Childminder 30 hours funded help

[Bc102]

Hi
I’m looking for some help/ advice on something I’m not really to sure about

my little boy has started a childminders from next week 30 hours funded but is also doing full days so I’m paying for the extra hours he will be there ( hope that makes sense)

I have been charged a consumables amount which is a very, very high amount which I had no clue was going to be added onto my invoice

I have no clue if this is ok? Do the hours extra I’m paying not just make up the loss in earning for the childminder

just looking for advice if anyone can offer it please

Sorry i forgot to add I understand a consumables charge can be put on I just want to no if my situation is right x

The “free hours” term is a bit of a swizz, it’s actually funded hours and isn’t as much as you think it will be

the child care providers basically get paid a very small amount by the govt, so they make up for it in a number of ways. It can be consumables, but also things like applying the funded hours for a core time in the day (so you have to pay before and after), or applying the funded hours during term time only so you still have to make up the difference in holidays

the childcare providers don’t benefit from it, but as parents it definitely doesn’t feel such a good deal as you’d be led to believe!

I get paid £2.50 less than my usual hourly rate so I have to make that up somewhere. Parents pay the hours that aren’t funded but also pay a consumable contribution for the funded hours. The whole thing is a farce and what’s really annoying is we have to put in extra work to even be able to claim the funding.

ask your childminder to explain what the charges are. I speak to parents in advance and explain the situation fully.

Sadly, if parents don’t contribute to the underfunding I wouldn’t be able to carry on being a childminder.

It’s ‘partially funded’ hours. Childminders and nurseries are closing left, right and centre around here because they simply can’t make ends meet.

It's completely normal. It's "funded hours" and is no where near enough funding

@Blondierama

Thank you for your reply can I ask how much u charge for your consumables if you don’t mind answering fully understand if you don’t want to share

I’ve asked them but waiting for a reply back that’s why I just wanted to check here I’m just sad that I wasn’t made aware of it as my financial situation is a struggle already and could of looked into different options x

I ask for £2.50 an hour to cover the deficit. I’m a very small setting and, once expenses have been taken, I would barely make minimum wage. I love my job, I love spending time with the children and helping them grow but with the way things are going I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to stay open.

Just to add, I’m very open and honest with parents and explain everything fully.

My childminder charges 42£ per day (8-5.30) including activities and meals. She can have up to 4 children and will also collect a further 2 slightly older children dropping and collecting from school (Bfast and tea) for £17.50 each. So she brings in about £1000 per week although I recognise it’s long hours, she will also complete some home jobs herself such as hanging washing out, preparing tea for her own children as well as those she looks after etc. Considering she is feeding small children (so small portions) many activities she can do are free (church groups etc) and she has multiple annual passes for local zoos and attractions (which she has for her own family as the children are still free) I believe she brings in a decent wage. She has never asked me for additional money I just have to provide milk nappies and wipes. When my sons hours came in she accepted these and there was no surcharge. Nurseries maybe slightly different as they have high overheads. I love and respect my childminder and have never queried any increases over the years (5years so far but one more on the way - probably total about 12 year relationship by the time we finish!) but I do think she has a great business and earns a fair wage without asking for extras.

@Blondierama thankyou so I’m doing 52 weeks with the funded hours split over that, mine is charging me £5.50 for the extra hours that make up the full day if that makes sense (which I was aware would happen) then an added £110 a month for consumables (this is wasn’t aware of)

would u say this is correct? I just want people to know I’m not disagreeing that childminders also need to earn there money in anyway at all and that they don’t deserve the money either I’m just curious as I said I didn’t know, it’s my first time leaving my little boy his never been in childcare so I don’t know the ins and outs of how it works either x

thank you x

@Blondierama sorry just to add £5.50 per hour for the extra hours * I should of made that more clear x

The 5.50 sounds right but the 110 feels unnecessary- I don’t pay extra to my childminder and if I had I would expect her to be explicit upfront as that’s no small amount. The 30 hours works out to about 2 days per week If you do longer days year round.

@Tryingtohelp12 thankyou for ur reply’s, this is what I thought paying the extra £5.50 for the other hours I’m doing makes up the total cost of what it would be if I was just paying for it private this is what I’m trying to figure out if it’s a fair amount to be paying or if it’s a lot extra than what other people charge x

I will say though that we are in the north west and childcare is relatively cheap here (still feels bloody expensive tho!) so this may impact the norm where you are. Here nurseries are around £65 a day and childminders around £40 per day. A friend in London says nurseries average about £100 per day in her area which is 50% more than here. I assume what the gov pay the same rate to childcare providers across the country so if you live in an expensive area a consumables top up may be the norm to bridge the gap?

How many days per week are you doing? £110 doesn’t sound much per month but
depends if you’re doing 1 or 5 days.

@Tryingtohelp12 im in the west midlands the prices sound about right for here to I have friends that have there children in nursery’s and I’ve asked them and it’s relatively the same as you or £5.00ish higher x

@Overthebow just the 3 days with the 30 hours funded then paying the extra hours I’m doing to fill the day plus the consumable charge. £110 is the monthly charge x

How much will your full monthly cost be then including the extra hours and the consumables charge?

We also do 3 days a week and get the funded hours but at nursery and they also charge top up so just comparing.

@Overthebow ah that’s great would love to know the difference

so were doing 52 weeks are you?

All together this gives us a monthly charge of £224.00

this price includes x 2 sessions of jo jingles (£10)
and x4 sessions of French class (£14)

x

What's the breakdown of the consumables? Is it £34 a month for classes, and then a further £76 a month for everything else?
I think that works out £5-6 a day which sounds about right to me.
The childminder should have been upfront about the extra charges though.

That's exactly what I pay to nursery for three days a week, with funded hours but actually attend year round. So sounds fair to me. Loads less than before the funded hours anyway!

What's included in the consumables? It's doesn't sound too bad, but I agree you should have known about it up front.

@caban no the classes are an extra charge consumable charge is 110 a month plus the classes of a 24£ charge a month. I think I worked it out to be about a £9.16 a day charge for the consumables and yes I agree that’s just why I’m trying to get my bearings with it x

@BeeEyeEnGeeOh ok then thankyou that’s good to know, someone mentioned that area can affect the price do u mind saying if ur in north etc no worries if not just seeing if you was near to a price that would be near me ☺️ x