30 hours funding between nurseries

[londongirl12]

My DS3 turned 3 in October, so he was entitled to his 30 free hours at the start of the January term for his nursery. His nursery opened on the first day but then decided due to high Covid rates, they would close until the schools reopened.
As a key worker, I needed to find childcare still, so the nursery said they would keep his place and I could find a temporary nursery to use whilst they were shut. I found one, and was totally open with them that it's just a temporary basis until his original nursery opened.
The original nursery have now decided to open from Monday which is great. However as we thought we would be at the new nursery for a while, they have his funded hours code. Is it possible to switch nurseries through the term and still get his funding? I'm not sure how it works.

The nurseries need to agree between them that nursery 2 will pass the funding back to nursery 1, though they're not obliged to.

I'd be asking nursery 1 to liaise with nursery 2 and see if they'll agree to transfer the funding - it's a matter for them to sort out really. Unfortunately it's census date today and if your child is on roll at nursery 2 they may refuse to transfer the funding, but it's worth a try given the exceptional circumstances atm.

I'm sorry you've been messed around. Nursery 1 haven't helped with their u turn and nursery 2 sound like they've been very accommodating so far.

Yeah nursery 2 have been great in agreeing him to go which has been good. It's all a bit of a mess 🙈

So does the funding last a term?

@londongirl12
Yes, they'll do a new claim for the summer term after Easter. Worst case scenario if they won't transfer the funding, stay put for this term and move back after Easter.

Yeah that's what I think I'll have to do. So you can't change mid way through the term?

Generally, no, you sign up for a term at a time. Occasionally nurseries will agree to transfer funding between settings mid term but it's unusual.

It depends on your LA. Where I am we can easily take on 'late claim' children. The council has 'windows' of days when we can do this each term. However I'm not sure what happens to the funding already paid to the setting they have come from.
Perhaps call your LA funding team and ask.