30 free hours

[Raisingbabylg]

So we are entitled to the 30 free hours in sept. My childminders says we can have the 30 hours but we need to top up from the gov to her rate which is fine as we want them to have all activities they currently do. We put the LO in Tuesday to Friday so we would never be in on a bank holiday but the childminder said bank holidays will be taken off our allowance too? This makes no sense if she isn't in on a Monday though I obviously get that good Friday would be taken though this is over Easter hols anyway? Can she do this?

It’s my understanding that the thirty funded hours are for term time only, which only includes one bank holiday (the first one in May).

She also can’t charge top up fees; it’s not allowed.

The 30 hours are for 38 weeks a year but can be taken over 52 weeks but obviously wouldn't then be 30 hours a week but approx 22.

Providers aren't allowed to charge top up fees to make up the hourly rate and some nurserys have got in trouble for doing so. They are allowed to charge for food, nappies, etc.

The bank holiday thing sounds bonkers to me and can't be right if your contracted day doesn't fall on a bank holiday! I would check that... Not sure who with though!

Top up fees are not permitted. (There used to be some parts of the U.K. where to put up fees were allowed, notably Scotland, but I’m not sure if that is still the case.)

You can be charged for 'additional services' such as extra hours, food, groups, outings, etc. but crucially a CM cannot make the offer of free hours dependent upon you taking up any additional services.

She can offer particular times as 'funded sessions': usual between 4.5 and 6 hours a day. This means you might not get the times you necessarily want/need as 'free', and you could be paying for some hours as an additional service.

You would do well to get a copy of the local authority's Provider Agreement (the rules for delivering the 'free' hours) then discuss the issue with your CM. A word of caution: don’t jump straight in and complain/report her. If she ended up being suspended from the funded scheme, you all lose. Nobody will thank you if you, she and all her other clients lose out.

I am a childminder and provide the 30 hours funded sessions.
Are you stretching the funded hours over the holidays too? If so this then includes the bank holidays whether your child attends on a Monday or not, they still get taken off.
If your term time only then there’s only 2 bank hols but yes she right as I found out this term when I realised my money from the government was short and queried it with them.

Is she open at Christmas and Easter if so bank holidays fall on days other than Mondays? Bank holidays are already deducted form funding payments.
She isn't allowed to charge a top up but can ask for voluntary contributions and can ask for consumables like craft and activities to be paid as an extra. But not force you to pay it, but then she mau say she cant afford funded places after all would you take a pay cut so someone you work with can save money? Effectively what childcare is being asked to do along with things like charge more for babies and under 3, take in ironing (I kid you not) ask staff to have pay cuts or work unpaid hours, ask parents to do admin and maintenance....heard them all in government proposals before funding started.
The problem with funding is that its normally less than the hourly rate charged but more work so providers are subsidising the governments vote wining scheme and many are closing down. Is what she's asking for worth her service?

I do 30 hours. I don't include bank holidays. I do ask parents for a voluntary contribution, because the government rate won't fund everything she provides.

Ask her about bank holidays. It may be that her local authority have told her to do it this way. Does she normally work bank holidays?