Funded place charging for meals?

[UriGeller]

3yo Ds attends nursery 3 mornings a week, its his 15 funded hours. Its not a private nursery but a local Surestart one.

I've just received an invoice for £21 for September (not even sure he'll be going back in September but that's another issue!) for his 'meals'.

This is the first dc I've sent to nursery so I don't know what goes on. Hes been attending since easter and we haven't been charged any fees at all so far, as I thought all that would be included with the funded hours. Is it usual to charge for meals eaten while he's at nursery, or are meals included as part of what he is funded for as I think they are at primary schools?

If he was at a Primary School pre school he would be there before or after lunch only so food wouldnt be included.

Meals in the situation you dedcribe should be chargeable imo.

The funded hours cover the care. Not the food.

I dont think meals are funded, but they should have made that clear at the start so you could have provided a packed lunch. Mine did get a snack at nursery and we paid a £2 week contribution towards it but they did not stay for lunch (mine were only in 9-11.30am at the time)

Not sure about the meals, can I ask why your not sure he's going back?
My lg is due to start a sure start nursery in a few weeks :-/

Hi thanks for the responses. I've emailed the nursery and they replied saying this is a new thing. I don't mind paying for the lunches, they are varied and of good standard, and I know sending him with a packed lunch if all the other kids are eating the lunch wouldn't exactly help him integrate!

Tea, I'm sure your dc will love it. Ds has just never settled in and every time he goes he's weepy and nervous. . The nursery itself is great, brilliantly equipped, a bit boisterous (naturally!)..but

He's a quiet little chap. I have had a chat with the staff about drawing him out, rather than leaving him to himself (one case in particular was when we'd returned from holiday and he was full of excitement and news to tell his key worker but no one asked him about his "adventures"). The staff seem a bit vague when I ask what he's been up to that day, that sort of thing.

I'm thinking he's a bit young yet.