Grant funding - please tell me I've got this right after having a major fallout with the nursery!

[fishnet]

DS1 is grant funded for 15 hours a week (I know in some areas it is only 12.5). He actually attends nursery 4.5 days a week so we pay the top up to the full day rate.

The nursery (large american chain) have just written to the parents of all grant funded children saying that since the children eat and drink during that time they have decided that they can no longer continue their goodwill gesture of funding this and therefore they are retaining 75p per day (£16ish a month) to covere the cost of food.

My understanding is that this is absolutely not allowed since it means that the total fees they receive (grant plus our top up) for grant funded children is £16 extra than that whihc they receive for non funded children.

Have had words with nursery manager and received letter from accounts woman making out that I'm stupid.

Surely I'm right - any thoughts before I write back a very cross response and tell the accounts manager that she is the stupid one.

Does the nursery have morning and afternoon sessions? Just that at ds's place, if her is there for a full day, then that is seen as being 2 sessions (i.e. 8.50 - 11.45 and then 12.45 - 3.200. The lunch between 11.45am and 12.45pm is not covered by the government funding, and we pay for lunch (food and care) if staying for the full day. The reasoning is that we can collect for lunch if we want.

But they're not asking for fees, they are asking for you to pay for the food that your child receives. Surely.

Surely the non-grant funded children should be charged the top up fee for food as well?

I can't see the logic otherwise.

DD's nursery applies a small top-up fee for parties and treats (a couple of times a year) and everyone pays the same amount whether their child's place is grant funded or not.

I think the nursery may be right... dd has a funded place at a nurery, but we still have to pay for her snacks- this is not included in the Gov grant. Equally, if we chose to send her to the lunchclub we would have to pay for that and provide the food- we have chosen not to use this facitility until the summer term.

A full day costs £40. They subtract from that the grant funding (say £10 for ease of calculations) and we pay the remaining £30. They are now saying they are not going to subtract the grant funding, they are keeping 75p for food. We already pay for the food since we pay for the rest of the day. This means for grant funded children they will receive £10 grant, £30 top up plus 75p extra food.

I'm right aren't I???

a full day incudes all meals and drinks by the way so its not like they always charge extra or we get a discount if we take them out for lunch.

Not sure whether you're right or wrong. Befuddled brain.

I would have thought that they should be including the cost of food in the initial fees i.e. in the £40. Or increasing the fees to £40.75 and then deducting the nursery funding.

Oh and I should ssy its day care 7.30 - 6.00 not a nursery as such

do the under 3s pay extra for meals? if not then neither should you have to seeings as you're paying for the full day, minus the grant.

i'd expect to pay for food plus an extra hour or so fee if a child was attending a morning session (paid with grant) then the afternoon session (paid for with grant) to cover for the lunch period which the grant doesn't pay for.

not sure, but DD attends a pre school ,attached to the primary DS goes to.

she is funded for her 5 morning sessions a week, 12.5 hours, .and then we pay £1 per week for snack, which is milk, fruit/toast/crumpets/homemade flapjack etc etc

so 75 p a day for meals sounds quite reasonable really

it's a reasonable amount yes, but not if it should be part of the £40.

imagine a 2.5 year old..they go to nursery 2 days. £40 a day.

child turns 3 so gets grant deduction off the £40 a day. they shouldn't then have to start to pay for meals.

exactly ruddynorah DS2 is under 3 and we're charged £40 which covers all meals.

For DS1 they charge us £40 less the grant funding so they already still receive the full £40. They shouldn't then be charging us another 75p.

And whether they receive £3 in food a day is another issue altogether!!!

AND it should potentially be less expensive to care for children over 3 seeings as the ratios are bigger.

You are right, going on your last post. They're getting the 75p per day twice.

I don't get why the nursery thinks it's a "goodwill gesture" to provide food when they are already charging for said food.

quite! Am writing back my response. No point talking to the nursery manager - she didn't even read the letter before handing it out to the parents!

Get all the parents of funded children to get the funding direct if that's possible! I agree your logic btw - they're trying to claim the 75p as an extra - can you shout age discrimination at them - given that they're effectively discriminating aginst older children.

Ooo that would be good titchy - particularly since I'm a lawyer who specialises in discrimination! Wouldn't get me anywhere though.

Have spoken to some other parents though and all feel the same so we are likely to get together for a discussion with the accounts manager if this letter doesn't get me anywhere.