CM Club: Ofsted may raise Fees

[nannynick]

DfES have a Consultation in progress regarding changes to the Annual Fees charged to childcare providers.
\link{http://www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/conDetails.cfm?consultationId=1383\Consultation Documents}
Currently fees are heavily subsidised at approximately 96.5%
One option is to increase fees in a substantial movement towards full cost recovery. Good news though, this isn't the preferred option at the moment. The preferred option is for a 30% rise.
Get your views known, by responding to the consultation, either directly, or on mass via support groups such as NCMA.
What do you think? Should fees rise? Should they represent closer to the actual cost involved, or should Government heavily subsidise childminders?

That's my feeling Isyhan

The NCMA is not my professional body. It is a registered charity.

I think we may be talking about OFSTED fees?

At least I thought we were

hang on ....i thought we were talking about the annual ofsted fee not NCMA stuff ....or am i way off here????

NCMA is a bit like a Union in some ways, it represents SOME childminders, not ALL.

We were talking about Ofsted fees.

Yes, back to topic... Fee Increases for Registered Childcare Providers - Oct 2006. Though with subtopic of what happens in 2008 when Childcare Act kicks in more.

I think that £250 is too much. My dh pays professional fees annually, but he earns a darn sight more money that I do.

Does anyone really think that having to pay £250 will raise the profile of childminders or make the general public think of us as "more professional"?

It may well deter people from registering in the first place, but I'm undecided as to whether that is fair - I know several minders who have registered with a view to offering one-to-one care only, or to mind relatives, and they certainly won't be earning much.

It is far too late for me to try being coherent!!

I am convinced that the real reason some people here are wanting minders to pay more money is to stop the competition of other minders starting up in your area

So if I had voted for this years ago when I started then all the members on here who have started up since would have been penalized

OK some people have had problems with other minders starting up in their areas

But surely having to pay out £250 to the authorities wouldn't help would it

Cos then if minder A is having trouble filling spaces because minder B has started up down the road

The authorites are the winners cos they get £250 from A & B BUT there are half the number of children each

So A & B are not earning as much money per week

So the only winners are the authorities who get £500

Why would you want that?

And yes I agree, THE PRISONER if you are registering for relative children or 1 - 1 care it will penalize you

Why not have it as a % of earnings

Parents are not even going to know what charges we have to pay IMHO.

Agree with the last 2 posts. I wouldn't have a problem paying higher fees but I would really struggle with £250 a year, especially when I only had 1 mindee for 3 months! I think it would also make more people childmind without being registered to avoid paying the fees - especially those who are doing it for family! Also don't think parents would be aware of the higher fees being charged - can't see how this fee thing would raise the profile of childminders?

To be honest, I don't think parents of mindees are aware of how much we pay to Ofsted at the moment, and are more concerned that we are registered rather than not!

And over £100 is scary for some (me!). I started minding when DS2 was born, always wanted to but never financially able to until then. And I spent a couple of busy years, but DS2 has turned out to have SN's which mean I spend time each week taking him to therapy/special school etc etc. So, for the last year or so, I have minded one child, one day a week (had his big brother till he started school, and current mindee since he was born. No way I want to stop looking after him!).

So, £100 takes out a month's salary for me, and although I could do it on expenses, I don't earn enough to pay tax! But this doesn't mean that I don't regard c/minding professionally or as a career (will increase hours again when DS2 starts f/time school).

Think this sort of situation could encourage some c/minders to charge higher rates to cover ofsted charges!

Realise it'd be a logistical nightmare but perhaps increases in ofsted fee could be linked to turnover/net profit?