New free childcare hours

[MarchBabyBoy]

Hi, FTM here and I want to make sure I understand the new free childcare hours being offered over the next two years or if I’m being thick or missing something….

My baby born was born in March. I can’t afford not to go back to work and had planned to return in January, maybe March if we can afford for me to stay off for 12 months. My baby is going to go into nursery 2/3 days a week but looking at what the government are rolling out over the next few years I’m wondering if it’s better for me to have my second child sooner, allowing me to be at home for longer.

This is the way I understand it…
In September 24 (he will be 1.5 years) my son will get 15 free hours.
In September 25 (he will be 2.5 years) he will get 30 free hours.

If I was to get pregnant with my second child while still on maternity leave and if they were due around September 24 (I know it’s not that easy to choose when you get pregnant) but then in September 25 they would BOTH be entitled to 30 free hours at 1 years old and 2.5 years.

Is that correct? Is anyone else thinking of doing this?

Also, does anyone have experience of having two children so close together? Would you recommend?

You shouldn't base your life choices on if you'll get something from the government.

Are you sure you can afford two children if it's a struggle just to take the full 12 months off with one? What will you do if we have a change of government and they change the childcare plans?

Given this government are in their dying days, who knows what will happen?

It's just promises at the moment so I wouldn't base any planning around it.

Remember it's not 'free' hours - it's partly funded. If a nursery normally charges £8 an hour and the government pays them £4, they won't be giving you the hours for free. And it's only 38 weeks a year too.

The other consideration is there just currently isn't the capacity in the childcare sector to offer all the places the government is promising.

It’s not a given, it could never happen. However the tories will be relying on people thinking it’s already a done deal to secure votes.

The whole thing is totally problematic and the vast majority of nurseries will not have a hope of having the means to deliver it.

Remember that 'free' hours are often not totally 'free' due to the wraparaound costs nurseries charge to prop up the government funding. Our nursery doesn't charge much at all, £4 a day or so on a 'free' day for food, but other nurseries charge substantially more.

I get the 30 free hours for my 3 year old currently. I was lucky enough to get a full time nursery place for him - demand for nursery places massively outstrips supply - but we are still paying over £1k a month after the "free" hours discount.

A nursery local to us charges £15 a day for ‘consumables’ to claw back some of the shortfall in government funding. That’s still £75 a week for the ‘free’ hours.

Thank you for all your comments!

The government can offer all the things they like, but if they can't find 10s of 1000s of people women prepared to work a blooming hard job for minimum wage, then it's irrelevant.

Read also the 'free breakfast club for every school age child' - lovely idea, good luck recruiting for a minimum wage one hour a day 7.30am to 8.30am job, I'm sure people will be lining up for that.

I don't think the tories will get in again, and Labour have said they absolutely aren't doing the funding for 1 and 2 year old.
I would base your choices on what you can afford, not pie crust promises.

This isn’t going to happen, and if it does it will be impossible to get a place and the quality of care will be poor. As others say, don’t bank on it and if it comes to pass enjoy it then.

Details haven't been released...assuming the plans do go ahead ....but bare in mind the sector is already on its knees and charging top ups for free hours to survive with only 40% of their available clients eligible for funding (3 year olds) they are using 2 year olds to make ends meet once this is cut more will go under unless rates are drastically changed....or babies are cared for in larger groups with only 1 adult..
Not popular with the sector.

Have to agree with everything that has already been said.
The Early Years / Childcare sector is - at best - on it's knees, but in many places, completely broken.

Seriously, don't do your family planning on this non-researched election promise made by a Government packed with liars.

its not free but partially funded. Your nursery may not offer places to all age groups as the partial funding makes a nursery financially unviable. They may also require top up payments.

I wouldn’t rely on this - I never trust anything the government says until it actually happens. Do what is best given current childcare allowances and costs. Everyone I know has waited for child 1 to get the free hours before having another

It’s not free.
The Tories will probably be out by then anyway.

Don’t forget having a September born child means you will pay for an entire year extra childcare than you would do if they were summer born as they will not start school until they are nearly 5. I’ve not done the maths but you might save more money aiming for a summer born child.

My granddaughter is two in October so will be eligible for 15 hours from September because she is over 9 months so should get it in September but when does her mum apply for this?

@Retiredgrandmother I believe you can apply from the term after she turns 2... so that'll be January.

Thanks but as she is already over 9 months shouldn’t she get it in September this year?

Funding for 9 - 23 month olds does not start until September 2024. Applications for that are not currently accepted. I expect they may start to process those applications from June/July, but it may get delayed.
You could try subscribing to the ChildcareChoices newsletter about it, so when applications open, you should get told. https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/upcoming-changes-to-childcare-support/

The government might say they are rolling out the additional funding but does anyone think that many nurseries are actually going to offer it without significant top ups?

@Parker231 Looking at what funding rates are around the country, I think it may end up that for 9-23 month olds, the funding works. Maybe it breaks even for 2 year olds. However for 3+ it may be unsustainable. Some areas will be better than others. I expect some providers will refuse to accept any funded children, whilst others may limit the number of funded places on offer.
I can't see it being funded childcare for everyone who wants it.

I think your right but don't forget the published rates are not what each provider actually gets. The LA takes their 5% admin fee then there are weightings like SEN and grant maintained settings that get more and the EYFS teachers pensions plus a contingency fund .

So many Nurseries have already closed in my LA in the last couple of years.

Increasing the number of children who are given a place that doesn't cover costs is really not going to help the situation.