Question re 15 hours free childcare

first78

I have a one year old and a 2 year old who are currently in nursery full time, however this is proving to be very expensive (£1400) per month so I'm looking for a childminder and plan for them both to do 4 days a week with a childminder and one day at nursery.

The question I wanted to ask, is when my eldest turns 3 and becomes entitled to the 15 free hours childcare per week do I get to choose which of the two childcare providers I use for this 15 hours?

I'd want to choose the nursery because both girls really love it there. I wish they could stay there full time but it's just not financially possible

Thanks in advance x

jackomdj

Quite a few years ago now for me. I had children in crèche and preschool. I wanted to use all my free hours on crèche as that was the more expensive location for me, but preschool insisted they got a share, as they got more money doing it that way.

rolymo_2

I manage a pre-school, and in my LA you can choose where you use your free funding.

We have parents who also send their children to other settings and use their free entitlement there -they then pay us for the hours they attend at my setting ( as we are generally cheaper).

Does your LA offer 2 year old funding ? mine does -but there are criteria you need to meet -maybe wothwhile contacting your local family information service to check x

first78

rolymo,

My LA do offer 2 year old funding but my partner earns too much for us to be eligible. Thanks for the info...hopefully we will be able to use the free entitlement with the nursery when the time comes.

Darksparkle

Have you checked to see if you are entitled to help with childcare through tax credits?

susancs

Have you asked the Nursery about doing only one day a week? The reason I ask, is that I don't know of any good nurseries in our area who would agree to this. Although your children are settled now at Nursery it may be considered too unsettling for them to just do one day a week, due to the 6 day gap inbetween, with different routinues, environment, carer etc for most of it. Also you may also have an issue whereby a childminder may not be able to fill two spaces on one day a week, so from a business point of view may want children who do the full week. This may not apply but just to make you aware of the potential issues.

You will also need to check on how the Nursery operate the funding as some only offer it between particular hours e.g. between 1-3pm Monday to Friday ( 5 days a week) or 1-6pm (5 hours), three days a week. As the 15 hours nursery education grant funding in a lot of cases does not cover Nursery hourly fees they will often charge at a higher rate for hourrs outside of the 15 hours to re-coup some of the losses and they may charge extra for meals and snacks. Some do not include the lunchtime hour in any funded hours, so this may be charged as an extra.

wendz86

Some childminders don't do the 15 hours. Also if it is a private nursery they may as you to have a minimum amount of hours/days to use it. My daughter had to be there 2.5 full days for me to receive 15 hours free which was deducted from my bill.

first78

Darksparkle wrote: »

Have you checked to see if you are entitled to help with childcare through tax credits?

Thanks, yes I looked into it but we're not entitled to tax credits.

first78

susancs wrote: »

Have you asked the Nursery about doing only one day a week? The reason I ask, is that I don't know of any good nurseries in our area who would agree to this. Although your children are settled now at Nursery it may be considered too unsettling for them to just do one day a week, due to the 6 day gap inbetween, with different routinues, environment, carer etc for most of it. Also you may also have an issue whereby a childminder may not be able to fill two spaces on one day a week, so from a business point of view may want children who do the full week. This may not apply but just to make you aware of the potential issues.

You will also need to check on how the Nursery operate the funding as some only offer it between particular hours e.g. between 1-3pm Monday to Friday ( 5 days a week) or 1-6pm (5 hours), three days a week. As the 15 hours nursery education grant funding in a lot of cases does not cover Nursery hourly fees they will often charge at a higher rate for hourrs outside of the 15 hours to re-coup some of the losses and they may charge extra for meals and snacks. Some do not include the lunchtime hour in any funded hours, so this may be charged as an extra.

Yes, our nursery does single days, half days etc. When we first started using them we only had one child, then my second daughter was born while I was at uni so I was able to get 85% of the nursery fees funded. However I'm graduating this summer and we will not be able to afford the full fees.

I don't want to disrupt the kids but there's no way they can stay there full time, they will settle into a new routine even if that takes some time and at least by keeping one day a week at nursery they will still see the staff and the other children.