To think that what's happening to 'free' childcare hours is just another kick in the teeth?

[SerendipitySunshine]

For all of us who have been looking forward to these supposed 30 'free' hours from September (or currently with 15) it's just another kick in the teeth for working parents? I'm dreading what our nursery will do. Yes, I'm grateful to have anything (and I know others didn't) but this is not what was promised.

www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/national/uk-today/24724272.free-childcare-hours-risk-nurseries-add-top-fees/

They have been massively mis-advertised. It was pretty clear that they were never going to be free for parents. It would have been better to describe them as "subsidised".

Blame the government not the nurseries. They have to pay out higher wages and ni and provide more free hours at a loss because what the government pay them doesn't cover the actual cost of providing care. Its rubbish but unless the government pay them better for the free hours it's either charge more for extras or close down.

Well that's because the (ex) government promised it to you on behalf of childcare providers. Do you expect them to just suck it up and take the loss?

The extended hours have been a con from the start. I signed my youngest up to nursery before the new hours were announced and since that time DC will now be eligible for the 15 hours from 9 months … funnily enough the fee on my contract has increased so that the new fees minus the 15 funded hours is exactly the same as the original fee in the first place.

They should have just offered a payment of a set amount into an account, like the tax free childcare. It was plainly obviously it couldn't actually be free in a Private nursery.

I agree about them basically being subsidised as opposed to free. I'm grateful for any reduction in price v full cost and I expect to pay more next year following the recent budget. It's better for the customer to bear the brunt of the increase than the staff in my opinion.

Yep, yet another nail in the coffin of parents (mainly mothers) careers. There won’t be any nursery places and the few remaining will be prohibitively expensive.

Yes, I'm grateful to have anything (and I know others didn't) but this is not what was promised

What was promised was never workable though, that’s exactly the reason the phased scheme mostly took place after the general election because the tories knew it could never actually be implemented properly.

It should still help. My daughter does 3 days a week and we were paying £1,240 which has gone down to £915 with the 15 "free" hours. It will decrease to £436 with the funded hours.

Well, yes, and I chose to increase my hours after the announcement about 'free' childcare (more fool me for believing what I was told).

When the last government bought this in it was never going to be sustainable for the sector. I think it's best to see them as subsided as opposed to free. The 15 free hours for two year olds did save us money so I was quite happy with that tbh. We did pay a bit though. I don't know anyone who doesn't pay some top up.

It's a bit weird to be dreading it when you will presumably be saving more money than before just by virtue of have 30 hours not 15?

Yes, I have no idea why they didn't increase our tax free childcare account.

When we recieved our 15 free hours, there was a hidden charge which appeared. So, we ended up not saving much. I am expecting the same when we get the 30 hours in January.

Paying 600-700 a month for three days at nursery.

Surely it was obvious from the beginning that the previous government was completely over promising. The childcare sector made that clear. The previous offer wasn't properly funded so there was no way that the extended offer would be and could only make the situation worse

I'm surprised your nursery hasn't already done this...

Ours introduced two surcharges when the free hours were announced. My son does two days, his funding is split as they don't do term-time only, so he gets 11 hours a week. We pay for 10 hours a day, so it means one funded day and one that we pay for.

Our bill went from £617 to £420-ish. It'll go down a bit more in January after he's turned 3, but only because we're not putting his days up.

But you might hopefully have more money overall from working more days if your child had thirty subsided hours?

Most people lose out and it’s shitty.

Sorry, I mean I'm dreading what my nursery does in response to the changes - that'll be from Jan 1, so I'll have from then until the 30 hours start in September.

Have they said they are putting fees up in January? Could you ask them what they intend to do?

Yes, they have said there's some changes ahead. I'm not sure if it's fees going up, I think more likely restrictions in how/when free hours can be used, or maybe not accepting them at all anymore. They have said we will know by end of next week (ahead of Dec 1).

IMO the only way to get ‘free hours’ is at a pre school attached to a primary school where they literally give you 15/30 free hours (you pay for lunches….) but no top up fees

We do this and we still pay a bit of top up! However yes I pay much less than friends with kids at day nurseries. So great if you don't need holiday cover.

I’m not even eligible for them - it’s a massive kick in the teeth.

Working full time, living in an expensive part of the country, pay masses of tax… no help with childcare costs at all though.

Annoys me a lot that it’s positioned as being for all working parents when actually many of us are excluded.

And of course - the paid-for hours are going up to subsidise the free hours, which I’m not getting.

They charge you a top up?!?!

how much?