We have decided to use our nursery for the free preschool sessions, mainly because we may be moving in the meantime and don't know where we will be to pick a preschool/playschool.
However in order to get my free sessions I am likely to have to pay on top of that, in all but one scenario. I need help deciding which one is going to work best. There are complicating factors but I will put those to you in a minute. Here are the scenarios and costs:
5 sessions of 2.5 days = £285 extra a month
4 sessions of 2 days = £212
3 sessions of 1.5 days = £159
2 sessions of 1 day =£106 a month (I can't remember if these last 2 are actually 1 and 1.5 days, I seem to remember from elsewhere that the sessions have to be over 3 days but the 1st 2 are definitely right as I wrote that down, and the 4 sessions aren't spread over 3 days, so maybe they make an exception. Let's assume they do for now).
The final scenario is a completely free place every day of the week 12.30 till 3.30 but with no food and term time only.
The above extra money comes from the fact that the free sessions are 3 hours long but the nursery sessions are longer, include food and are all year not just term time. The money is averaged out per month so the discount is applied monthly rather than term time but you only get free sessions during term time. DD already goes for one full day and I will be keeping that day. My childcare vouchers will take about £20 of the prices above (I already claim some).
One complication is the money, ideally we'd just take the free place as we don't really have much extra, plus DH may be losing his job in June, and though we hope he will find another obviously we can't guarantee anything. At the moment he works part time and looks after her 3 days, and I look after her 1 day, nursery day the 5th day. The other complication is that I will be on maternity leave from exactly when she starts these sessions, which is where I need the sage advice from lovely MNetters. I am going to have a newborn and a toddler. Is it better for me to take the free place which but which will mean that I have to take DD for a short session everyday (well, I'm hoping she can still keep her 1 full day on top of that), make sure she is fed before hand, take the newborn and her then collect her 3 hours later etc?
Or do I take the risk of paying £100 a month that we may of may not be able to afford (but I would only consider the 2 session offer) in order to get another full day with her in nursery. Means pick up and drop off time can be more flexible with a bigger time window, and 2 full days with just me and the new one?
Is the first one manageable in you experience? Or is it worth paying the extra money to get a full day but only get the benefit of 2 free sessions. Oh, in the fully free scenario the place is only term term, but in the 1 day scenario it is all year round.
Help me! I need to decide asap as apparently the free places fill up quick and I have been dithering about it.