Child minders / free hours

[mightbeyesmightbeno]

Is it usual for child minders not to be signed up for the 15 or 30 free hours of childcare?

Yes!

There is so much admin involved and so little actual costs covered its not worth it to most of them.

Ok thanks.

Bit gutted to be finding this out and stupidly thought that free childcare hours meant free childcare hours. Didn't realise that different settings could make arrangements or not. Just starting to look at sums with baby no.2 arriving in a month, so next year will be 2 in childcare.

Ooof :(

Mine wasn’t but signed up so I could use it.

It is admin but it is in their best interests to be able to offer it. Most parents want to be able to use it.

Have a word with her it could be becouse funding rate is less than the normal rate would you be happy to make a voluntary payment to make the cost up?

@Funnyboutnuffin ok thanks. And do they actually get their usual hourly rate? Or are they out of pocket?

@jannier yes I'd be more than happy to pay her some extra to ensure she isn't out of pocket / happy to even do a bit extra if it means being able to use it!

Most areas find rates paid are lower, how much really varys too. Each LA pays differently some monthly arrears some advance some only termly which obviously means no income for 3 months while paying out for food etc. It maybe worth having a heart to heart asking exactly what puts her off and see if you can help. The original system was set up for schools so pays a third once every term but then there are complications of children moving to other settings ....in a school it evens out as new ones come in as others move out but in other settings you can be left having done work you don't get paid for or having to pay money back....but these things can be worked on if for example you paid a deposit or paid monthly until payment came in then got a refund.
Our LA have a shortfall of between £1 and £2 an hour

Hi, yes I would have chat with her. I only signed up when the families I had where becoming eligible and where happy to pay a voluntary donation to make up the short fall. Mine was £1 per hour I lost in funding which I could not afford to lose. I was prepared to lose and find new private paying families. My La also forced all funded childcare settings to keep filling loads of paperwork carry out safeguarding surveys that were pages long and if you did not they withheld the funding until you had done them.

My authority paid the same as her hourly rate. We used her more than the allocated hours so we topped her up, and food and trips were extra.