Nursery keeping full term of funding even though we left mid-February- what can I do?

[AngeloMysterioso]

We as a family have been loyal to this nursery before it was even a nursery (started as a childminder who opened a nursery). We stayed through all the growing pains, the revolving door of staff, the last-minute closures, everything. 4 and a half years in total.

At the beginning of January I gave notice that our two DC would be leaving at Feb half term as we were moving house. Before this I checked over the updated policy pack that was sent before Christmas, so I knew I was giving enough notice- in the pack it says a refund of fees is not given if the contract is ended without notice, but otherwise no mention of refunds of fees or government funding.

The DC had a settling session at their new nursery last week. Whilst there the manager mentioned to me that she had submitted the funding codes for them but was told the old nursery had already received the full allocation for the term, and asked if I could contact them and ask them to transfer on what's left for the second half of this term.

Except they won't. They're saying it's their policy that they don't release any funding once they've claimed for it. I've gone back over the policy pack sent in December and can find no mention of this anywhere. This is in spite of me giving the required amount of notice and them knowing we were leaving halfway through the term.

If we can't get the funding released then DH and I have to pay full whack (minus the TFC 20%) between now and the start of the summer term, which we simply can't afford to do.

Do I have any recourse here?

I think it’s more frustrating that it’s at nursery’s discretion and they’re choosing not to - it’s what makes it feel personal.

Exactly- the "it's not personal, it's business" line always just seems to be the justification for screwing someone over, but I bet she'd take it bloody personally if she had to magic up the money from somewhere. They have a waiting list for the setting so our DCs places were filled straight away, and she even fully funds a few children herself so it's not a case of passing on the funding would throw the nursery into hardship- but that's what it is going to do to us. And she knows it. And she doesn't care.

Sounds pretty standard. This is the policy in my LA. I assumed it would be the same everywhere.

When I contact the LA they made it clear that the nursery CAN pass on the funding- they just don't have to. But it is allowed.

So if you’ve got the funded place tell her she can’t give the place to anyone else until end of term and then maybe you can use odd days to keep the costs down??

I'm petty so I would tell her you've decided not to move the kids until the end of term so she can't give the places to anyone else.

She already has, the nursery has a waiting list

Call her bluff then

Can you keep DC at the nursery until the end of the term? A 45 minute drive isn't ideal, but doable to save £1000 potentially? Nurseries are on their backsides in terms of funding so whilst I understand how unfair it is for you, it is actually the government/council rules on this that are the most unfair, stating that nurseries can keep the funding. That is such a bizarre way to work things!
Is there any family to potentially help out for a couple of weeks so it is slightly less to pay out on new childcare before funding kicks back in? If you work nights maybe some half days in nursery, I know that wouldn't be ideal but short-term to save paying., my SIL works nights and often has her granddaughter for 12 hours straight from a shift, I don't know how she does it but she says as it's occasional she manages (just!!)

I would do this too. It’s worth a try?

OP has given notice, her contract has ended. She doesn’t have a right to the spaces anymore.

Totally reasonable to ask as the nursery have kept the funding. It may encourage them to hand over the funding, it also may not but why not try?

I'm half tempted to, but the whole point of putting the DC in childcare in the first place is to allow me to get some rest, which is kind of negated if I spend three hours a day going back and forth to the old nursery.

OK, if you think it is a lever. But the tone of the previous exchanges was about 'calling nursery's bluff'. The fact is, there's no bluff to be called - notice was given and the contract has finished.

OP doesn't like how the ending of the contract was handled - that's a separate matter to whether the contract is still active.

Additionally, since the DCs have had a settling in session at their new nursery, OP is now presumably under contract to pay that nursery.

Put a very strongly worded review on the nursery on google maps, and also on that website that reviews and scores nurseries (can't remember the name). I think they may approach you to offer a transfer of the funds if you take the reviews down...

@AngeloMysterioso if you had been told this was the nursery policy, would you have done anything differently?

That's quite unfair, they haven't done anything wrong. When you sign your funding declaration at the beginning of each term, you're authorising the funding to be claimed for your child for that term. The LA has confirmed this with the OP.

As long as the review is honest I don’t think it’s particularly unfair. The nursery have made a choice here that has affected someone’s experience and opinion of the nursery, those reviews are designed for this purpose. I don’t think it would make them change their mind at all but if OP wants to leave an honest review then she’s well within her rights. Hopefully she would add in they’re great with kids etc too but the business has made a choice and they have to take the reviews on the chin.

I would do this. You will get some rest, not ideal but to save the money and just doing it for a few weeks.. definitely worth it. See if you can backtrack and keep them there.. you may find some other options through family helping out for some of the days, but if you are paying for it anyway, you should be entitled to keep the spaces, whether they are physically there that week or not.. that is the way I would look at it anyway!!

She isn’t paying for it!

Her child has a number of hours which have been pre paid by the government.

This means that OP does not get funded hours for the remaining few weeks of this term at the nursery in her new area..

I would guess, though happy to be corrected if wrong, that OP was also using hours at the old nursery not covered by the government funding. If this is the case, then neither she nor the government is paying for them now.

The nursery isn’t doing anything wrong. It seems a bit odd to me to expect them to give away money they have already had to claim from the government.

You weren’t loyal to this nursery just because you wanted to be kind and do them a favour, no one sacrifices their child like that so it obviously worked for you. I’m not sure why you think that should make any difference.

Even when businesses do show they appreciate loyalty, they don’t do it with people who have no chance of giving them any future custom.

Completely agree with @SometimesCalmPerson - it’s a bit disingenuous to make out that you were super loyal to the nursery and this is how they repay you, etc. I doubt you were unusual in sticking with the same provider for several years if they suited you. Most parents do,

In my area, the Parent Agreement Form that you have to sign to access the funding clearly states that if you move your child mid term the funding stays with the original provider and you are liable for any charges at the new provider.

The nursery has done nothing wrong here. They are allowed to keep the funding for the term. This is the way funding works. The only thing they might have done wrong is not being completely upfront with you about how funding works. But as mentioned, the PAF the local authority requires does specifically state (in my area at least) that funding cannot be transferred to another provider.

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone can help me. I have 31months old baby. He was on 30 hours free funding. I have missed reconfirm on child care account and funding has been stopped. I have t received any email or messages as a reminder. Ive been sick for 6 months and I was not able to do anything. That's the reason I forgot to reconfirm my details to HMRC. I have received an email from nursery today that my funding has been stopped. They will charge me for January attendance. I just returned to work this month and I can't afford to pay for January. I have re-applied for the funding and the it will start from Next term now. Is there any way that we can do anything. I

You will get more responses if you start your own thread, as this one is an old one of someone else’s. The answer however is no, there’s nothing you can do about funding for this term. Make sure you are signed up to UC or tax free childcare if eligible