Paying nursery consumable fee for 3yr old

[xstthx]

Hi all, first time poster so please excuse me if I’m not using the correct lingo.

I wanted to gauge everyone’s thoughts on paying the 3yr old consumables fees for nursery.

Our DD just turned 3 & even though we’re now entitled to the 30hrs funding (split across the year) I’m paying the nursery £90 a week consumable fee. The nursery sent out a letter listing what this fee included (it seems like everything except for staff wages & utility bills), asking us to please pay it. There is an opt in / opt out option to pay.

I also have my 1yr old DD in nursery. The current cost per month for both is £930. Paying the £360 doesn’t necessarily put us under financial pressure each month, but of course paying £360 less each month would be hugely helpful on our monthly budget, especially with the cost of living being so high.

I know nursery settings are under pressure financially as they’re under funded by the government, so I feel awful asking to opt out of the fee. So I was thinking I offer to pay 50%, & that gives me an extra £180 a month to put towards our emergency fund, the food shop, buying new winter/seasonal clothes for the littles etc. I always try to support the nursery where I can: making donations for their special events, providing wishlist gifts for their summer/Christmas hampers, gifts for raffles & buying raffle tickets, using the EasyFundraising app, donating books/toys etc.

I completely understand everyone’s financial situations are unique. I just wondered what everyone else is doing with these fees - if you’re happy to share; paying full, paying a partial amount, or opting out completely.

Thanks so much!!

The rate of funding for 3/4 year olds is dire. I’m a childminder and it’s £1.70 an hour less than my hourly rate. I am also the cheapest childminder in my area. I lose £51 per week for each child on the funding using 30 hours. That’s, at least, a £240 loss per child per month for a 28 day month. Now times that by the number of children claiming the funding. It is a huge amount and nurseries, preschools and childminders are struggling phenomenally. That’s why so many settings, some of whom have been open 30+ years, are closing permanently. We are all at crisis point. I’m likely going to close over the next 6 months and funding is a huge part of my decision. The extra work entailed, jumping through the hoops and then not even getting my hourly rate is just becoming all a little too much. Having to fight for what I’m worth instead of having to pay towards the funding of the children I am caring for.

Settings are relying on parents to pay consumables or make financial donations to cover the loss. A business unfortunately cannot run on fresh air. If you can pay it then do so otherwise you may have to face the shock of your nursery closing permanently.

What's included in the £90 a week?
Snacks, drinks, lunch?
Nappies, wipes, tissues,
Paper, crayons, trips?
Weekly reporting?
Apron, dressing up clothes?

Government funding doesn't cover nursery costs so yes, I paid the extra. I'm a single mum with no backup, and I needed the childcare to exist. My whole domestic economy depended on me being able to work.

Our nursery went out of business trying to survive on govt funding.

And then there was none !

How could you opt out completely? “Sorry little xst, mummy hasn’t opted in to you having a snack/ painting/playing with the new duplo/ using the felt tip pens. The drinks table for the not paying children is over there, hope you like water. But don’t drink too much because we won’t be able to change your nappy if you have an extra wee.”

Do you imagine the nursery will just continue as they are, providing the same service and extras if nobody pays the consumables charge? How long could they sustain that?

I thought the opt out option was for parents to fund their own consumables (like lunch, nappies, wipes, etc.)? Seems odd that they really are offering a total opt-out option. Maybe worth querying with the nursery.

@xstthx this sounds like a right nightmare.
whilst I appreciate what @Meadowfinch and @Lillupsy are saying ( I think we all agree the government funding is dire for all public services ) what I don’t understand is why your nursery just doesn’t rise the cost for everyone with 3-4 year olds - If it can’t afford to stay open “on air” as a pp has suggested then increase the fees for everyone. I think an opt in / opt out approach makes things messy and whilst we all want our nurseries to stay open, we all want more disposable cash. The onus shouldn’t be down to the individual to think “if I don’t pay this optional fee then my child’s nursery will potentially close” - that’s really unfair. It’s either optional or it’s not. If they’ve decided it’s optional then taking it at face value they should have costed in the fact that everyone parent affected may opt out. That’s the only way in my mind to run an effective business if you don’t want to close down. So I would suggest your halfway point is fair.

. I do not work in this field so happy to hear more from pp or others who do and happy to stand corrected. Currently have a one year old in nursery so appreciate I am not as affected.

Another option that might be helpful is I know some nurseries have an almost PTA group where the parents all meet and discuss issues - perhaps funding / optional payments could be discussed there if your nursery has something similar ?

If you opt to not pay the consumables fee it means you will have to supply everything it covers for your child. Work out how much that would be & how much hassle it is to provide it. The nursery won't supply stuff if you dont pay. As others have said the funding rate is dire & means a loss of income for childcare providers, it's the main reason so many setting have closed & will continue to do.

Settings have strict rules that they cannot ask for ‘top ups’ and they cannot make consumables compulsory. These are the rules decided by the government who have knowingly underfunded settings from the start. Settings cannot force parents to pay which is why they are in such dire circumstances. Also, the majority of children will be on 30 funded hours which takes up a lot week. Many do just the 30 hours whereas some may do a few more and parents are charged for the extra. Raising prices doesn’t work due to this.

The government underfunds settings and also tells settings that their consumables fee must be voluntary. Can you imagine any other industry being put under these constraints?! They have increased the demand for places so much by offering funded places for children from 9 months but fail to see that settings are closing in their thousands as they simply cannot afford to run. Staff wages are awful- often leaders could get more working in Aldi- and they wonder why staff are so disillusioned and feel unsupported.
Some settings charge ridiculous amounts for things whilst other small settings run for the community can barely make ends meet. Not to mention the way staff get treated by some parents. It’s no wonder not many young people are coming into the industry. The whole system is broken.

What do the charges cover? Presumably if you opt out of paying it you will have to provide those things yourself?

We wouldn't allow someone to pay half - it's opt in or opt out. If you opt out, that's fine, but you would have to bring all drinks, snacks, meals, nappies, wipes, nappy sacks and pay extra for events, parties, outings etc...We are full day care so that's 3 meals a day and 2 snacks

Paying half would not be an option at my work.
opting out would also mean a different start and finish time, you would have to provide absolutely everything including calpol, suncream,piriton,sudocreme ect
snack you provide would have to be the same as what is on our menu and the child would have to be collected for lunch .

If you opt out you may have to provide all nappies, wipes, nappy sacks, creams, medication, participation in activities that go over and above basic provision. Any outside education (we have a sports company come in each week) - your child may have to pay a fee to participate or they won’t be able to. Your child may not be able to take part in Christmas parties or other events or you may have to pay a ticket price.

£90 does sound steep but depends on the funding rate for your area and the provision provided.

Obviously you can opt out but you’ll have to then supply everything yourself as opting out doesn’t mean the settings supply the consumables for free.

How reasonable it is will depend of what consumables are been covered and if you will be able to provide an alternative for less.

If it's covering 3 meals a day plus snacks - that would cost around £50/week in stuff to pack. A weeks worth on nappies & wipes could easily be £20, so I don't think you'll actually save much by opting out. Your DD may also end up being left out of some activities if you don't pay, which could be upsetting for her.

I don't think your likely to be able to only pay half, as they can't really only feed her the half of the meal you've paid for or change her nappy half as often, so it will probably have to be all or nothing.

The lack of proper funding is why some nurseries don’t take children on funded places.

Well put!

Some nurseries (particularly the big chains) make huge profits, others really struggle and close. It’s hard to know the individual circumstances.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2024/mar/12/private-nursery-chains-profits-england

The owners of all businesses of large chain nurseries make a profit. It is the only business where it is frowned upon to make a profit. Child care business owners should be poor or struggling in most people’s minds, they should be paid very little.

It is different for other businesses and careers, making a profit is applauded.

This is what the govt have done, the ‘free’ hours are subsidised by nurseries and childminders, not them.