AIBU - No benefit from 15 free hours

[ilovepenguins79]

I have just had my invoice from my daughter's nursery for her first month of funded hours. We get 15 hours - 11 as its stretched. Its a private day nursery.

However the invoice is for exactly the same amount of money as the month before due to the extra charges made every month. So the nursery gets the £500 apx that we always paid plus the funding from the government.

AIBU? Surely this is not right that the nursery seems to be making money from the funding as well as charging us? Isn't the point of funding to make it more accessible?

Reading this I feel very lucky with my private nursery! My boy gets the 30 hrs funding (but only goes for 9hrs a week atm) I’ve never paid a penny for extras and they don’t mind how few hours he goes

That’s appalling, I would vote with your feet.

its £2.50 unfunded half hour, £15 service charge for facilities such as the use of all weather playground, the orchard and materials, the nursery library, £10 for having staff above the ratios, staff first aid training and development (all staff apparently), £5 for food, £10 charge for the use of car parking facilities, £5 charge for nappies, consumables and wipes (DD isn't in nappies but you have to pay still and you have always paid for this apparently), £4.50 for use of the nursery van for trips

Wow! they are taking the piss! How long are you parking your car for them to charge everyone £10 a day??? Charge for consumables and nappies etc are fine. The rest in massively takimng the piss. I would leave and actually I did when DDs old nursery hiked the price by £10 a day.

This is really bad. I would actually complain about this. It's not how it's supposed to be.
They're trying it on from the looks of it.

I had to pay for meals when I had our funded hours.
They tried to get me to pay for 'consumables' (which was nothing like what they're asking you still!) But I argued that one and they wiped it.

That’s called creative accountancy

That is an absolute piss-take OP. They’re out for the money not the care of children obviously! I appreciate nurseries don’t make much money and I do support them getting the shortfall back in some ways but that amount of spurious charges is completely against the spirit of the free hours and I would hazard totally against the rules too.

The extra charges are all in the contract from 2017 so i guess i either vote with my feet or i suck it up! it doesn't seem right though.

That may not be entirely the case. The nursery have some obligations to the government about what they can charge for in order to qualify to host funded hours. Technically no parent should be required to pay fees in order to access funded hours.

From Early education and childcare Statutory guidance for local authorities June 2018 :
Local authorities should:
A1.25 Ensure that providers are aware that they can charge for meals and snacks as part of a free entitlement place and that they can also charge for consumables such as nappies or sun cream, and for services such as trips and specialist tuition. Parents can therefore be expected to pay for these, although these charges must be voluntary for the parent. Where parents are unable or unwilling to pay for meals and consumables, providers who choose to offer the free entitlements are responsible for setting their own policy on how to respond, with options including allowing parents to supply their own meals or nappies, or waiving or reducing the cost of meals and snacks. Local authorities should ensure that providers are mindful of the impact of additional charges on the most disadvantaged parents.

[My emphasis]

But because government funding is entirely insufficient a lot of fudging and non-enforcement has gone on. In this case though, where parents are seeing no benefit at all from funded hours, you may get the local authority (who are supposed to enforce) to do something. So you could try talking to them.

Wow! Use your feet they are cowboys

You need to tackle them about this or even call trading standards!

We will be in same position sadly when 15 hours starts. My son goes 4 days a week and they only accept funding for full time; so we have to effectively add on another 10 hours a week so our net gain will be one free hour a week; a whole £18.00 saving a month.

That sounds outrageous to me!! We got the 15 hours funding from 2 years old and only had to pay about £3 extra per day for food. In fact we could have chosen to send a pack lunch and then paid no additional fees. Ours is also a private nursery and like you we stretched the 15 hours to 11all year round. Both my children still attend the nursery, which I believe provides outstanding care and is managing to do so without adding lots of spurious charges. Instead they choose to limit the funded hours available per child to 20 per week (term time only), which seems perfectly fair to me.

I would actually complain to the council . Most boroughs have had an increase in pay ( not the one I work )

There are a few things you can be charged for . I think they are taking the piss counting on people not moving their children .

I would protest with my feet . Pre school children generally seem to learn something new in each setting .

Oh god. Our nursery is like this. Somehow more expensive full time with 15 hours funded than it was last year when we paid it all ourselves.

For 30 hours all we pay is £2 a day for lunch and £2 a week club fee ( I have no idea what club fee is).

Actually I was being a bit lazy and the car parking charge includes their Tapestry subscription, use of parent paying website, report writing, development tracking, parents evening, school readiness and curriculum evenings as well. Its titled 'Our family plus offering!'

I might call the council on Friday and get my facts straight on what they can charge for before I speak to the owner.

I am in a way glad that i won't be giving them the full 30 hours. i thought that the purpose of the additional 15v hours was to support working parents!

So they want you to pay for everything that was included before and they also want to take the money for all those things from the council too?

Bloody charletons.

Id be leaving!

Funding costs us a huge amount as a private setting and will close is down soon. We’ve limited the number of funded places we offer but it’s so so hard.

We have to charge sundry fees to try and replace the lost money. We also don’t offer any of the discounts that private children would get so, yes, sometimes part funded days cost more than totally private days and for this reason many parents lose a few funded hours rather than use them.

They’re generally understanding because we hold so many sessions showing exactly why we do what we do and how many settings close.

Sounds very wrong how can they charge a parent for nappies when they don,t use nppies I work in childcare and never seen so many added extras. OFSED I am sure would not agree with this. DEf contact the council. Also ask if these are extras what does the main payment cover??

Blimey. Our preschool charge £4 a hour if not in receipt of funding, and an annual charge of £20 for snacks. For DS I pay for him to attend one day a week, and DD who has funded hours only costs me the £20 for the year.

They can get hot lunches if they want for a cost but I send in packed lunches.

That sounds like they are really taking the muck!

Mick

thehop i cant believe anyone can be understanding about a funded place costing more a day than a private place

They’re really taking the piss, OP. I’d be looking for a place at another nursery for her.

This is hilarious. What a nursery. Just move her OP. I did when I daughter started pre school. Best thing I ever did.
We pay £15 max a day for top up fees. I get tapestry. Parking and highly qualified staff.
If you aren't entitled to 30 hours then why would you need to pay for extra nursery unfunded hours?