Free childcare places and CM.

[cairnterrier]

When your child turns 3 and is entitled to the 15hours of free childcare, can they be used to pay for a CM or does it have to be a nursery?

If you can use them to pay for a CM, how do you go about sorting out the paperwork?

Yes ...to give the FE Accreditation is what you need to achieve...we know that

What does accreditation really mean?
accredited c/ms still follow the EYFS but have to undergo a process to become accredited..the main difference they have to 'have regards to the SEN Code of Practice'...we all do that anyway!

C/ms with degrees and EYPS should not need this additional red tape to achieve a level already achieved in their degree etc...
EYPS 'lead practice', you cannot get anything higher...it is madness and a huge waste of money for them to undergo a process that teaches them nothing...and rewards them with less money...

Many networks only take c/ms with a level 3...the aim of a network is to support c/ms to achieve high quality so why block those without a level 3...more restrictions....I am learning so much from this and getting more and more cross

In my particular case, I wouldn't even mind all of that, IF my LA could tell me whether or not I need to be accredited to access the FE funding, and indeed how I could become accredited. Instead all I get is, 'waiting for finance dept to tell us how funding is accessed' this may be in 6 months time! No good for me, they're discriminating against my setting.

I wish I could say I believed that the point of the local authority network was to support childminders to achieve high standards of care - I don't think they can recognise quality care when they see it, and are obsessive about really marginal issues and about ticking boxes in relation to their own agenda. I continue to get the impression from talking with my own DO that they believe they are doing me/us a huge favour by allowing us the opportunity to jump their hoops, when I would say those of us who have persevered are in fact doing it for our parents as much or more than for any sound business reasons (though I'd concede a degree of bloodymindedness too in not wanting to let them get away with serving CMs and parents so badly!)

I am happy that OFSTED judge my care outstanding, even more so that parents agree and that the children I care for are happy and safe. I am distinctly unhappy that my local authority were not satisfied with either my experience or record or my level 3 qualification as evidence that I have the necessary skills to look after funded 3 year olds, though apparently fine to look after children whose parents paid (ironically including those of a Children's Centre Head and of another member of the Children's Services team) and in fact I am also evidently fine to care for vulnerable 2 year olds when this is useful to Social Services - and see fit to mandate additional training - all very laudable as and when needed, but only if it's also relevant and timely. They should in my view be supporting childminders to allow as many as possible to offer the funded provision and give parents more options. Rant over!!!!

Sillymillysmummy
The Accreditation process is approved by the DfE and was also recognised by the previous govt under the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) but it is under review because without c/ms the 2 yo scheme will flop

Do you not think that you could write in to the DfE and report the discrepancies that basically disadvantage c/ms in this system...we can discuss it forever but unless the LAs are told to have some king of uniformity in policy we will never get there
Another body to write to is the NCMA who has supported networks in its present form...i am about to do so

minderjinx
Agree our families are disadvantaged but if we were to give the FE at a silly cost we would become unsustainable...so many c/ms stay out...universal care it is not! and far from being a universal system..other countries Sweden, Denmark or Norway do not have it so it is time to review ours???

Ok so the latest info I have is that no childminders in our LA can currently access NEG. We are however able to access the 2 year old funding, we do this via the usual training etc and yet another LA audit. So far, my coordinator wants come out to do audit for commissioned, I have already had a 3 visit audit as I am due my ofsted inspection and she also wants to do the dfe early years quality improvement programme audit so that I may be able to eventually access the neg if and when they decide how much they will pay cm.

I think I'll just go get myself a different job, I don't have enough time in the day for all this, I work a 50 hour week and then train, plan, clean, god forbid I should have time for my family.

I think we need to 'question' the system now rather than give up

If your LA has a network then you can access the NEG which should automatically entitle you to do the 2 yo funding
The sum they pay for 3/4 year old has been in place for years... it never got increased considering inflation etc... that is why some providers are thinking of challenging it...as we now have a living wage of £8.55 in London

The 2 yo old funding is at a different rate, my LA pays £3.50 for 3/4 FE but £6.10 for 2 yo, which is the problem because when they get to age 3 the funding drops dramatically...also for 2 yo is only for 38 weeks of the year and only for 15 hours...can you see why the system ...sorry for the word... 'stinks'

if we give up it will never get sorted to our advantage....get it clarified
I certainly intend to question it