early years fund/grant - do you have to pay extra?

[LAURACOLLEY]

for those who recieve the early years fund / grant for their children - how hard was it to find a nursery / center / school nursery (foundation) place with vacancy's?

also are you having to pay still for extra nursery hours?

I only want the 12.5 hours a week for 38 weeks a year, as I will be studying (postgrad) and can not get any funding for this, including any childcare funding.

The nursery we are looking at has 8 - 12 and 1 - 6 sessions and all day monday to friday, but I only want 2.5 hours a day.

This I can not find in any of our local nurseries and I am being asked to make up the remaining cost of the session.

I only want 8 - 10:30 free. After that my partner and my mum will be taking care of my child.

Can I demand that I have a session for my child for 12.5 hours a week free only without having to pay for childcare I don't want or need

• or -

should I accept that I will have to get a loan out (commercial loan as will not be entitled to student funding as will be at postgrad level) to cover the cost of the childcare for the remaining 1.5 hours 10:30 - 12 per day for childcare I do not want or need?

I will not be classed as working from tax credits so can not get any help from them.

has anyone else had similar problems?

Why don't you use up the 12.5 hours over three mornings (for eg) and then plan the help from your partner and mum around that? In my area we have the opposite problem - most pre-schools attached to primary schools only seem to offer 2.5 hour sessions, which is a bit useless if you are working or studying.