"Save Our Nurseries" - Labour plan to abolish top ups

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Can't see any reference to this crazy new labour policy on Mumsnet. I understand my son's fantastic nursery will either have to close or drop out of the government funding because they won't be allowed to charge the top-up fee any more. The petition on the "Save our Nurseries" website has closed.

Does anyone know how to do something about this that could make a difference (i.e. get the story into the press to make more parents aware of this).

Our council doesn't allow top up fees already so it wouldn't make much difference in Hants.

Top ups aren't allowed anyway.

You can be charged for extra time at the nursery, or for snack, or for extra services, but the actual grant place must be free at the point of delivery. Nothing new there.

We have top ups in our area at the moment so they are allowed - think it is changes as to where you live. we are struggling to find a way to stay open september - it is a nightmare

Will it still be policy if Labour don't get in next week? My pre-school is unable to tell us the plans for Sept as they are "waiting to be advised" - I wondered if they were waiting to see who was in charge?

I run a pre-school and top ups are not allowed in our area. Most places ask for them anyway as they say they need them. We manage without! Just don't make as much profit but pay staff well, use good resources etc. It is possible n(although not easy) to run a setting without top ups in this area.

Lots of elements of the Free Early Education Entitlement are decided at a local level - the decision of whether top ups are allowed is not one of them. National guidlines say

"Parents cannot be required to contribute to the cost of the basic free entitlement but may be charged fees for any services which exceed the minimum entitlement. Parents should be made aware of the charges that will apply in advance of their child taking up a free place. Providers should not levy any fee in respect of the free entitlement nor should they charge parents fees in advance for the free entitlement to be refunded at a later date. Providers that normally charge fees should reduce the fees by the amount that they would normally charge for those sessions if the child was not accessing a free place."

See here

The above is the guidance for the old code of practice to which settings offering the 12.5hrs of funding are operating.

The new code of practice states that all Local Authorities should "Work with providers to ensure that every free entitlement place is delivered completely free at the point of delivery, with no conditions of access"

link here

Hanleyhigh how much do you an hour?

We get £3.38