Nursery sundries fee

[lizzlebizzle33]

Hi, so my son goes to nursery for 4 sessions a week (20 hours) and we pay £32 a month for his meals.

Last week I received a confusing letter which stated that the fees would be going up and a chart so you could see how many hours your child goes for and what the price increase will be.

It appeared it was going to go from £32 to £76 which I thought can't be right as that's more than double.

I have just dropped DS off and had a word with the nursery manager and it is right!! From £32 to £76 Just like that.

AIBU to be fuming? For myself and all other parents. I will really struggle to afford this but what other choice do I have but to pay it?

What are they feeding him?! That's more than £4 a day!

How many and what sort of meals and snacks does he have each month?

That is a big jump, but it’s in line with what we pay for three mornings a week for DD (she has the 3-4 year old funding). It covers the food, snacks and supplies that she uses. I think when you work it out per session it’s a reasonable cost. That is a huge jump though and I can see why you’d be annoyed.

Nurseries are really struggling at the moment. Many are losing money due to government funded hours. The nursery my child goes to loses over £50 a month per child due to these changes.

My DC nursery is brilliant, we wouldn't be able work without it, we've never had a single doubt or qualm over his care, it's awful when they put fees up but they are a business and not a charity. They decide what they need in order to stay viable and then you need to do the same unfortunately.

We pay £7.50 for meals on the days that we use free hours.

It works out at 87p per hour he is there.
That has gone up from 32p.

It's a wonderful nursery, he loves it and I have no issues with his care at all but I just don't know how they can justify such an increase in one go.

They provide breakfast, mid morning snack, and lunch in the morning session and in the afternoon they have a snack and a cooked meal for tea.
So it's just over £4 a day which I understand doesn't sound that bad but it's a huge leap.

I don't envy the parents whose DC go full time (over £150 a month for them now!)

When mine were at nursery we had to send packed lunch and pay £4 for the 45 mins staffing cost if they stayed during that time. It might be staffing rather than food you now pay for. There was a morning and and afternoon session - so lunch time was extra. Not covered by free hours. It's still pretty cheap for a whole month. We only used to get 15 hrs a week paid for.

So this amount is still in line with what is the norm? Was I getting it cheap before?

When I say £4 a day I mean per 5 hour session not full day.

Yes I’d say that was very reasonable! DD’s is £1 per hour - I think that’s fine when you consider how hard hit nurseries have been by the funding issues.

It sounds like you were getting it very cheap before, £4 a day for all three meals and snacks is nothing.

I know it's not the 'free hours' that people are promised and should have been able to expect, but it's still very good value for you.

The 15 and 30 hours funding is really hitting childcare providers. Ours charge a consumables fee of roughly £1 an hour (which is basically the gap in the funding they receive and the fee they charge). I am still happy as with the funding I am saving £120 a week on my childcare costs when I receive it next year.

These settings are looking after your most precious children, they deserve to be paid well for what they do. Shelf stackers and dog walkers currently earn more than most childcare professionals!

Speaking as an EYP, that is very cheap. Nursery funding is diabolical. And a PP was right when they said staff wages are shocking too. I'm highly qualified, but I earned more working in a roadside burger van than I ever did working as an EYP.

Blimey I pay over £500 a month (half my wage) for DD to attend nursery for 4 mornings a week.

The problem for nurseries is that the funding rate is very low and not increasing but lots of staff are on minimum wage and this is increasing massively each year. You also then have to increase other staffs pay to keep a differential for experience and qualifications. The only way nurseries can increase revenue is to charge parents more.

Ok so I can come to terms with this now I understand that this new pricing is actually in line with what most people pay. It's just such an increase it knocked me for six!

Going to have to cut some corners somewhere to find this extra money.

Maybe I will start walking to work instead of treating myself to the bus 😑

Yes it’s in line with a standard rate now but I understand why it was a shock, it’s a huge jump!

Unfortunately the 15/30 free hours scheme is ruining nurseries, they are desperately struggling financially and some are having to take big measures to stay afloat

You can claim those costs through Universal Credit (or tax credits if you currently recieve those).

snap Mitebiteatnite I ended up switching jobs because an entry-level admin role paid more than being an EYP.

I ran a day nursery in a deprived area. Most children qualified for 2 year funding. That plus the 3 and 4 year funding, I was making a loss.
I had to sell my nursery, something I'd worked hard for and loved before I went bankrupt. That's how the deficit in funding affected me.

These are not 'free' hours but 'funded' hours and I consider myself very lucky that my youngest child now receives them. I pay nearly £400 less per month now than I did when my eldest child was at nursery.. As for your maybe having to walk to work, rather than catch the bus - if this is necessary to pay for your own child's meals then yes, you should start walking.

I can understand how difficult it is for parents at your nursery those costs doubling but they were very (too?) reasonable before.

For funded sessions at DD's nursery it's £4 per meal plus £2.70 per half hour outside the hours of 8 and 6 so on a day where you need your DC to be there until 6:30 you'd be paying £10+ in extras which is hard on our budget but I really feel for nurseries trying to remain financially viable with the funded hours.

what other choice do I have but to pay it?
A good few, I hope:

Challenge it. Ask what has happened to make food cost increase by over 100%.

Team up with other parents to protest the unreasonable fee hike. The more parents you recruit, the better you will get heard.

Research other nurseries, state that you will be changing & recommending the same change to all other parents unless reasonable action is taken to reduce the cost hike.

Continue with the nursery, but refuse all food costs, & supply all DS's meals & snacks yourself.

Messolini - Well that's one way to help nurseries go out of business I suppose (and this IS happening due to funded hours that mean the nurseries lose out).

A MNetter was posting just last week about her childcare issues due to her DS' nursery closing very suddenly as they just couldn't keep running.

I think the OP will have a shock if she looks into the cost of other nurseries.