Nursery over christmas

[Pjrunner]

Is Nursery correct in using a funded day for Christmas Eve and charging a full day consumables when they are choosing to close at 12pm?
I suggested that they could use the funded day for Christmas Day and I would pay a half day for Christmas Eve. But of course they said absolutely not. They will use the fully funded day for the 5 hours on Christmas Eve plus consumables AND Charge me full for Christmas Day (and Boxing Day of course).
They said the funded day HAD to be used on a Tuesday. It’s not a huge difference in cost in the grand scheme of things but just seems wrong to me. I get myself really wound up by stuff like this. Maybe I should just put up and shut up?

Our nursery is doing the opposite, can't use funding for 23rd to January 2nd but all children automatically booked as off, so no charge. Has meant a bit of juggling for alternative childcare though, will now be wfh from my GPs house for 2 days while DD is spoilt and fed endless home made cake no doubt

Are they open Christmas Day?

Assuming not, then that is obviously why they can't allocate funding to it.

Do they usually allocate funded days to bank holidays?

I don't think it's worth quibbling over. Nursery staff do a hard job and are all under funded. They will all be working more than their official hours throughout the year to the benefit of your child.
Also, it's Christmas eve. You should pick up your child early anyway.

If it’s anything like our council, we are not able to allocate funding to bank holidays so that could be why (I’m a preschool manager).

I just left them to it. Frankly they have to fiddle the system to survive and provide childcare. Everyone just accepts it and we all play along to try and keep the sector viable.

Are they open on Christmas day? You can't use funding on a day they're closed.

I have to work! And I’m a single mum. I changed my job recently as I used to work in hospitality so had to also work Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

No they’re not open Christmas Day but doesn’t stop them charging me full whack. My argument is if they’re going to charge for a full day on Christmas Day why not use the fully funded day on that day instead of the half day on Christmas Eve?

This is interesting. They’ve not told me that when I’ve queried it. Interestingly they’ve said they’re not going to be charging for 27-31st when they’re closed. As the 31st falls on a Tuesday and they have stated that my funded day is a Tuesday I have asked what happens to that funded day? I would expect them to allocate it to another day (2nd Jan if not 1st as it’s a bank holiday). I’m all for supporting childcare settings but not if I feel like I’m being ripped off!

Make a plan for how they will be paid over Christmas and Bank Holidays. My company doesn’t work those days unless we have a big project and then it’s funded over the year on aggregate and the cost is usually paid for by the client unless there are special circumstances. Do you get charged daily or monthly? We get charged monthly and it’s the same every month regardless of public holidays so it’s easier to spread the cost. Can you ask if they will switch to this? Our nursery shuts down this Thursday and doesn’t open until 02 Jan. They don’t have school holidays though so maybe it’s different. I’ve just had to take annual leave to cover it.

They can't use funding to cover a day they're closed.

Your agreement to pay bank holidays is separate to the funding.

Remember you only get a certain number of hours a year. If they have stretched your funding how many weeks is it over?
As a childminder I offer 48 weeks stretched as I'm closed the other weeks.

It’s stretched over 51 weeks. They close for a week in August for “maintenance” so they don’t charge for that week. So that would mean I should still have a funded day and a reduced day next week (31st, 1st,2nd). They’re closed 31st. Can’t be used 1st. So surely they need to allocate the funded day to another day otherwise I’m losing out on the hours?

They never told me that when I queried it. They’re also closed on the 31st and have said they’re not charging for that day. So I’m wondering where my funded hours will go next week if they can’t be used on 1st either. I don’t think it’s fair that I just lose the 15 hours AND pay

I think all nurseries do this slightly differently so there probably isn't any advice that can be given except to appealing directly to the manager for clarification.

We are closed from 24th Dec and re open on 2nd Jan. Parents aren't charged for this week and funding is a little different those two weeks as there is only one day open (23rd) and two open the following week (2nd and 3rd). We don't charge parents for the week we are closed though as this is a holiday built into our yearly charges and it varies each year as to which days we will be open. We are always closed from xmas eve onwards.