Who knows anything about the 30 hours for 3\4 year olds?

[weepingwillows]

The nursery of the school where I intend to send my little one is planning to offer the 30 hours from Sep 2017. However they have given the standard info and cant give any more details as they probably dont know Hoping someone on here might be involved in the scheme or from the trial areas and have some more information. Apparently you get the 30 hours if both parents are working. I am a SAHM at the moment because childcare is too expensive for me to work. However looking to get back into work especially if we can get 30hours. I assume we need to apply for places in advance so they can sort out allocation but if I am not working at the time of application then I wont get the 30 hours. However need to know that I will get the 30 hours to commit to a job. By the time I do get a job then there might no longer be places. A bit of a catch 22 isn't it?

bump

I think it's only if household income is under x amount

Good question op. Afraid I have no answers but share your situation, excuse me whilst I pull up a pew and placemark!

Also interested to know!

I'm in a trial area.

You need to have two parents working both earning less than £100k (each) and more than 16 (I think!!!) hours at minimum wage.

30 hours term time only or you can split it over 48 or 52 weeks a year.

There were a lot of difficulties before it started as most nurseries couldn't cope with the cost vs how much they get paid for the children. A higher rate is now being paid but at one point it looked like the entire childcar e community of our city was boycotting it. So I guess possible it won't happen.

Our nursery is offering it but you can't get "more" hours under it. Ie if you were already only doing 1 day per week t hen that is all you can do. Due to space as suddenly everyone wanting more hours.

Having said that - it is pretty amazing. We now get 3 days a week nursery for about £150 a month! Feel very lucky to be in a trial area. I actually spun on my chair at work when someone told me. (I work in finance - it is NOT a spinny place!) Ds starts school in Sept so we were not expecting to get it.

No, I would love it if it can work without affecting the ability of nurseries to provide quality care....
I am excited enough for the 15 free hours we will get from January. Hoping it will finally start to feel more financially comfortable.

I would apply for the 30 hours and then if you don't get a job, just make sure you give the required notice to cancel the place.

I think you need to apply for a job first. You can apply for the 30 hours later and if they don't have space, look for alternative childcare. You'd need to be working at least 16 hours a week and may need to look for wraparound care anyway as it might be difficult to find work that fits in with the nursery hours if it's a school nursery. 9-3 term time only doesn't give you much flexibility.

WHere we are even the 15 hrs aren't offered.
The main issue is the government only offers £3.80 an hour. For Expensive locations this isn't enough as the nursery can't afford rent, staff, food, supplies etc. It's said that out of London the true cost is £4.60 an hour, and in London £6.80 an hour is needed. So even those in cheap area aren't getting enough compensated to cover costs.

For example it's £78 at local nursery for 8-6pm childcare (£7.80 an hour). That nursery is never going to then accept just £3.80 as that's a £4 per child loss per hour. For some that's profit, but for most it means closure as space for nursery is expensive, plus staff should be on London living wage etc

Other countries have reduced childcare, but they pay far higher taxes to cover it

Where we are (outside London) the 15 hours was paid at £3.38 per hour (and still is for those not eligible for the 30 hours). 30 hours is now paid at £4 per hour for the full 30 hours. Our nursery charges £43 for 10.5 hours so they are only losing £1 a day per child by providing it. 30 hours translates to about 2 days a week year round so they lose £2 per child per week on the funding.

On the 15 hours they were getting about £35 a day (no access to calculator) but only 1 day per week so losing £8 per week per child.

So 30 hours is more affordable for them than 15 hours.

They also charge the same for under 2s (ratio of 2.5 kids per carer) as for pre-schoo (ratio of 8 kids per carer) so I think it is now affordable.