How do nursery funded hours work if I need full time childcare?

[Holliejollied]

FTM here… my husband and I work x5 days a week and our LO is in nursery x5 full days a week. My understanding is that we’re only offered 30hrs of funded childcare. How do I secure the remaining hours we pay for? Is that to be handled by the nursery? Thanks!

You've worded this a bit strangely... secure? You just sign up for full time nursery, claim the 30 funded hours and pay for the rest.

You’ll get 30 funded hours the term after your baby turns 9 months. The funding is term time only but most nurseries allow the house to be stretched year round so it works out around 22 hours a week. If you need full time childcare you’ll book a nursery place for 5 days a week, in a private nursery this is often 8am - 6pm or similar, and you’ll be invoiced by the nursery with the funded hours taken off the bill. You’ll pay for the remaining hours plus anything else the nursery can charge for like food, disposables, activities etc which they often just add as one payment or as an hourly charge onto the bill. If eligible you can pay using tax free childcare.

So the free funded hours are only for 38 weeks a year. Currently we only get 15 hours and at my nursery we have to take as either one 10
Hour day and one half day. Or 3 half days. You also have to pay a surcharge and for meals which nursery will invoice you for alongside the additional days.

You can apply for tax free child care for the rest of your costs.

As the pp has said ^
but also you should factor in the 30 funded hours are only in term term.
(38 weeks a year I think)

or you can spread it out over the full 52 weeks (11 hrs a week I think)

Sorry 22hrsa week

Thanks everyone! This answers my questions!

I don't think the extension has been introduced in Scotland. The 30hrs are from age 3 here. Unless that has changed recently.

Op, if it's a private nursery you will just pay them for the extra hours.
If it's a council/school nursery it will depend on what they can offer, full time spaces might not be an option.

Sorry yes you’re correct, I hadn’t realised it wasn’t the same in Scotland.

You don't get funded hours until 3yrs old in Scotland as our system is different. But then all children get 30hrs not just 15. Some families will be able to get 30hrs funded from 2yrs old - vulnerable children, families on benefits, some referred by HV if learning delays etc. You will see a list on your council website.
Majority of council nurseries will offer 9-3 5days a week or 8-6pm 3 days a week as term time offering. You will need to pay for the rest yourself. You need to check if school nurseries will offer wrap around, not all will but many do. If you do the 3 day option then you need to find alternative childcare for the other days.
Full year 30hours works out at 22.5hours per week. Our local council offers this as 2 days 8-6pm & 1 half day (8-1 or 1-6). Again you need to find cover for the other days yourself.
Possibly some councils may be able to let you buy the extra days at same nursery, ours doesn't have the capacity for this.

If you want to use your current nursery then as long as it's a funded provider (not all are) then just ask them. In Scotland we aren't allowed to charge anything extra for the funded hours, slightly different from England, so uou should only be charged for the additional hours.

You shouldn't be charged for food by nursery for the funded hours - scot gov funds this & snacks/milk. You can either provide nappies/wipes or a private nursery may g8ve option to pay for those. Council nursery will just expect you to provide them

It depends how many meals. My child's nursery provide 3 meals and 2 snacks. The council funding doesn't cover 3 meals.

So I am assuming you mean the 3 year old funding and your child is in private nursery?
If so then it is 30 hours is based on term time all year round it works out to roughly 22. Something hours a week.
If attending full time then generally you they will deduct the number of hours so works out as 2 and a bit days. You will then have "sundries" ontop for funded days which is dependent on the nursery.
Your remaining hours are paid at non funded rate as previously - any funded hours. In our case it brings our bill from £1200 a month to about £500ish.

You can also do split placements so use the funding for school nursery then pay for the remaining days at a private nursery but not all nurseries accept split placement etc