provides more calcium. Low fat yoghurt for three year olds?! Most English yoghurt has way too much sugar. French yoghurt is healthy but a long way for a packed lunch.

Too up fees shouldn't be charged. Additional fees (ie for lunches, wipes etc) maybe - but there should also be the option of providing your own instead.

30 hours entitlement is exactly that. Free to the parent.

It is under funded but that cost is not allowed to be passed on to the parent.

However, if child is not attending term time only, the nursery may spread the cost of the "holidays" sessions over the year, stretching the entitlement and averaging out which hours are funded and which are paid.

The lunch thing seems ott. A policy is normal. Lunch should not be refused to the child in the first instance though! I'd request a meeting to discuss possible lunch options before just pulling her out.

If I remember rightly from my day care days, a notice about conjunctivitis (or sickness, or slapped cheek etc) would go up after a certain number of confirmed cases.
They don't have to exclude children though.

To be fair, a new nursery AND a new food routine would be a lot for a LO to do at the same time. Especially if she struggles with foods. OP easing her in isn't the worst idea.
Try talking to them. They might have some ideas to support you.
I'd clarify the low fat thing though.

I just Googled and little yeo by yeo valley is low sugar and would pass as would froobs

A lot of nurseries charge a top up fee if you are taking the funded 30hours (ours is 1.20 per hour to cover nappies,snacks,food,trips which aren't covered by the funding

Theyre not supposed to do that.

Theyre not allowed to make any charges that might stop someone being able to take a "funded" place.

Guidance on top up fees

The Government has said that funding is to cover the cost of delivering the free childcare, and is not intended to fund the cost of consumables (such as drinks, meals and nappies) or additional services (such as yoga, music lessons and trips). Providers are free to charge parents for such discretionary items provided they are not compulsory, but this cannot be a condition of taking up a place. The level of these fees is a matter between the provider and the parent, according to the Government.

No,all children under 5 do not need vitamin drops at all.

Actually they do, nhs guidelines say so - children under 5 need vitamin D at least unless on more than a pint of formula per day

So the nursery can say, you can use the funded hours but only when used inside 9-12, and 1-4 are there no additional charges.

A person could get 30 hours in that way free but would have to take the dc home for lunch.

Someone wanting 3, 10 hour days however could be charged top up for 8-9am, 12-1pm and 4-6 pm

*Theyre not supposed to do that.

Theyre not allowed to make any charges that might stop someone being able to take a "funded" place*

Maybe, they do though as they would not stay open without doing so. Local authorities will even help them word their invoices and policies so they are not breaking any rules.

OP did ask the question, Fair enough they have a policy, but isn’t a main, crisps and drink a standard lunch these days?

And? Packed lunches are a pretty popular topic on MN and the vast majority of replies on ‘what does your child have for lunch’ threads will say some kind of processed meat on white bread, crisps, fruit or carrot sticks etc and often a little ‘treat’. There have been hundreds of threads about it and that is the most common answer.

I provide everything for her so there should be no extra charge for the nursery in my opinion, they haven’t even given a detailed breakdown of what those fees are for, just that it’s the way the funding works... She only attends term time, and if there is a charge for the ‘break between sessions’ when she does a full day Monday, then shouldn’t the 5 hours spare be used for that? It’s pretty useless of the government to advertise FREE Funding, yet there’s still a fee. But also there is no break between sessions as Morning session is 8-1 and afternoon is 1-6

There is no maybe.

They cant charge you extra per hour if that hour is supposed to be free. Someone else has just posted what they are allowed to charge for.

They cant make you pay for anything if youre only using the free hours. It has not be a non complusory extra ie lunch or music lessons or a trip out.

@LauraJade0308the hours aren't free they are funded

You need to ask for a full break down and explanation of the fees obviously. I find it hard to believe they didn't go through this with you?

I had to sign a contract for the exact sessions my dd attends and in this document i was told what the fees would be every month.

They cant charge you extra per hour if that hour is supposed to be free

They can and do, and the LA will help them do it. I have literally sat in a meeting where it was discussed.

They can charge you for extras yes as someone has explained above.

If your LA are encouraging charging per hour on top of funding then thats all kinds of wrong.

I think you're over reacting which is understandable given you're heavily pregnant. Kids pick up all manner of things at nursery and the 30 hours funding is for school hours / term time not for wrap-around care after school hours. Sounds likes you feel there has been a lack of communication on both fronts, but even if nurseries warn parents about break outs of illnesses most still have to send their kids to nursery - the notices are just to make you aware of what to look out for.

Yes that is exactly what happened, I don’t work there anymore but our hourly rate would be, say, £10, the funding 5.50, so parents would be charged 4.50 an hour. And it can be dressed up as extras, but that is exactly what’s happening.

So we had this many moons ago with my daughters nursery she will not wat fruit and veg. Refused at 2 still doesn’t at 16 and is alive and well. So ask to see the menu for the 4 weeks ahead. There are strict guidelines as to what is and isn’t served. Salt content being one of the controlled items. They have to make reasonable adjustments otherwise it’s discriminatory. As she’s already in the nursery you are in a good position if you move her else where lots of places will refuse to take her as it’s too much trouble.
Work with them and your daughter will benefit in the long term.

Ask them what changes you'd need to make to avoid the fees. Word it that way and see what they say. They need to be able to qualify the charges. But I suspect, as per PP you'll get charged in any nursery as funding isn't equal to paid places.

Also any time they quote a policy point out it is exactly that a policy not the bloody law