CM club - kind of exciting! :)

[leeloo1]

We've finally heard that our EYFS grant resources are being delivered in the next month (have been waiting since January!) so I'm half v v excited as some of the stuff look fab (lots of ICT stuff, lovely sand/water tray, tactile toys and soooo many percussion instruments!)

...but also really disappointed, we've only just found out what we're getting and CMs had no input into what we're getting (all chosen in great secrecy by CMing team at council) and some of it looks like unmitigated tat (Dream Town stores??? massive plastic train shaped room divider??? ) and cost many £100sss and I really wish we could have had some say in what was got as the money could have been put to better use.

So I'm feeling bad for looking a gift horse in the mouth and am determined to look on the bright side and look forward to playing with my encouraging the children to enjoy their lovely free toys!

Wow, you're lucky that you get things like that, in my area we get no help what so ever! Have fun when it all arrives!

Nowt here either. Enjoy!

Oh no, I definitely feel bad for complaining now.

I thought that all councils had been given money to help CMs implement the EYFS?? - I'm sure I read somewhere about a CM (up North somewhere) putting in a grant request and being given money to build a playroom extension! lol

don't blame you for moaning - minders are so individual that you cannot say for definate that xyz minder should have abc stuff.
I would put in a complaint in writing!

don't blame you for moaning - minders are so individual that you cannot say for definate that xyz minder should have abc stuff.
I would put in a complaint in writing!

Network minders here have had access to the Capitla Grant as well of up to £1500. We were able to choose what we wanted from particular suppliers plus we can source from other suppliers as well which the council will give us the money for. However although we have had the approved suppliers goods we have yet to receive the 'cash' from the council to get the other bits. We have been reassured that we will get it as it has been ring fenced & therefore won't disappear, but we are still waiting

nothing for Cms in our area; the grant was kept VERY quiet, and when I found out about it on here recently I enquired and my EY team just went [shrug]

It all went to pre schools nurseries and playgroups

The inspector asked me about it last week and was shocked as all CMs in a nearby area (Herefordshire) had been given loads of IT equipment

BALD it was the same in my area - noone would answer questions about it, then found out from a 'source' it had gone to pre-schools. Not fair, given we are all supposed to be singing from the same hymn sheet now . So back onto eBay I go to source resources for my setting....

rubbish that there wasn't a consistent approach across coucils. I thought I heard/read that CMs were being prioritised as expected to provide same provision as nurseries, but with less funding?! Guess not everywhere.

Here they linked it with training and you had to do 3 courses to get different sets of equipment.

Just heard back that they can't/won't exchange anything as already ordered. such a shame.