To be annoyed that 30 h free childcare...

Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 2023-03-15T10:19:53+00:00

...starts the whole term AFTER the child hits 3 yo. My son missed the deadline for next term by 5 days, and so we have to wait until September to be able to access the 30 free hours. Parents of a kid born 5 days before will get the 30 free hours in April, May, June, July and August, although they will go to school at the same time... Just a mnini rant, I thought it was the following month and just realised it,s the whole 5 extra months of massive payments for the nursery.

Lockheart · 15/03/2023 10:24

It's unfortunate but there has to be a cut off date somewhere, and there will always be people who miss it. If the cut off was 5 days before there would be someone with a child born 5 days before yours with the same complaint, and another one with a child born 5 days earlier than that, and another and another.

Original poster

Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 10:25

Lockheart · 15/03/2023 10:24

It's unfortunate but there has to be a cut off date somewhere, and there will always be people who miss it. If the cut off was 5 days before there would be someone with a child born 5 days before yours with the same complaint, and another one with a child born 5 days earlier than that, and another and another.

But why the whole term, and not just the month. It's the length of the term that annoys me, the kids are in the same year, started nursery at the same time, will be in nursery until the same date, will start school at the same time, why make it term payments rather than montly ones (except of course to save a lot of money).

OP posts:

Duvethider · 15/03/2023 10:27

Yeh it’s so annoying. If it makes you feel any better we missed it by a couple of hours!! If only baby had been born a couple of hours earlier!!!

Duvethider · 15/03/2023 10:28

Agree they should do it monthly, would be more
fair.

Original poster

Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 10:28

Duvethider · 15/03/2023 10:27

Yeh it’s so annoying. If it makes you feel any better we missed it by a couple of hours!! If only baby had been born a couple of hours earlier!!!

Sad high five...

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IceandIndigo · 15/03/2023 10:29

I agree, there's really no reason for childcare funding to be linked to school terms. Someone told me that it dates from the days when children used to start school the term after they turned 5, not sure if that's true.

Bunnycat101 · 15/03/2023 10:29

Parents of slightly older children won’t get anything in august and minimal in July so it’s not entirely right to say you’re missing out on 5 months.

i do sympathise- I have had one child born to be well timed with the hours and one not. But.. you’d always be paying full whack for august as the hours are term time only. My bill last august for my 3 year old was around £1250 so I always laugh when people tell me how lucky I am to get ‘free’ nursery now….

getgetgetruby · 15/03/2023 10:31

Yes agree its shit and unfair. It should start before not afterwards.

Bunnycat101 · 15/03/2023 10:35

And also… there is a lot of strategic annual leave for nursery leavers before school starts. You can save yourself a fortune if you can finish nursery in mid august rather than taking leave early in the summer and running through to September.

Original poster

Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 10:47

Bunnycat101 · 15/03/2023 10:29

Parents of slightly older children won’t get anything in august and minimal in July so it’s not entirely right to say you’re missing out on 5 months.

i do sympathise- I have had one child born to be well timed with the hours and one not. But.. you’d always be paying full whack for august as the hours are term time only. My bill last august for my 3 year old was around £1250 so I always laugh when people tell me how lucky I am to get ‘free’ nursery now….

Sadly we have to pay for July and August, and we're not even going to be attending. I'll be paying to hold the space for next academic year, almost full fees. So I feel like I have every right to feel salty.

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Needmorelego · 15/03/2023 10:47

The original 15 free hours - which was then changed to 30 for some families - was for education not childcare. That's why it's based on school terms. Easter is early this year so the gap between Easter starters and September starters is bigger this year.

smellyflowers · 15/03/2023 10:48

Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 10:47

Sadly we have to pay for July and August, and we're not even going to be attending. I'll be paying to hold the space for next academic year, almost full fees. So I feel like I have every right to feel salty.

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What?! That's so silly!

LauraIAm · 15/03/2023 10:49

I think you get the allowance from the term your child is three to the term they are five, so if your child is younger in their school year you can use the hours for wraparound / holiday childcare when they have started school. This was definitely how it was with the 15 hour scheme.

Original poster

Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 11:05

smellyflowers · 15/03/2023 10:48

What?! That's so silly!

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Our nursery, to help people manage, spreads the cost of the care across the whole year, so we pay less monthly, but for the whole year, even if you're term time only. It means we pay less montly, which is still massive, but also pay for half-terms etc.

OP posts:

MoneyInTheBananaStand · 15/03/2023 11:07

Needmorelego · 15/03/2023 10:47

The original 15 free hours - which was then changed to 30 for some families - was for education not childcare. That's why it's based on school terms. Easter is early this year so the gap between Easter starters and September starters is bigger this year.

Exactly this.

Whattheladybird · 15/03/2023 11:08

Trying having a baby born on the first of one of the three months that makes a difference.

it just happens.

NowAAT · 15/03/2023 11:11

I agree, its ridiculous. My boy is May born and these 4 months until September makes a big difference to us!

Original poster

Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 11:11

Needmorelego · 15/03/2023 10:47

The original 15 free hours - which was then changed to 30 for some families - was for education not childcare. That's why it's based on school terms. Easter is early this year so the gap between Easter starters and September starters is bigger this year.

It does not matter when Easter is for parents who happen to be on the wrong side of the term though. If you are born 2 days after the term, you will pay 4 + months more than a child born a day before the cutoff, despite finishing the nursery at the same time as them. Kids born early do not graduate form nursery a term before others, they all finish in August ans all start school in Sept, but get extra 4-5 months of 30 free hours.

OP posts:

Janek · 15/03/2023 11:19

In my day (!) (Dd1 is 16) the cut off was nominally Easter, but actually 31 March. I presume that is the cut off you're talking about.

Coffeecoffeeinmytummy · 15/03/2023 11:22

Erm… have you seen the budget due to be announced today? This problem might go away for you. Like literally today.

WorkOfTheDevil · 15/03/2023 11:30

Funded nursery in Scotland is the same. They get it from the term after they turn 3. So some kids get 2 full years at nursery due to their birthdays and my child gets 14 months before ages dude to trot off to school with them!

I've deferred her starting school until next year, to make it more equitable for her and give her more experiences before she starts school. But I think it's terrible to be honest.

smellyflowers · 15/03/2023 11:31

Coffeecoffeeinmytummy · 15/03/2023 11:22

Erm… have you seen the budget due to be announced today? This problem might go away for you. Like literally today.

Don't be silly it won't take effect from today

IneedanewTV · 15/03/2023 11:32

Very generous policy. There has to be a cut off somewhere. I wasn’t happy about my barely four year old having to go to school but had to suck it.

be grateful you are getting help. I got no help and was paying over £1k a month in childcare for 5 years.

Sugargliderwombat · 15/03/2023 11:35

Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 10:25

But why the whole term, and not just the month. It's the length of the term that annoys me, the kids are in the same year, started nursery at the same time, will be in nursery until the same date, will start school at the same time, why make it term payments rather than montly ones (except of course to save a lot of money).

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I feel you - September baby here. But, its because nurseries can't have drips and drabs of intakes. They work in terms so they know they have x number of starters to settle. It's far too unsettled to have new children arriving every other week.

Coffeecoffeeinmytummy · 15/03/2023 11:37

@smellyflowers no of course it won’t take effect from today but there is a solution about to be announced so OP likely won’t have to wait until the term after their DC turns 3. It’s the spring budget, it’s money that is going to be spent ASAP, there’s a general election due next year and this is actually a popular policy for once. Implementation isn’t going to be postponed for years. The provision and systems for administering funded childcare are already there in theory so the funding just has to be provided. I reckon it will be from July but that’s just my guess.