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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed that 30 h free childcare...

207 replies

Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 10:19

...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.

OP posts:
IceandIndigo · 15/03/2023 11:43

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.

This is no longer the case; the free hours stop when your child starts reception:

https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-and-education-for-2-to-4-year-olds

queenofthewild · 15/03/2023 11:44

It's the coming term that is the hardest. Because Easter moves, the cut off isn't even the Easter holidays, so children who are 3 before term starts still can't be admitted until September.

Reclaiming the fees is really hard. A huge detailed report called school census has to be sent to the local authority each term to reclaim the fees. It would be love,y for families if eligibility was from the 3rd birthday, but for nursery admin, submitting census is a huge piece of work. Any more than 3 times a year would be impossible.

Original poster
Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 11:47

Sugargliderwombat · 15/03/2023 11:35

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.

Show quote history

Incorrect though, as most nurseries take kids the whole year round (around here at least)- my elder started in early December and the other in May.
Anyways, nursery intake times have nothing to do with it as the payments come via government, and the children are there already, so they dont have to calculate any numbers nor availability.

OP posts:
Kazzyhoward · 15/03/2023 11:47

There has to be a cut off. That's life. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

The sooner we all learn life isn't fair, the better. As there's no point dwelling on things that don't work out for you.

Remember the saying, change the things you can, accept the things you can't, and learn to know the difference!

There are cut-offs, etc in all walks of life.

If you feel strongly about it, then write to your MP, not a bunch of random strangers on the internet.

Original poster
Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 11:50

queenofthewild · 15/03/2023 11:44

It's the coming term that is the hardest. Because Easter moves, the cut off isn't even the Easter holidays, so children who are 3 before term starts still can't be admitted until September.

Reclaiming the fees is really hard. A huge detailed report called school census has to be sent to the local authority each term to reclaim the fees. It would be love,y for families if eligibility was from the 3rd birthday, but for nursery admin, submitting census is a huge piece of work. Any more than 3 times a year would be impossible.

I get it, but with us paying £1400 a month, I find it hard to muster pity for someone filling in a form. Im sorry if this sounds horrible, but it's literally thousands of pounds for the 5 months for thousands of families.

OP posts:
Original poster
Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 11:52

Kazzyhoward · 15/03/2023 11:47

There has to be a cut off. That's life. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

The sooner we all learn life isn't fair, the better. As there's no point dwelling on things that don't work out for you.

Remember the saying, change the things you can, accept the things you can't, and learn to know the difference!

There are cut-offs, etc in all walks of life.

If you feel strongly about it, then write to your MP, not a bunch of random strangers on the internet.

his whole forum is people complaining to strangers, you may not have realised that yet, are you new?
Thanks for your input, super helpful.

OP posts:
Newlifenewme · 15/03/2023 11:54

My son was born a day too early to get a trust fund. Life’s shit. But there has to be a cut off. The reason it’s probably a term is because they will have children starting childcare all the time and it will be easier to take big intakes all at once rather than dribbling in through the year. Also easier to sort for financial reasons etc.

ShapesAndNumbers · 15/03/2023 11:54

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

mummyh2016 · 15/03/2023 11:55

Kazzyhoward · 15/03/2023 11:47

There has to be a cut off. That's life. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

The sooner we all learn life isn't fair, the better. As there's no point dwelling on things that don't work out for you.

Remember the saying, change the things you can, accept the things you can't, and learn to know the difference!

There are cut-offs, etc in all walks of life.

If you feel strongly about it, then write to your MP, not a bunch of random strangers on the internet.

This. Even if it was changed to monthly you'd have someone moaning that they're worse off because their child was born on the 1st.
I'm not being unsympathetic, I had June and January babies so I also had/have a wait until the hours kick in. There will always be someone disappointed though, it's life.

WigglyWigglyWiggly · 15/03/2023 11:56

You can still use it for wraparound and holiday care when they’re in reception.

WigglyWigglyWiggly · 15/03/2023 11:57

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

You could just, you know, not make ignorant comments? 🙄

MimiSunshine · 15/03/2023 11:57

I get your annoyance but the cut off has to be somewhere.

my daughter turned 3 before the start of a new term but right at the end of the previous one, so I thought great, we’ll get the funding through. Nope because the technicality was the cut off was the star of that month, even though it was before the end of term.

maddening · 15/03/2023 11:58

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.

Show quote history

I used a pre-school at that age with wrap around care- so I did not have to pay for school hols unless I used holiday club - we worked out annual leave and some help from my parents to cover a vast majority of the school hols. Saved a fortune.

WigglyWigglyWiggly · 15/03/2023 11:59

IceandIndigo · 15/03/2023 11:43

This is no longer the case; the free hours stop when your child starts reception:

https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-and-education-for-2-to-4-year-olds

Show quote history

The link you posted disagrees with you - read the brackets by the bullet point.

LlynTegid · 15/03/2023 12:00

There has to be a cut-off, but it should be clearer, and not promoted as for all three year olds.

queenofthewild · 15/03/2023 12:04

"Just filling in a form". if only it was that easy. I wish it bloody was.

Government hoops inconvenience parents and settings, but there's no need to be rude about those trying their best to deliver a service that is underfunded and over administrated.

Original poster
Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 12:06

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

I could but I also am passionate about paying mortgage and being able to buy food.

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 15/03/2023 12:07

30 hours are term time only OP so won't cover half of July and all of August anyways.

Also, if you have to pay for July and Augest then I'd be sending them in!!

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 15/03/2023 12:07

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

How do you propose paying bills if everyone stays at home with their kids?

Original poster
Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 12:08

WigglyWigglyWiggly · 15/03/2023 11:56

You can still use it for wraparound and holiday care when they’re in reception.

I know, but sadly many nannies etc are not part of the scheme. We were looking for nannies for my elder and enquired about the 30 hours, and most people we found were not on it.

OP posts:
Lawazlawoo · 15/03/2023 12:10

Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 11:05

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.

Show quote history

If I was paying for it, I'd be sending my kids in

Original poster
Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 12:11

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 15/03/2023 12:07

30 hours are term time only OP so won't cover half of July and all of August anyways.

Also, if you have to pay for July and Augest then I'd be sending them in!!

Even if I was not paying over (I explained above why, so they cant come in), April, May, June and most of July is still a few thousands we will pay that parents of a kid born a few days earlier will not. Good for them, not good for others.

OP posts:
SazCat · 15/03/2023 12:17

You can't use the 30 free hours once they start reception

To be annoyed that 30 h free childcare...
forgotmyusername1 · 15/03/2023 12:18

I hear you
my april born son went to nursery in sept after turning 3
then was off from march until school as it was the covid shut down year so in total had 6 months of nursery before he went to school

SazCat · 15/03/2023 12:18

Sorry this wasnt for you OP, but to the PP saying you can still use the free hours for wraparound once the child is at school