September 2025 - 30 free hours scheme and 3-4 year olds

[Lalala12345]

Can anyone share their experiences of how their nursery has handled covering the shortfall in government funding for the extension of the 30 hours scheme from September 2025 re. charging for consumables, increasing fees etc? Im concerned that the owner of our childs nursery is making a hash of this which makes me question the financial viability of the place if they don't find suitable arrangements that are also within the guidelines (re. voluntary charges for example). I realise this is very local authority specific but wanted to see if anyone has any advice.

thanks in advance

Why do you think they’re making a hash of it?

What exactly is the problem? Every setting will do it completely differently due to outgoings and income that they need to make. Even me and my childminder best friend are completely different in how we manage our funding (and we're on the same page about most things!) because different things work for our settings.

Our nursery (attached to a school) only allows you to use the free hours for school hours, and you pay for lunch. So if you go full time, that’s fine you can use your 30 hours, but my DD goes 3 days a week and can only use the free hours 8:50-11:50, and 12:30-15:30, so only uses 18 of them. We pay for lunch (11:50-12:30) and they go to the same after school club as the rest of the school. It’s an infant school so only up to year 2.

It’s fine, we still don’t pay that much. And there aren’t any consumables charges or anything. I get why the do it that way.

It has just been poorly explained and there were a number of errors in the calculations/new figures circulated to parents, as well as uncertainty over extra charges and which of these are voluntary, obligatory etc. Im hoping it will be clarified soon. I was would hate to see the place close as its a great nursery.