Fascist alert.

[bauble99]

We will be opting out of Blair's 'nursery education for all pre-schoolers - free at the point of delivery' thing.

We've been offered ?7.20 an hour by our local council to provide 2 and a half hours of care/education a day. We are no longer able to ask parents to 'top-up' the difference.

?7.20 and hour will not cover our (outer London) staff salaries to look after the child for 2 and a half hours, let alone the rent, business rates, food etc.

The council have now written to us to ask if we would be prepared to offer a free place (they haven't specified if this place would be full or part-time) to a 'family in need.'

We have written back asking them to define a 'family in need.'

We have a single-mother client who works her butt off as a housekeeper in an elderly care home to support her daughters, 16 and 3 years old, and her grandchild (son of the sixteen year old daughter.) We would offer her the free place without a moments hesitation.

We would also offer the free place to a family with a child with SN, so that they could have some respite care.

We would NOT offer the place to a family who are not intending to work. We had a visit/'show-round' with a mother recently who looked around, loved our nursery, wanted to sign up and then asked - "Who pays for this?"

So. I'm outed as a Fascist. But shouldn't we be helping those prepared to help themselves?

No it's not, edam. If we opt in the council will choose who gets the place.

We would opt in if they'd butt out, IYSWIM, irrespective of whoever they decide to allocate the place to. It's just that, as I've already said, If we accept any form of government grant we have to deal with LEA f**ts (though a couple of them have been OK) sticking their beaks in and P'ing off our staff. We've flown through our OFSTED inspections and they are the only people who carry any weight.

This has nothing at all to do with your OP, but your unqualified staff are on more money per hour than I am, as a NVQ3 and Diploma in Early Years Practice L3 qualified baby unit leader, currently leading the 23 place baby unit at my nursery whilst studying towards the Foundation Degree in Early Years Childcare and Education.

Back to the OP- Makes sense now Bubble £7.20 per session. Ah

It all sounds very complicated to me and I also take my hat off to you. I can see why you are cross if your business will be part funding a place and you feel the recipient is not genuine, but on the other hand agree that your nursery can't take on the role of judge.

If you want to opt out of giving free places to council nominees, but still want to help in some way, can you or your staff do something voluntary to support an early years' centre or council run nursery - give time, money, etc etc?

I feel your anger. AS my nursery is out of london, we actually only lose 30p per session with the government funding so for us it is not too bad.

To your other point though, you do not have to opt into the council's free place to help families in need. We have always offered two scholarship places to local families at the nursery free of charge. Our criteria is simple (and written down so there is no question of playing favourites). The child has to be over the age of 2 (not in our baby room in other words) and young enough not to qualify for any other funding (education grants). This basically means that they will fall between the ages of 2 and 3. Their family must receive government benefits of some kind, and they must live in the local community.

We do not advertise the places or we would be innundated with applications and would have to make a judgement call. Instead, the local HV know about it. When we have a place free, we let them know and they find us a family in need that fits the criteria.

You could do this without needing to get involved with the council at all as it has nothing to do with the grant money - you would fund it yourself.

HTH