nursery changing our child's days

[Elfen]

My 2 year old has just started nursery 2 short days a week with the 2 year old scheme, which gives him free hours until January 2016.

I had assumed that once we had found a nursery place our child would remain there, as long as he was happy, until he started school, with the same days unless we asked to change them due to work or other commitments and if other days were available.

But yesterday I received an email saying that all the children in the 2 year old room move up to the 3-4 year old room in September, am I thinking of continuing at the nursery from September, and if so we would have to switch to two different days.

I am upset as it would be very difficult for us to switch days. Not completely impossible, but it would cause a great deal of ongoing, long-term stress and upheaval. On the other hand, it has been nearly 2 months of emotional aargh settling our child and I worry it would be too much distressing upheaval for him to change nursery. Added to that is the worry that it might be hard to find a nursery with a 2 year old scheme place available mid year especially with the days we require - there are long waiting lists for nurseries here anyway.

What upsets me is that no mention of this was made when we applied for the nursery or at any point in the admissions process and it is not mentioned in the handbook or contract. It did not occur to me to ask as I assumed a nursery place lasts until a child goes to school. What also upsets me is that I was not asked if I was able to switch days, just told that if we wish to remain at the nursery we will have to.

I have called the manager about it and she said that if another parent changes their days or a child leaves we might be able to have our days back. She has allocated all the spaces in the 2 year old room from September, so our space there is no longer free (I had assumed my child would stay in the 2 year old room until after he is 3 anyway - his 2 year old scheme funding lasts until January and I expected him to have the 15 hours from the 3 year old place next year and another paid by us if we need it and if available).

Is this normal practice - surely I should have been asked if we were able to change days, then our needs taken into account when allocating places?

That is how I feel. I am hoping it will be resolved ok without the need for formal complaints, though I do think they should agree that it is wrong to discriminate on the grounds of whether they happen to know someone is in paid work or not, which is, after all, a political discrimination.

I'm going to leave it as it is unless I find a way to speak to someone on the management committee about ensuring policy is altered somehow for future parents. I don't know other parents enough to find out how to contact anyone on the management. I'm not sure how to check their articles, either - do you know if such things are available online?

The charity commission should have the articles registered. They have a website.

Another thing that is worth considering, is that discriminating against people who are not in work is probably indirect sex discrimination because more non-working parents are women. But I wouldn't be going down that road unless I wanted a proper scrap and I don't think it's necessary at the moment.

Insancerre is talking a lot of sense.
I understand you feel aggrieved, but you are actually talking about a change in 6 months time. Either side of the contract could easily give notice several times between now and then. I actually think the fact they are working out what they can do for everyone this far in advance is very commendable. It's pretty normal for dc to move rooms in September anyway, generally speaking, it is easier for people who aren't at work to be able to swap days than those who are using the Nursery to cover their time at work.
The fact it was set up as a charity doesn't mean the Nursery still doesn't have to balance it's books. It would be a lot better off if it didn't take any funded children as the amount they get is so low compared with the actual cost of a place ~ that's before you start to factor in the fact that many of the 2yr funded children actually need a higher ratio than the usual ratio for 2 yr olds.
They aren't 'discriminating' on the grounds of whether someone is in work or not at all - they are making sure they have enough money for the Nursery to run next year by keeping enough paying families attending. Without them, nobody would be able to attend as it's not financially viable.

It's my understanding that discriminating against funded children is not allowed under the terms of the scheme.

I offer the funded hours as a childminder and it's made clear that I can't treat funded clients any differently - certainly not detrimentally.

The funding is an issue for us all - it is outrageous that we are expected to subsidise the shortfall - but that issue should not be passed on to families who are already vulnerable.

I think you would be within your rights to query this with the LA. If the nursery can't operate the scheme without discrimination, they shouldn't be offering the free hours.

If more settings did this and parents complained, we wouldn't get the Minister for Early Years telling us that the funding is adequate and we have to make it work. You do all know that he claims there isn't a problem??

I think that even if that is the case, re needing to discriminate against people with funded places in order to keep the nursery going, they clearly need to do something more sensible about it, like charging the parents who earn fortunes a bit more (currently those earning over £60,000 pay £15 a week more than those on low incomes, but they are thinking of asking the parents earning over £100,000 a week a bit more, so that's a start...).

It does seem ludicrous that the government is expecting the childcare providers to make up the difference. It must be particularly hard for childminders - probably why I couldn't find one locally offering the two year old scheme places.

I don't think they would have a problem finding paying families to attend the nursery on various days, by the way, as it is the most popular nursery with long waiting lists.

Childminders/nurseries are stuck between a rock and a hard place offering free places when it's a very faulty scheme. I don't accept funded places for two reasons; the paperwork and the lower rate per hour.
Whilst this nursery should ask as oppose to tell, this is not happening until September, they are giving you plenty of notice. Unfortunately they need to make money even if they are a charity. I live and work in an area of London where funded places would greatly aid my local parents but I just cannot justify lowering my fees.
It's just another half arsed idea that doesn't really benefit many of us. It's not that the nursery are deliberately discriminating against you, try not take it personally. Can you not see their reasoning?

Well, of course I agree that it is very bad that the government expects childcare providers to top up the places, but the nursery ought to make it VERY clear to people on their website and in their handbook if they are going to change days each year, rather than not tell people until they have already started at the nursery, when they can't find an alternative because nurseries have years-long waiting lists and it would cause great distress to the child and parents.

If they agree to taking funded places then they should not discriminate. The logical option is to take fewer or no funded places.

Be careful what you wish for.