Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

'Free Childcare' - Are your future plans dependent on this?

121 replies

KateyCuckoo · 09/11/2023 14:07

Are you counting down the days until this starts in April?

I'm starting to wonder how this is all going to pan out. Speaking to providers, they are worried and listening to parents, they are unaware and breezy about the whole thing. I can't help but feel that it's going to be lose lose situation when I was always hopeful it would be win win.

I spoke to one mum the day after it was announced back in the Spring and she thought it was starting immediately, that providers just sent off their invoices to the government and got paid, deal complete. When I explained how it actually worked, she was crushed. How and why I don't know.

I've also spoken to many more people in the interim and no one seems to be concerned except for providers. Some parents are making plans based on the funding easing their finances so they can afford to move house, have another child, drop work hours, change careers.

Have you made plans for when you start to receive 'free childcare? funded not free

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
ellybelly123 · 09/11/2023 15:28

Ah thank you! Looks like there's more information there than when I last looked. I'll put 15th January in my diary as hopefully more info re eligibility etc then if that's when we can apply from

Emma543 · 09/11/2023 15:28

I’m just carrying on as if it’s not happening to be honest. If it doesn’t come in no loss to me however, if it does happen it’s a lovely bonus!

I don’t really believe it’s a feasible option or it will happen to be honest however lots of people seem to have taken it as definite and using this in planning further children?

summerlovingvibes · 09/11/2023 15:34

I'm seriously hopeful that it will help but I am also doubtful. Definitely not planning on another child because of it!

Have a 3 year old who currently gets "free funding" but it's only the pre-school that accept it and that covers 6 hours a day, so I still have to pay a childminder 3 hours a day to cover me working.

Then I have a 1 year old who will miss out on most of it due to the staggered start, so will only benefit us from the term after she is 2 (which is January after the October). So really that will only give us 6 months in addition to what we would already get at free funding for 3 year olds.

Anything is something but equally I don't see it happening. So just planning to continue being skint for a long long time!

poorlypoppet · 09/11/2023 15:36

I've got the same attitude as you @Emma543 - great if it happens (though not sure we'd be eligible anyway for 15hrs at 2yrs due to income/hours of work) but not banking on it at all.

I did chat to our nursery manager the other day and we briefly spoke about the 2yr funding, and then how it will be extended by 2025 to the babies. She was quite clear that the setting is unlikely to offer this as even providing the limited number of places for funded 3's has crippled them. The parents paying full costs for children 0-3yrs are essentially covering some of the gaps in the funding for those funded 3s. Without those full fee paying 0-3yr places, they couldn't even offer funded 3s let alone funded hours for 2yrs down to 9months. So, even if it comes in, it seems it won't benefit us (via our setting) anyway!

tealweasel · 09/11/2023 15:37

No change to our plans based on this and anecdotally everyone I've spoken to about it is skeptical that it will come to pass in any meaningful way. We'll still be waiting till our first is at least 3 before we have a second.

CaptainJackSparrow85 · 09/11/2023 15:40

Not banking on it at all. I think what will happen is that either our nursery won’t offer it at all, or they’ll have to charge such a gigantic top-up that it won’t really confer any benefit.

What I really don’t want to happen - and I think it could happen - is our nursery bills actually increasing to subsidise the funded hours for other people.

Parker231 · 09/11/2023 15:44

As I see it the issues are:

  • ,there is already a shortage of good quality childcare - nurseries and childminders
  • the government funding does not cover the cost of a place - top ups required
  • with the new proposal, if not fully funded, nurseries and childminders won’t accept’funded’ places as they would loose money with each place.
pumpkinfarm · 09/11/2023 15:49

Do most people actually save a lot with free hours? I checked my nursery fees and I'll still be paying 700 quid for 3 days a week (down from 1200) with the 30 "free" hours. Yes I live in a stupidly expensive part of the country!

howshouldibehave · 09/11/2023 15:54

It’s highly likely that the current government will be voted out next year so anything they promise will not happen. I wouldn’t recommend anyone move house or have a baby based on any sort of weak plan for childcare.

Lollyloup83 · 09/11/2023 15:58

The current system is funded by the 0-2s and the higher prices they're charges to subsidise the funded hours. The govt are aware of this and are looking to increase their contribution.

I don't see why everyone thinks the govt has no clue. They have done their research and they're improving the existing system so it does work.

If it didn't work they would have even more mums out of work. They are pumping billions of pounds into childcare to get more women working thus paying more taxes so they are better off overall.

Everyone is so negative about it when it's something to really look forward to. Granted they need to advise the nurseries how much they're providing for the funded hours but they will do this before April and it will be fine.

MrsMiddleMother · 09/11/2023 15:59

My plans are for my 2 year old to start nursery for a couple of mornings a week in April, regardless of funding that's always the plan. So if I have to pay all fees, part fees or non of the fees my plans are the same but there is no way in hell I'd plan such big things such as having another child or moving house on it.

RegeRegeRege · 09/11/2023 15:59

My nursery have said that they can’t offer 15 hours term time only but will be offering 10 hours a week over 48 weeks. If it goes ahead then DC2 will get it next September which will be a bonus but I was pregnant before it was announced so we were always planning on paying and held off TTC a second until a time when DC1 would already be getting their funded hours before I went back to work.

I’m hopeful it comes in but only IF it’s not going to be detrimental to nurseries so I’m not convinced. Surely if it’s the same funding as now, it means that either the cost of meals etc goes up, or the cost of any hours outside the funded hours gets more expensive.

Anecdotally I’ve heard people say they’ll have another baby now because of it but whether they’re actually TTC/planning to or it was just a jokey remark I really don’t know.

HungryandIknowit · 09/11/2023 16:00

Is it definitely happening? I assumed the Government would announce at the last minute that there are issues with childcare provision and it would not go ahead.

Coffeerum · 09/11/2023 16:04

pumpkinfarm · 09/11/2023 15:49

Do most people actually save a lot with free hours? I checked my nursery fees and I'll still be paying 700 quid for 3 days a week (down from 1200) with the 30 "free" hours. Yes I live in a stupidly expensive part of the country!

Most people would consider an over 40% saving as “a lot” though. It’s a huge difference. Plus then you get a bigger saving from the tax free childcare proportionally as you now come under the cap.

IvorTheEngineDriver · 09/11/2023 16:07

If I have learnt one lesson in life it is that to place any faith in anything a British Govt. (of any party) says is the high road to disaster.

howshouldibehave · 09/11/2023 16:11

https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/nursery-closures-increased-by-50-per-cent-in-a-year

The government can spout promises all they want, but if there’s not enough childcare places and not enough of them willing to take on ‘funded’ children, then there will a lot of people very disappointed (and very skint, if they thought they would be able to move house/have another baby, based on this bright idea!).

Nursery closures increased by 50 per cent in a year

There were 50 per cent more nursery closures in the 2022-23 academic year, compared to the previous year, according to new research.

https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/nursery-closures-increased-by-50-per-cent-in-a-year

ClinkyWotsit · 09/11/2023 16:13

KateyCuckoo · 09/11/2023 14:44

I wish the rules would make top ups allowed in their simplest sense. Instead they make it all so complicated which is why invoices often need a maths degree to work out.

I have a maths degree and I’m an accountant. I still struggle to understand the calculations 🤷🏻‍♀️

pumpkinfarm · 09/11/2023 16:14

Coffeerum · 09/11/2023 16:04

Most people would consider an over 40% saving as “a lot” though. It’s a huge difference. Plus then you get a bigger saving from the tax free childcare proportionally as you now come under the cap.

Show quote history

Good point. But when it's billed as "30 free hours" and my child is in nursery for 30 hours a week and I'm still paying 700 quid it feels a bit misleading!

(Appreciate they're "funded" not free hours and are only term time, but it was still a big 'expectations vs reality' moment!)

CanINapNow · 09/11/2023 16:21

I thought it didn’t start until Sep 2024…not April? Was announced whilst I was pregnant so didn’t effect (affect? Sorry I never know which to use lol) our plans but will be very, very helpful. I’ve been to look round three nurseries and they all said they’ll be doing it and it didn’t seem to be an issue and I live in a busy commuter town in the South East 🤷‍♀️

CaptainJackSparrow85 · 09/11/2023 16:25

I don't see why everyone thinks the govt has no clue. They have done their research and they're improving the existing system so it does work.

If it didn't work they would have even more mums out of work. They are pumping billions of pounds into childcare to get more women working thus paying more taxes so they are better off overall.

People are sceptical because hundreds of nurseries have said they can’t afford to offer the new funded hours. That seems like a pretty good reason to be sceptical to me.

berryice · 09/11/2023 16:37

No. It’s utterly unaffordable in practice unless the government fund it more. Unfortunately. The early years sector won’t afford this and places will close

Childcare is absolutely extortionate for working families.

we are TTC a first and unlikely to have a second simply because of the sheer cost of it. Even if you wait till the eldest is in school to have another- in many ways that’s worse cuz it’s 8-10 prolonged years of paying £1000 a month. I don’t see how any family where both adults want to work full time can manage to have two, no matter the gap it’s still in excess of eighty grand just in childcare. Makes me feel sick!

Poppasocks · 09/11/2023 16:40

My daughter's nursery announced this week they are closing the baby room end of next month. She can go back when she's 2 but that's not until the spring.

That's the price we pay.

TrashedSofa · 09/11/2023 16:44

I don't see why everyone thinks the govt has no clue. They have done their research and they're improving the existing system so it does work.

Seriously, what on earth is it about the current government that would lead you to have this level of confidence?

berryice · 09/11/2023 16:45

Poppasocks · 09/11/2023 16:40

My daughter's nursery announced this week they are closing the baby room end of next month. She can go back when she's 2 but that's not until the spring.

That's the price we pay.

This is so limiting for parents with young children, I just don’t understand