Moving from Private nursery to Pre-School (?) - HELP !

[RachD]

Ds, 19 mths is in Private Nursery three days a week.

This nursery caters for 3mths up to 5 yrs.

I know that there are pre-school nursery's that offer 2 or 3 mornings a week, for free, right ?

But, I work three days.
I can not leave work, in order to transport him from one nursery to the other one - i.e. from the private to the free, or vice-versa depending on whether the free is am or pm.

What do other mums do ?
How do you take advantage of the free place ?
Or do you have to continue paying for private, irrespective of the fact that free places are available ?

Also, how do you find the free palces ?

I went onto www"surrey.gov.childcare."

But when I search for nursery or pre-school ...
it gives me a long list of all the nurseries available - most of them private - most of them catering for babies who are only 3 mths old.
This list includes, 'Rainbow' - the private nursery where ds currently is !

But I don't want a list of all the nurseries.
I only want a list of the ones that start at aged 2.5 yrs approx and that the places are free.

Or else, I might aswell keep him where he is.

Sorry this is so rambled.

Do you understand what I am asking ?

Please help.

RachD - -the free places are given in the form of a grant to many private nurseries and playgroups -- they just have to be approved providers. You should check with your private nursery as to whether you can clim the grant through them

see these pages on the surry council website here

Hi Rach,

I think many nurseries take vouchers (you get enough for five sessions a week I think) and just charge a "top up" to cover the lunchtime period and any sessions not funded by the govt. (school hols etc)

So if you put your DS into a state run nursery then 2.5 of your three days will be paid for less lunchtime etc. My DS goes to the local nursery 2 days a week so when he's 3 I'll be able to add an extra morning for him. They'll only charge me for lunchtime periods and a top up as the govt only funds a certain number of weeks of the year - I think it's all the school year weeks.

you get a reduction in fees in private nurseries normally when your child is 2 because the ratios change. then the term after they are 3 you get the specific grant which reduces the fees further. we kept our eldest in a private nursery until she was 4.5 and started in reception as i too work 3 days a week and didn't want to have to get a childminder to pick her up from a school nursery. hth

Oh thank you - I did not realise that I could claim my 'free days' through the nursery where he already was.
I was paranoid, thinking, time is ticking on, I have to get him registered in a 'free nursery'.

I didn't understand.
So thank you.
I will leave him where he is !!!

If your nursery is Ofsted registered then it probably will participate in the LEA voucher scheme and just offset them against the full day fees when your ds reaches the qualifying age (the term after he turns 3). These vouchers are the equivalent of up to 5 defined sessions a week, but apply for the weeks of school term only. Have you asked them if and how they operate it ?

RachD - -you will need to check with your nursery as to whether they are Approved

My son is at a private nursery and the Government started paying an"Early Years" grant towards the fees when ds turned 3.

(specific grant = equivalent to money spent on "free" places in school nursery. some nurseries administer it in different ways - eg "giving" it back to you at end of term when they get it or reducing fees at source. complicated...)

Yes, I know my nursery are Ofsted registered.

How come you only get it when your child is 3, yet some of the free places nurserys accept children aged under 2.5 yrs ?

They accept them but you continue to pay until the term when they turn 3.

just in case of doubt .. it normally comes into play for the term after they turn 3

the community-type nurseries which offer care for a couple of hours a day also involve a degree of parental involvement in that care, which is how they keep the costs down of those places, but imo they're a bit of a chocolate teapot to people like me who work outside the home.