Care to Learn-need a reason why my application was late!!

[CrazyBabies]

Hi there. Been told because my application was past 28 days after taking on child they won't backdate. So have lost a month and a half of earnings.
Basically, 1 - I wasn't on the ball and didn't see the " 28 days bit" and 2 - I am coming off anti depressents( my dad died and so on) and since then every thing is just done more slowly iykwim!
Am worried to say I am on anti depressents as worried they will think this effects my ability to look after children. But actually it has made me very relaxed and calm, and obviously a bit laid back.
Just wondering if I can say I'm on citralopram!
What can I say?
Any advice really welcome.

I don't understand why you are applying for the care to learn funding and not the child's parent. If parents are applying for grants, vouchers, tax credits or whatever other sort of assistance, that is entirely their business, and I don't even need to know about it. I would ask for payment from the parents in advance as usual and would not risk losing a month or more income if the parents failed to meet the eligibility criteria or otherwise delayed or messed up their application.

That said, in your position I would probably backdate my application a bit to make it on time and then argue it must have been delayed in the post. I would not want to go down the route of bringing my health or family misfortunes into the matter. Good luck with getting this sorted.

I thought it was something the parent claimed, not the Carer.

Thank you for your replies. I am the child's gran, and his mum has just turned 17. They don't live here, so I am able to care for my grandson while she is at college. I wasn't even sure she was going to continue her education in September, so didn't start up the application until the second week in September! She wasn't very happy with the idea of leaving him while she returned to her studies.

Looking at the guide - here it does seem that they are quite strict on the 28 days since course starts rule. So not sure if you will be able to get back dated. Best to get the form in as quick as possible, as until they process it you won't get anything.

Yes living apart from them may mean you are eligible as the childcare provider.

Where a childcare provider is related to the child, the childcare provider must, in addition to being registered with Ofsted:
? live apart from the child; and
? be providing registered childcare services for other children to whom they are not
related.

Assuming you are a registered childminder and you are caring for children unrelated to you in addition to your grandchild, then it looks like you meet the conditions.