Government funding

[Tmerrick]

Hi I’ve just joined. I would like some advice on government funding and nurseries when my little boy turns 3 next Feb 2024.
I’ve reserved him a place at our local nursery attached to a school. I’m just not sure how the government funding works. We will be eligible for the 30 free hours. So does that mean if he went there for 30 hours or less a week then we wouldn’t pay anything?
Also, he goes to a childminder at the moment. Do childminders take children to and from school and have them during school holidays? Because I wouldn’t be able to take all school holidays as annual leave. Many advice would be appreciated
many thanks
terri

Highly unlikely you'll pay nothing with the 30 hours, most charge a top up fee per day. Ours is £30 per day which is not unusual I don't think. Worth checking with whichever nursery you're planning him to go to. They also don't get the hours until the beginning of the term after they turn 3, so if his birthday is feb he won't get the hours until the start of the summer term. The 30 hours is also only 38 weeks per year so if you want him there holiday time as well you will pay full cost those weeks. It's stupidly complicated but the nursery you choose can help with working it out.

No idea re childminder arrangements as not gone down that route!

The only additional cost I have had at both private preschool and school nursery was lunches. But you’ll need to check with the setting you’re applying to what their policy is.

Some childminders do school drop offs/pick ups and school holidays. Again, you’ll need to have that conversation with your childminder.

The 30 hours is term time only, so if you use school nursery full time, all childminder hours will need to be paid for.

With a school nursery you should get 30 hours term time only from the summer term 2024 and nothing to pay except lunch which is not free until reception. My daughter’s offered 8.45 - 3.15 at extra charge but they could go 9-3 and pay nothing extra. They also offered flexibility to use hours in wrap around if you weren’t using them all in nursery ie going only three days.

School nursery you usually get the 30 hours with no top up. Although you may have to pay for lunch. Childminders can do funding but not all do. Most do wrap around care, the only issue is under 4's are in a different ratio group to over 5's. So some childminders are reluctant to take on a before/after school under 4 when they could be getting a day rate. You will need to ask around

OP your username and sign off are very outing.

@sadaboutmycat ok thanks but what does outing mean?

Thanks for the advice everyone x

It means because know both your first name and surname. Most people on MN prefer to be anonymous.