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Original poster

Would the Conservatives just stop free nursery places for 3 year olds, like, just stop them straight away..

16 replies

prettyponies · 30/04/2010 08:19

or would it come in later, or is it just that they are allowing childcare providers to top up the fees for extra hours... I've looked online but I can't make sense of it.

Ds at nursery, We've just started to get a drop in fees of about £130 a month now he's turned 3. I've waited over 2 years for this, the nursery fees have crippled us. We get no other help except £50 a month basic child credit or whatever it is...oh, but they want to take that too...

I don't think I can bear it if the nursery fees go up again. Does anyone know what conservatives are really planning, and when it will be implemented?

OP posts:
Callisto · 30/04/2010 08:29

According to the Conservative's manifesto they will "Help make childcare more affordable by supporting the provision of free nursery care for pre-school children and reviewing the way the childcare industry is regulated and funded."

The rest is here if you want to set your prejudices to one side and read their pledges: www.conservatives.com/Policy/Where_we_stand/Family.aspx

twolittlemonkeys · 30/04/2010 08:35

I thought the free places would still exist, but that some private nurseries where the funding isn't equal to the amount they usually charge, they could charge top up fees.

I think the cut in CTC only applies to higher income families (over 50K I believe)

Original poster
prettyponies · 30/04/2010 09:11

Prejudices? How is asking a question, because I want some information, displaying any prejudice? Or did you just leave your microphone on

I'm just trying to raise my family.

Thanks, two monkeys, I'm sure my nursery will leap at any chance to put the fees up.

OP posts:
Callisto · 30/04/2010 09:14

The prejudice was in your title - the assumption that the evil, working-mother hating-tories would immediately cut any sort of free nursery places.

notsureatall · 30/04/2010 09:17

Blimey, Callistso, that's harsh, she op was asking a reasonable question!

Original poster
prettyponies · 30/04/2010 09:24

Erm, the title was my question. I put the word 'Conservatives' in it, because my question was, erm, about the Conservatives...

baffled

If I'd said "will the champagne swilling, fox murdering Conservatives just stop frree nursey places..."

OP posts:
TheHeathenOfSuburbia · 30/04/2010 09:31

Yes, callisto, but your quote is all they actually say about it in the manifesto, and it doesn't actually mean anything, so the OP's question is fair enough.

TBH, OP, they haven't really gone into the detail (probably because they don't want to scare people with just how screwed we actually are) but I'd probably assume you'll start having to co-pay the nursery.

Given their past enthusiasm for school vouchers, I wouldn't be surprised if they went down some sort of nursery vouchers route.

I was a bit 'oh,bugger!' about this one too, DD will start pre-school in Sept and I have DC2 due in Oct, so thought it would all fit together nicely. But I am SAHM and we can't afford nursery fees, so... maybe not. Arse.

Callisto · 30/04/2010 09:32

Yes, but it is the assumption in the title that they WILL stop places, rather than saying, 'Anyone know what the Tory policy is on free nursery places?'.

Sorry if I came across as harsh (I didn't think so). I'm just really fed up with the 'Labour are perfect, the Tories are evil' MN brigade - must have made me over-sensitive. Anyway, hope the link is useful.

mazzystartled · 30/04/2010 09:33

OP I think the Conservative manifesto is pretty vague on this. All they have said is that they will "review" provision. I think basically that they don't know yet, but it is probably on their list of options.

If they did, I imagine it would be difficult practically (and very unpopular with parents and damaging to nursery businesses) if they tried to do it instantaneously. I imagine it would come in with the next budget, with time for those affected to plan.

I hope you don't think that prejudiced Callisto.

withorwithoutyou · 30/04/2010 09:35

She wasn't saying labour are perfect, the tories are evil.

She just wants to know if her nursery fees are going to go up!

Perfectly reasonable and sensible question.

I'm interested in the answer too, prettyponies, so thank you for asking it.

Callisto · 30/04/2010 09:35

Heathen - the 'meaningful' bit is the pledge to support free places. Though it could just be BS. After all, in every single election manifesto Labour have pledged not to raise taxes and within months have done so. We are truly screwed though.

Trafficcone · 30/04/2010 09:37

I also think it's more likely to affect expensive daycare providers than standard preschools and playgroups where children go age 3 for some education/play rather than childcare.

pippapear · 30/04/2010 09:42

Like prettyponies we'looking forward to a drop in our nursery fees in September and it will save us £130 a month.

I realise there's a lot of scaremongering going on at the moment and it's hard to tell who's telling the truth! The Lib Dems seem to have a clear policy on this.

I'm just a bit worried when I hear that the Conservatives are reviewing the EY scheme and temporarily scrapping the free nursery places. If this is the case, I don't see that they'll ever come back! I don't see why they'd need to make any changes in advance of a review if this is what they're planning - surely they need to wait for the outcome of the review!

TheHeathenOfSuburbia · 30/04/2010 10:20

There's a lot of political leeway in the word 'support' though, callisto!

mumutd · 30/04/2010 16:32

www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/apr/25/conservatives-charge-nursery-places

forgive me for double posting, not so good on this linking malarky

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