Free 15 hours - being charged £15 a week?

[OnTheRoadToSomewhere]

My son just started nursery today. He's 3 and eligible for 15 free hours. So he's doing 3 afternoons a week 1 til 6, term times only. He had a cup of milk at 2pm and a light meal at 3pm. They changed his nappy at 3.30pm.

When I picked him up I was given a sheet of paper with everything he's done today and on the back was a bill. £15 a week/£60 a month?

I genuinely can't tell if I'm being stingy but we put him in for the free hours for a reason. We can't afford £60 a month on top of our bills. This wasn't explained to me at all during his settling in sessions nor when I went to look around and sort his application.

I'm looking back through documents I've been given and on the back of the one about funding it has in handwriting 'Full day £8.50, half day £5' with no context or anything.

I thought free meant free?? Am I being naive or dumb or was I lied to or what?

[JakesMum88]

The government market it as 15 hours free but they contribute a set amount. They should be more open but I guess '15 hours free' sounds better than 'x pounds towards'.

[littlegold]

I am pretty sure you can still apply for a childcare account via the government website to save you an extra 20% off the charged fees.
It might be worth looking into this if it might help.

[freakyfairy]

Why isn't the government stating it is SUBSIDISED childcare then...surely that's the most suitable description!!

[kitcat15]

Are there any council run nurseries nearby?? My GD attend 9 to 4.30 x 2 days a week ( 15 hours) ....takes her own lunch and nappy...but is provided with snacks....no extra charges

[Apple40]

Yep total normal sadly the money the government pay does not even cover the costs of spaces. Iam a childminder I charge £4.50 per hour privately but don’t even get £3.80 per hour from the government for funded spaces. For this reason I charge £1 per funded hour patents use with me this covers all activities, consumables, trips out etc. Sadly I can’t afford to subside other peoples childcare. I am up front about the charges and if they can’t or won’t pay then they go else where. I feel £1 per hour charge is fair that way it’s £6 per day for some doing 6 hours and £10 for 10 hours rather than a flat fee of £10 per day for everyone.

[ivfbeenbusy]

@Apple40
It's such a payment lottery - my childminder was £3.50/hour and LA payment was £3.75 or something like that so she actually earnt more money. I know for a fact she didn't do any activities/days out/provide any consumables other than a drink of squash so I wouldn't have been happy paying any additional charges.
The funding should be Increased though definitely especially for nurseries who have a much higher overhead

[Lazypuppy]

The hours are funded not free. As others have said perfectly normal to be charged a little extra. Some nurseries only let you have 5 hours funded a day so you have to pay for rest etc.

My nursery charge £1per day of using funded hours to cover supplies/food etc.

The funded hours basically reduces childcare bill but doesn't normally take it down to zero. But they should have communicated it to you? Is it in the t&cs you signed?

[Tumbleweed101]

The 1-6 hours sounds strange for funded hours. Usually it's taken in the 9-3 core hours. Are you being charged something for the 3-6 slot?

Hours aren't free now, they are funded. The government doesn't pay the true cost of providing education for early years children so the providers have to put in some kind of charge. This can be for hours outside the core hours, snacks and resources, nappies etc. We do offer completely free hours but they have restrictions such as fixed hours and days betwen 9-3. Most of our parents are willing to pay a little to have flexible hours which mean hours slightly outside core hours and a chance to move their sessions about if they work shifts. Also if the funding is stretched it's 12 or so hours a week all year, not 15.

[Viviennemary]

I don't think that sounds too bad at all. Just over £1 per day for nappies and food.

[Fandabydosey]

watch this and it explains the situation nurseries are in

[OnTheRoadToSomewhere]

So quick update - I gave the nursery leader a call just now and explained my position. She said it's because the government don't give them enough so it's a top up amount. She's sorry that I wasn't told when I was shown round (because it was her that showed me round) so she's waived the fees up until Easter break.

However, when I asked about whether after Easter I could send my son in with a packed lunch and his own nappies she said no. For 'environmental, health and safety reasons' they don't allow this and she'll schedule some time to talk with me closer to the time so we can 'figure something out'.

I'm grateful she's waived until Easter but I'm not really sure this is a positive result. There aren't any other nurseries near us within walking distance. I don't drive so the taxi spent getting there and back twice each time he has a session would end up more expensive than these fees.

I really don't know what to do.

[OnTheRoadToSomewhere]

@Viviennemary

I don't think that sounds too bad at all. Just over £1 per day for nappies and food.

It's £1 an hour, not per day.

[Shmithecat2]

OP, I don't think there is much you can do, as its common in most nurseries. Are there any childminders within walking distance that are more economically viable for you?

[Viviennemary]

Sorry. My mistake. It was quite good of the nursery not to charge you till March. I think you'll just have to pay it after that. But you should have been told at the start.

[Lazypuppy]

Can you send him for less hours to reduce the cost, so 10hours inatead of 15?

[MolyHolyGuacamole]

Also OP, remember that it won't actually be £60 a month because your child is only going teen time. 15x39/12 is 48.75 a month.

[movingonup20]

It was the same even 15 years ago, nothing new. We chose a preschool 9-12 5 days a week which didn't charge but they had to be potty trained and their was a parent rota for providing snacks and squash

[KitKat1985]

Pretty normal I'm afraid. Ours charges £6 a day for snacks / lunch to top up the 'free' hours.

[user1487194234]

All you can do is pay,or take him out of the nursery,surely

[wishfull888]

Yep totally normal. Our child subscribes to the "free 30 hours" . This actually only means 21.9 hours a week split over the entire year so our bill is still £250 per month & that's WITH the 20% gov subsidiary & 10% sibling discount !

[LenaLewis]

The education is free. Not the snacks etc.

[Porridgeoat]

Mine did this. Additional £1 per hour and they liked parents to pay it but it’s not compulsory so some didn’t when funds were tight.

[EagleFlight]

That’s really good it’s been waived until Easter. The fees are normal and so is not being able to provide a packed lunch (they need to control the other children coming into contact with allergies etc and it can be very difficult explaining to a child why they have to have their packed lunch but all their friends get something else).

If you can’t afford it, you’ll need to withdraw his place but do expect the charge at other childcare places as well if you look to send him again in the future.

[SMaCM]

@freakyfairy

Why isn't the government stating it is SUBSIDISED childcare then...surely that's the most suitable description!!

That's exactly what they should be doing.

[Enidblyton1]

As other have said, look around at other nurseries. Ours was attached to a school and we had to take packed lunch and nappies. No charge at all if we only used 15 hours per week - although most parents used more hours and so ended up paying something.

I know £15 a week is a lot to find when you simply don’t have it, but make sure you wouldn’t just be swapping one cost for another. How much does 1 meal, snacks and nappies cost for a week if you were providing them yourself? If you find a totally free nursery will you be spending more in petrol to get there?