Yet another fee increase

[GrasstrackGirl]

Our nursery increased their fees in July by 10% and over the weekend we've had an email from them to say that they've made a decision to bring forward next year's fee increase to February and it'll be another 10%!

I don't know what we're going to do, our son only attends two days a week because that's the only availability the nursery had and it's going to increase to over £600 a month.

Neither myself or my husband have had pay increases, there's no other childcare in the area and I feel like crying because everything is increasing apart from our wages

Ouch, sorry op. No advice but I do sympathise.

I'm in your situation. Everything going up but income. 10% increase this year, dreading next year. We can just cover it by not saving and cutting everything else possible. Thank goodness we only have less than two years before she starts school, otherwise it wouldn't be worth working any more.

Sorry that wasn't very helpful though. Thinking practically, how old is DC and how much do you and DH work. If you really can't afford it, is there anything you can do to get smart with days worked. Worst case take a career break until DC starts school?

I very much sympathise with you, but hope your frustration is aimed at the state of the country and not at the nursery. Better they raise their costs than close.

We’re in the same boats - just counting down the months til he gets some funded hours

DH works full time, I work three days a week, MIL has our son one of those days and the other two days he's in nursery.

Due to my role I cannot WFH and work doesn't allow overtime or compressed hours etc. I wouldn't want to WFH with DC at home with me anyway.

DC will turn three in spring next year so in another nine months we can use FEEE funding but even then the nursery only lets parents use a maximum of six hours a day, I'll have to get an updated fee list but last time I looked it wasn't a massive saving.

I wouldn't suggest you WFH with a child, it's impossible! Just wondered if you could flex it so DH could help. Anything he can do with his hours?

It's worth checking:

• I think staff ratios change when children turn 3 so fees often reduce from that month, even before funding kicks in?
• Don't underestimate the impact of the 30 hours funding. Yes, it's only six per day and if you have food, nappies etc provided you will still have other costs, but it really does make a difference.

DH is physically disabled and already working full time, there is no scope to increase his hours beyond full time.

You may be correct in regards to the ratios, I'll check but I'm sure they allow a bigger ratio so in theory the fees should decrease?

We provide nappies and food is £12 a day from memory I believe, with your ratio comment I'm starting to panic less so thank you.

My son goes 3 days a week and his fees dropped from 650 to 164 when he got his 30 hours.

It’s awful OP you have my sympathies- my youngest can’t attend the same nursery her sister did because it’s now so expensive. My husband is self employed and reduced working to cover the childcare, it’s shit for families.

Do you use the government tax free childcare scheme? It pays for 20% of childcare till they are 11. So for every £1 you pay in they pay 20p in. It does help a bit

Would nursery allow you to provide your own food?

Could MIL do anymore?

Are your parents around?

£12 a day for food! That’s insane. I know nurseries have to claw some extra money where possible due to being severely underfunded for the ‘free’ hours but what toddler eats £12 worth of food a day ffs.

Mine both of mine often have two or three portions!

Impressive. I’m sure they do but unless they’re getting a delivery from a local restaurant I doubt it’s £12 for thé food consumed.

It isn't just the cost of ingredients though. They have to pay staff. Both to prepare / cook and also to supervise the dc.

They do. And in many nurseries this is built into the cost of the day. Not extra on top. It was introduced as a top up as a way to get more dime from the funded hours they have to supply, but aren’t properly reimbursed for.

With minimum wage going up in April more and more settings will have a higher increase in fees coming up. It is totally unsustainable for so many settings with the cost of everything rising and the funding from the government underpriced by £3 per hour of funding for some settings.

Are there no childminders in your area? They are often cheaper, take FEEE but tend to be more flexible on offering the hours you need not a set number

MIL works, she very kindly has DS on her day off, my family are a few hours drive away.

No, the nursery doesn't allow the parents to bring their own food.

As a PP suggested, do you use tax free childcare?

Do you have any parent friends at the nursery who would be happy to split childcare with you so they can care for your child on one of your working days and you can do the same for them?

We looked before starting DS in the nursery, there are no childminders with vacancies in the area.

I work on a massive site (think similar to a school or hospital) and the nursery is on the site so it is very convenient but I think until DS turns three we're going to have to struggle.

It's worth looking again or asking to go on waiting lists parents go on maternity leave etc. At any time

Go on childcare choices website to see what the options are to get help with paying for childcare. Also agree with looking at childminders again, things can change so might be worth getting on a waiting list if there’s one you like the look of. You can also search to find out what rate the funding is paid at in your LA area versus their usual hourly charge, whilst its only fair for them to be able to make up any shortfalls some nurseries in my area charge huge amounts for ‘consumables’. So if the nursery charges 5.50 per hour but only get 4.50 funding it’s reasonable to expect to pay the extra £1 per hour. This might help you work out what’s fair and who is charging over the odds.

It is most likely as the minimum wage is going up 6% in April.

My DS isn't receiving any funding.

We are moving in spring and we were going to keep him in the same nursery as it's on my work site but we'll hand in notice in the summer and move him to a nursery that is much closer to the new house, they allow funding to be stretched all year round so we'll have a much cheaper bill for the two days he attends.