Please please please don't start harassing your childcare provider about this funding change today

[BernadetteIsMySister]

We know nothing. We have no idea how this will work, what the government are actually offering, how much they will pay and whether we will even be taking part in the scheme (we don't have to!).

I've seen posts already this morning saying they are going to email their nursery manager, finding out how to persuade their childminder to start accepting funding, asking when this will all start etc etc

We don't know.

This will be the nail in the coffin for many settings, please don't start harassing them for details when they will have enough to do today trying to find out how much this will affect them and their business.

Honestly I hate to agree but I think more than being absolutely skint, most parents who immediately contact their nursery wanting to know how it is going to work and what they now need to pay are just not that bright or aware of how the world works, to be able to understand that policies have a lag time to implement and that systems are more complex than just immediately paying less the second it comes out in the press 🤦🏼‍♀️

I think some people see any ‘authority figure’ such as a nursery manager as having all the answers and feel entitled to their immediate attention and detailed instructions as to how to adult. It must be exhausting to have to patiently respond to it all the time!

I agree, leave them alone to let the dust settle and give them chance to review and understand the changes.

I'm an accountant and we get deluged every Budget day, and every time there's a proposed tax change. Last Autumn with the PM and Chancellor changes, it was relentless. The thing is that the "devil is in the detail" which often doesn't become apparent till days or even weeks, sometimes months after the announcement, and there's often clarifications needed as to the detail, and sometimes changes where the original announcement contained mistakes.

People need to chill out and give the providers a chance to read the small print, engage with their trade/professional bodies for clarifications, etc.

Some things in the budget does kick in quickly. Others from next January. They need to make it very clear when they announce.

I think the trouble is that parents think there will be a rush of people looking for childcare so if they don't get in quick with their provider they may not have a space 🤷🏻‍♀️ agree that it will be months if not a year before anything is put in place.

Realistically, the proposed changes aren't going to happen quickly. Very few nurseries will have capacity to instantly increase their intake, they'll need to employ more staff, enlarge their premises, etc., and to do that, they need money upfront, whereas the Govt will almost certainly pay for the extra places in arrears.

So, the practical reality is that it will be several months before any significant changes come into reality.

The current funding portals aren't set up for it though, they are managed at LA level. Plus the current model requires parents to have a validated code, how quickly do you suppose they could decide these extra millions of applications. Not to mention the settings themselves needing to work out their policies and rules on accessing it.

I don't think it is about jumping the gun or "being too thick to understand as one friendly MN nicely put it below. Those who are interested are relatively new mothers to at least one child and are wanting help so they can get back to work maybe earlier than planned baring in mind the current economic situation. Not many parents are rushing to leave their child in daycare because they love the idea. They are looking to plan.

Other announcement that have gone out in the past the energy companies update their website even to say further information will
Follow. That's all it takes as mentioned by pp.

I think child care providers on this thread are the ones being unrealistic baring in mind the current situation to think the average person seriously think how they can go back to work will just sit and wait on the local nursery down the road to inform them as and when. How will the nurseries know the demand in their area
If parents don't put their hands up. So working families with very young children shouldn't react to an announcement like this, they are only looking to plan, we all know about waiting lists and I doubt if this will be any different. Not all
Providers will be ready to start at the same time so parents ask, consider and look elsewhere.

Maybe they are desperate. My kids are all grown up but when I look at the cost of everything I don't know how some families are managing. I do understand it must be annoying but I guess if you are desperate you aren't thinking about that.

But what do they want us to tell them? What answers do you think we have today? I'm not saying never ask, I'm saying today we have no idea the answers to any of your questions!

It was unrealistic of parents to think we will have all the details before the budget is even announced. No one is asking people to wait weeks but perhaps a few days would help. Do you really think settings are going to get all the information in a matter of hours? Of course not!

Anything this significant will require legislation, the earliest will be from April, more likely September as it runs school years. Should be announced any minute now

I'm.trying to remember the gap between the 3/4 Yr old 30 hrs announcement and implementation was. Anyone remember?

Our nursery sent out a message on the Famly app this morning basically outlining that they didn't know any more than we do as they've learned about this at the same time as us and they will update us in due course. I thought that was a sensible approach. 🤷‍♀️

It was unrealistic of parents to think we will have all the details before the budget is even announced. No one is asking people to wait weeks but perhaps a few days would help. Do you really think settings are going to get all the information in a matter of hours? Of course not!

That's just it parents are not asking you to have all the answers, that's just you scaremongering and making a mountain out of a molehill. Just a simple couple of sentences on your website- / email and answerphone, As suggested will do rather than complaining about repeating this and that to parents. But naturally parents will
Make enquires and it is unrealistic not to expect this - that doesn't make them not very bright. I would think most of them are probably very bright hence knowing how hard it is to get a place and trying to plan ahead

No settings have to offer it. I don't know why childminders wouldn't though, as long as they're ofsted registered they can, and they can charge top ups to parents to make up the shortfall. If they can't be bothered to do the initial set up (which isn't arduous) then it's probably their loss to be honest. I don't blame people for not forgoing what they're entitled to.

If I was someone who generally didn’t follow politics all that much, but did listen to headlines and especially to those that might affect me, I think I might well assume that something being announced loudly and with great fanfare across the entire UK media might actually be thought out, planned and ready to go. I mean, that’s how it should be, so why, on hearing that childcare support will be extended, would you automatically think “oh, not for a year though”. Duties on things like fuel change almost immediately don’t they?

Quite, fairly easily resolved rather than complaining about parents.

I think this will be a bad thing for nurseries. They are already struggling to lrovide the subsidised childcare.

A Few reasons why a childminder wouldn't-

The additional contributions have to be voluntary, what do I do if a parent says no?

Current funding is based on a termly model, we are out of pocket if a child leaves part way through a term.

Funding doesn't pay for a notice period so parents can you and leave with no financial obligation

If a cm is on UC then their payments are stopped the months they are paid funding (you get lump sums to cover the term)

Just a few to think about. I personally will probably accept it but it won't go without deep thought and planning.

I haven’t complained about parents though, you said childcare providers are being unrealistic and I answered that by saying some parents are being unrealistic. That’s not me complaining, purely batting that back to you as we seem to be getting demonised a little.

I don’t have the answers, I’ve contacted all parents to say as much this morning. I was getting texts at 11:30pm last night asking me for details. The OP was just asking people to be patient, that’s not a big ask is it?

And for many settings the news if it happens will mean loosing more than £2 an hour on all the 1 to 3 year olds on top of the loss they make on the the 3 to 4 year olds. Just as minimum wage goes up along with their rates, food, utilities etc. They were struggling to stay open at last months fees a bigger loss is on its way. Then paying childcare won't be the problem it will be finding any.

@BernadetteIsMySister

its not what you say, it's the way you say it

it's unrealistic of parents to think their childcare provision will have any answers today, however, parents struggling to buy food, heat the house, will be reacting, more than thinking.

A bit like the Govt really. I have no idea where they think all this additional childcare will come from ... & if funded like the current scheme it's not going to help childminders & nurseries survive.

Surely you should have suitcases of money delivered by now?! Genuinely confused about why people think it will be sorted anytime soon. It all takes time working out the detail

I’d have thought that the government would send out a nicely laid out letter to childcare providers laying out how it will all work, that lands with them today as the general announcement is made

I don’t think it makes people “thick” to think otherwise tbh

🤣