free nursery at 2?

[glub]

hi i'm a single mum with two children. my daughter (the eldest) is more than ready to go to nursery and is increasingly bored by what i can offer her at home. she has to wait til september before getting part time nursery hours (she'll be 3 1/2 then). i really feel she ought to be in nursery making friends and being stimulated. but obviously i can't afford it as i'm not working.

i have heard that some people's children do get to go to nursery from the age of 2 under 'special circumstances' but i wonder what these involve. must these circumstances be very special? my local council's website isn't very helpful.

Depends where u r basically and I dont think 'cant afford it' really covers it!
I dont know your circumstances but I'm not working either but my lil one does 12 hrs a wk in nursery as I find it helps her to socialise. There r cheaper places, like playgroups that take from 2 as oppose to private nurseries.

There is a large criteria for meeting the two year old funding the good news is that it has been continued so there is some hope but if you do not have involvement from social services, family outreach team your chance of getting the finding are slim to none

Also since your daughter will be getting the funding in september it means she is nearly three and that alone excludes her as they have tightened up the rules for 2 year old funding as you just have to be 2 or literally a few months after 2 to get it

If your eldest one is bored then there should be lots of drops in and play groups which run free (at the moment) from sure start and local organisations so check them out there is usally lots of information at your local children center

Until September just take your child to the local park, minigym, toddler/music group. This should more than meet her needs until you have to send her to any kind of formal setting.

As you have a younger child you prob feel you can't devote much time to your older one, but believe me you will be fulfilling all her needs just by having her around you and day to day activities.

2/3 year olds don't really interact with each other anyway (just a lot of fighting usually) and it's not until they're 3/4 that they engage with one another and be 'friends'.

I would say keep her at home until she starts nursery.

thanks for your replies only just discovered there were any. although flojo i'm not sure how i can afford nursery when it costs about £45 for a morning. and this is the one attached to the sure start centre! and since when do playgroups actually look after children, as opposed to just providing a room with some toys?

scarf - the point is that her needs are not currently being met. she has things like classes, the park (half hour bus ride away) and children's centre when i can take the brain crunching boredom but it is not enough. she doesn't need any more training in shopping or cleaning. half days at home will always happen most days of the week it's the reality for me of having the two of them. that's a half day of boredom, jealousy and too much cbeebies.

sammich - wow are you sure three year olds are excluded unless social services are involved? that's a bit depressing.

are you sure that she cannot get funding after easter. If she will be 3.5 in september then her birthday must be this term and I understood that the funding came in for the term after their third birthday. THis is definately the case here (in kent)

i have checked. were she born in march she'd be starting in something like april or may. but since she's born one month later she has to wait til september. it sucks.

hi :) yes sorry the new rules for 2 year old funding are very clear it is for families who have other agencies involved (family outreach, social services, health visitor major concerns, a lot of salt concerns) the 2 year old scheme is for children who are at risk and not for everyone sorry

Also some settings do not take 2 year old funded children (they do not have to its a settings choice) so it can sometimes be hard to find a setting to go to if you do receive the funding.