Nursery opening back up, not accepting funded children

[MamaGothel]

Is anybody else in this situation? Just wanted to see if it's just my nursery or if its standard across the board.

Our nursery is accepting all children. And no changes to the days you did either. Back as you were previously..

They’ll still be getting funding from the government so that seems very unreasonable?! At our nursery at least, from chatting to our admin, that has restarted as nurseries reopened!

Mine is accepting funding. And as DS is doing fewer hours than before so he’s within his funded hours they are not charging me anything.

Ours are accepting it. I don't think they can afford not to.

what reason have they given for not accepting funded children?
They will be being paid for it

Ours is. My son started there last week with his 15hr free and if we want to top up sessions we can

hashtagbollocks they have said that they can't do full capacity at the moment and therefore it is only fair to prioritise parents who are paying for the service. But at the same time they are saying they might need to combine rooms on days that there arent enough children in as lots of parents arent sending their children back.

Are you moving from a different setting? Some councils won't allow funding to be transferred between providers at this time.
Do they only offer a few funded places and they've already gone? Some nurseries do this because the funding rate is below their standard charges.

WisestIsShe no, I've been with them for quite a while

In that case I can't see what possible justification they have. Did they give a reason? In my county all funded hours were paid for the summer term a couple of days after we were closed. This was to maintain viability of settings over lockdown. So it is possible they've been paid for his hours already. That would be completely outrageous.

Don't know why I assumed you have a ds

Scotland here. Maximum of 14 hours funded, split into two seven hour days, in only one provider.

Was 30 hours, could be split over two providers.

Oh and also says must be taken as either Monday and Tuesday or Wednesday and Thursday, that's it.

I'm no expert but I did read that nurseries were not going to receive funding plus money for furloughing staff...

www.ndna.org.uk/NDNA/News/Press_releases/2020/Shocking_guidance__nurseries_cannot_fully_access_EY_funding_and_furlough_scheme.aspx

I think that makes sense really. Why should they pay the funded hours for times the nursery was closed as well as paying for the staff to be furloughed? Businesses with premises were also eligible for a £10k one off payment.

If the physical set up of the nursery means they cannot accommodate everyone in the way they guidance stipulates then they have to prioritise. However the guidance says they should prioritise key workers and vulnerable children followed by the children starting school this September. Seems they are making up their own rules. I can understand the business rational but it's not what they have told settings to do.

In the government guidance it stated that they should give priority to age 3 and 4 year old children. As all of these will receive some funding your nursery is being very unreasonable.

I would speak to them about the guidance.

against equal ops surely its illegal = I think if you have an email saying this its an OFSTED job - I would ask

The reason for this is due to government guidance making it impossible for nurseries to operate as they have previously done due restrictions in numbers of children I. E 16 in a bubble/room max. This also means staffing then has to work with certain bubbles of children and not others which can only be done if they have enough h staff. It's a nightmare to plan depending in nursery layout, staffing levels etc. So unfortunately they have to prioritise, so yes you may not get your full funded hours but due to ofsted, LA and insurances we have to follow government guidance!!

@Jumblebumblemess

In the government guidance it stated that they should give priority to age 3 and 4 year old children. As all of these will receive some funding your nursery is being very unreasonable.

I would speak to them about the guidance.

But that's only guidance and they're going to receive the early years funding regardless, whereas the money from private fee paying children is probably needed to help them manage the smaller number of children attending and make it viable. If only funded children attended, they're not going to break even. I imagine it's this or go under.

I had assumed the nurseries still got the funding paid through them lockdown?

Ours has offered same days and waived the usual hourly top up fee on the 30 hours as they are not providing food. Yours are being very unreasonable!

My GC is funded. My DD is a key worker, but she's only been offered set two days, one which falls on Dad's contact day, so I'll have to carry on providing childcare.

Her friend's Nursery isn't accepting funded children at all. There's been a dispute over him being classed as vulnerable because he doesn't have a SN diagnosis yet, so he's completely regressed.