Childcare.

liney

I won't know exactly what childcare I need until the first week of September when my modules and timetable are finalised, however I need to apply for the childcare grant.

I do know that my timetable will be different in semester 1 than semester 2, and the After School Club say unless book everything in July or they will not be able to guarantee me a place.

If I book every day afterschool initially, and I don't actually use them I will still have to pay or lose the space. If I reduce the days over the course of the year after semester 1 has finished I may not get them back the following September for year 2, then 3.

Is it reasonable to claim for 10 hours per week funding knowing I will not use all of it under these circumstances in order to ensure I have childcare available? ie 3.15pm to 5.15pm daily, but actually go and collect him if I am able, but pay the ASC anyway? The current timetables i'm looking at for this year only stay the same for a few weeks then change to another slot/day!

divastrop

The childcare grant form only asks for the cost of childcare, not the actual hours, so I would just apply for the maximum you will need if I were you , that's what I did. You will still have to pay for it anyway, as you said, so you may as well claim it.

liney

I just don't want to look like i'm "on the fiddle" as it were, but the childcare places are so limited.

divastrop

The way my daughter's childcare manager (who has recently completed a degree herself) put it was the hours you actually do at uni are just the tip of the iceberg and you are expected to put in allot of private study so they don't see it as fiddling if you claim for all the hours you need, even if you aren't physically at uni.

bluebluecow

Hi

I would claim for what you need, a week max all the time. I am hoping to start in sept, and have penciled in at my daughters nusresry (she is 4 in oct ) mon-fri 8.20-4.20 then if I am at uni 9-4 I can still drop her off pick her up, if not I have some nice free study time at home

Liz

wobblymummy

Hello

I am starting uni in September and have been told to expect to be in Uni for three days a week and study time at home. I have put my daughter in a local pre school for 3 days a week, does this sound right ?

She goes to school next year so this is our last year of being together at home really on the days I am not in.

Why would I put her in a nursery all week if I am only in uni for 3 days, or am I missing something here ? Surely its my responsibility to work out the remainder of the time I need to study around my daughter, evenings etc not put her in nursery for 5 days regardlesss of whether I need childcare for all 5 of the days or not. I know nursery are pretty flexible and said if I needed more I can just pay for it as and when but surely the childcare grant is only for when your physically at Uni

Does this sound right ?

liney

The thing is, that most childcare isnt pretty flexible. You book, you pay, you cancel, you end up losing your space.

Having spoken to both Student Finance, and my Afterschool club, I will be claiming, and paying for, 2 hours daily. Student Finance say they aren't interested in when he attends, just the amount of money i will be paying, and as i'll have to pay whether he's there or not i will not be "on the fiddle".

wobblymummy

I guess its hard to tell until you start anyway, the form we fill in is only an estimate so we will know for real what its like come September

divastrop

wobblymummy wrote: »

Hello

I am starting uni in September and have been told to expect to be in Uni for three days a week and study time at home. I have put my daughter in a local pre school for 3 days a week, does this sound right ?

She goes to school next year so this is our last year of being together at home really on the days I am not in.

Why would I put her in a nursery all week if I am only in uni for 3 days, or am I missing something here ? Surely its my responsibility to work out the remainder of the time I need to study around my daughter, evenings etc not put her in nursery for 5 days regardlesss of whether I need childcare for all 5 of the days or not. I know nursery are pretty flexible and said if I needed more I can just pay for it as and when but surely the childcare grant is only for when your physically at Uni

Does this sound right ?

That's what I originally thought so I was surprised when the form only asked for cost rather than hours. However, the course I am doing requires quite a few hours placement each week as well as time in college, and as yet I have no idea what hours I will be doing but I still need to book childcare which I will have to pay for whether it's used or not.