Page 8 | 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.

Babooshka1990 · 15/03/2023 16:11

@twoandcooplease we will benefit somewhat compared to if there were no changes, some have missed out completely.

Bettyboop3 · 15/03/2023 16:12

Sugargliderwombat · 15/03/2023 13:02

Yes they take them, but obviously most start when it's free don't they?

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No not at all, in my experience. People either have to work or they don't.

tiantian1005 · 15/03/2023 16:14

Wednesday170 · 15/03/2023 15:45

Nothing if you’re on over £100k
Surely you don’t need help with childcare fees on that salary?

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Why not? I think everyone should be entitled to certain benefits especially if you already pay higher tax then its up to you whether you claim it. Its not like money rained for us we worked like a dog (no offence to dog) to make the money every little helps as well.

Monster80 · 15/03/2023 16:45

Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 16:05

I'd rather all of us in the same situation had the same access to government help, not 5 months less of it because kids were born a week or month too late.
I feel sorry for people who got no help at all (although 30 free hours have been for a bit), but I dont feel jealous of people who will get more help in future. Some people here are really pissed off that they didn't get support in the past so no one else should have in future it seems.

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There is always a cut off date applied to new budget/tax reforms, that’s why they are announced at the end of the tax year. The system you signed up to (when you decided to get pregnant) has changed, for the better, but the rule about applying the free hours the term after the 3rd birthday has always existed- whatever the number of free hours. It’s based on the school terms which is the time during which your free hours can be applied/used.

Original poster

Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 17:01

Monster80 · 15/03/2023 16:45

There is always a cut off date applied to new budget/tax reforms, that’s why they are announced at the end of the tax year. The system you signed up to (when you decided to get pregnant) has changed, for the better, but the rule about applying the free hours the term after the 3rd birthday has always existed- whatever the number of free hours. It’s based on the school terms which is the time during which your free hours can be applied/used.

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I get the cutoff. I dont get why some fmailies get 5 months of more support than others. I checked, I will not be en titled to get those 5 months after my son starts reception. Just pointing out the system is unfair, that's all.

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Original poster

Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 17:02

Monster80 · 15/03/2023 16:45

There is always a cut off date applied to new budget/tax reforms, that’s why they are announced at the end of the tax year. The system you signed up to (when you decided to get pregnant) has changed, for the better, but the rule about applying the free hours the term after the 3rd birthday has always existed- whatever the number of free hours. It’s based on the school terms which is the time during which your free hours can be applied/used.

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For the record, the current budged just announced does nothing for me, I meant the 30 free hours for 3 yo that has been around for a while and has been unfair, for a while, The post has not been prompted by the budget announced today.

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Youcancallmeirrelevant · 15/03/2023 17:04

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.

Try Sep 2025!!

Monster80 · 15/03/2023 17:16

That’s exactly what I am saying - the system of applying the hours has been that way since free hours were offered. It’s based on age of child and the school terms the hours are applied within. Most people with children have experienced having to pay for extra term because of birth dates! This isn’t unfair on you, it’s fair, because all other parents have paid the extra childcare fees too. Or are you saying age-based admissions and school terms are inherently unfair?

ImAGoodPerson · 15/03/2023 17:29

SazCat · 15/03/2023 12:35

So sorry I've just noticed the compulsory school age if later bit - does that mean I could have got wraparound care for free until she was 5?!? 😳

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I lost out as my youngest missed the 31st deadline by 2 days however he went to private school in the September when he'd turned 4 and received funding for the 1st year which reduced our bill by a huge amount. I'm not sure it was able to be used for wrap around care though, can't remember what the rules were. I believe compulsory school age is term after they turn 5.

SootspriteSearcher · 15/03/2023 18:17

Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 14:22

I wonder if there is a distinction here between private nurseries (m any of whom a re very lucrartive businesses?) Some of my friends pay whooping £120/140 per DAY, not because they can, but because they have to and barely break even.
There are two sides of the story. It's hard to pay this much and realise the place barely manages to run.

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Nursery practitioners are generally on minimum wage, we work long hours. Often doing work and training in our own time.

There is the building cost, training that has to be done every 2/3 years by all staff, insurance, resources and staff. That does not come cheap. And when the government offers this funding it barely covers these costs so therefore fees for paying parents has to go up to subsidise this. Most nurseries will not be making a huge profit.

To sustain the new free hours, ratios may have to be relaxed further, which is not a good thing. Its hard enough to make sure every child is reaching their milestones on current ratios. Right now it's 1 adult to 3 under 2 year olds. 2 year olds are 1 adult to 4 children. 3 & 4 year olds are 1 adult to 8 children. Not only does decreasing the ratio make it unsafe day to day think about if there was an emergency. This will be the impact if more free childcare is rolled out, it may be free but it will not be an enriching or potentially safe environment. Also the stress on the staff with the increased workload will cause more to leave, so there will not be the providers there to offer it.

Original poster

Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 20:02

Monster80 · 15/03/2023 17:16

That’s exactly what I am saying - the system of applying the hours has been that way since free hours were offered. It’s based on age of child and the school terms the hours are applied within. Most people with children have experienced having to pay for extra term because of birth dates! This isn’t unfair on you, it’s fair, because all other parents have paid the extra childcare fees too. Or are you saying age-based admissions and school terms are inherently unfair?

How would all other parents paid extra childcare? Child A and B start at the same time, one born in March, one in April, child A's parents get 30 free hours from April, Child B's from September. Both kids will got to school at the same time (september whatever year). Child B's parents will have paid £2400 more for the same childcare.
Not sure why you think the slightly older child spent more time in the childcare setting?

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SleepingStandingUp · 15/03/2023 20:02

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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Mine are I school nursery, they can't start until the term after 3 so it's probably based on that arrangement rather than private. They turned 3 mid Dec so started in the Jan. Due early Jan in which case it wouldn't be until Easter. Think most school nurseries are like this

SleepingStandingUp · 15/03/2023 20:05

Allgoodusernamesweretaken · 15/03/2023 20:02

How would all other parents paid extra childcare? Child A and B start at the same time, one born in March, one in April, child A's parents get 30 free hours from April, Child B's from September. Both kids will got to school at the same time (september whatever year). Child B's parents will have paid £2400 more for the same childcare.
Not sure why you think the slightly older child spent more time in the childcare setting?

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This issue here is they don't start the same time in SCHOOL nurseries.

Bob is born March, starts after Easter, the term after turning 3.
Rob is born April, starts September, the term after turning 3.

If you're private and they've always been in nursery then yes, Bobs parents paid for 3 years and a week, Robs paid for 3 years 5 months.

pitterypattery00 · 16/03/2023 17:09

In our area there is no option to use a state nursery if you need child care because you work (unless you work very restricted hours) as they only take children from 2yrs, and are only open term time from 9 til 5. So private nursery (over £70 per day for 2 year old) is our only 'choice'. Our child is a May birthday, so like you OP we will have to wait til Sept for our 'free' hours (which actual cost £2 per free hour at our nursery).

Lincslady53 · 16/03/2023 17:59

I'm pissed off cos it is 40 years too late for us. Wonder if they will back date it?

onlythesparrow · 16/03/2023 18:15

It'll be because the funding is paid termly. Don't see why they can't change it to monthly though! I'm sure that would help settings with their cash flow too.

IWantAShitzu · 16/03/2023 18:19

My son was born at 1.47am on the 1st of September. If he had popped out when I first started pushing over two hours before, we would have got the childcare from September. It sucked but that’s life.

HowhardcanitB · 16/03/2023 18:22

I share your frustrations! I once started a petition about it. (They seem to happen regularly). It’s totally unfair and people shouldn’t just accept it! Write to your MP! Good luck

Seasprayandsunshine · 16/03/2023 21:25

It’s ridiculous. I was seething about it. The adverts are all misleading. Hyping themselves up, being the most helpful government. People are paying £100 a day for childcare!

Yes there needs to be a cut off - MAKE IT AGE 3!

Then It will be fair to all.

If they sorted the bloody economy out, people wouldn’t need their fair weather offer of help!

StaryEyes1978 · 17/03/2023 07:29

30 hours free doesn’t apply for school hols so they don’t get august and only half of July.

Donnaslayer · 17/03/2023 07:33

This happened to us too op. Me and my friend have 3 years old at the same nursery their birthdays are 18days apart. She was lucky to get the 30 free hours from start of January as her baby was born end of December. Meanwhile we're not so lucky and have to wait till April as he was born in Jan. It is frustrating, we could all do with the saving. But I'm more annoyed to hear from 2025 the government will be extending the 30 free hours to eligible families with kids aged from nine months old. While I'm happy for new families, I can't help but be annoyed that we've struggled on by with nursery fees for the past 2 years

RavenofEngland · 17/03/2023 10:36

When my DS was in nursery, he received 15 hours free in term time from the age of 3, (he was born end of Aug) but I had to pay the rest plus full price during school holidays as he was at a private nursery. When my DD went to nursery, I had to pay full whack until the term after she was 3 (end of Sept baby) and by then they had just introduced the 30 hour free childcare. So I had one child born at the perfect time to receive free childcare, and the other one, I had to wait. But I am pretty sure that I only had to wait until after the half term in October. although I could be remembering this wrong.

T1Dmama · 17/03/2023 22:41

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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Because it saves the government money… and in turn the tax payers.
I never got 30 hrs for my daughter, it was only 15 hours pw when she was 3.. I think we should all just be grateful we get any help.. my sisters only 5 years older than me and she didn’t get any help at all!

TwoHedgehogs · 17/03/2023 22:51

I missed it by 2 days, I thought I was in labour the week before but I hung on another week. I didn't even realise it was a thing until I applied for free hours and it occurred to me that we'd have to wait another 3 months to get the free hours for the sake of 2 days. There has to be a cutoff somewhere though.

pitterypattery00 · 17/03/2023 23:27

I agree there have to be cut-offs somewhere but having to wait 5 months after turning 3 seems ridiculous (that's the situation for babies born at the beginning of April). Makes a mockery of the 'free hours from age 3 propaganda'.