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View Full Version : so... today is the day we find out



loocyloo
07-01-2013, 09:30 AM
what the plans are for childcare!

the prime minister is announcing the plans to cut childcare costs today ...

sounds like we may lose the restriction on numbers, but more children, won't mean lower costs to parents, as it will still cost the same to care for each individual child!

bunyip
07-01-2013, 10:16 AM
Are we to expect a detailed announcement or just an attractive soundbite with details to follow at a later date? :ohdear:

Tazmin68
07-01-2013, 10:57 AM
Just looked in Internet. Looks like changes to tax credits with parents of children under 5 havibg higher tax breaks and getting rid of the childcare voucher scheme which makes sense seems daft that there are the two. Mentions that there is a further meeting on Thursday to confirm changes. Mentions that adult child ratios will be increased dies not say what to so that childcare costs will come down and these to be sorted out before the next election.

appleblossom
07-01-2013, 11:39 AM
Just looked in Internet. Looks like changes to tax credits with parents of children under 5 havibg higher tax breaks and getting rid of the childcare voucher scheme which makes sense seems daft that there are the two. Mentions that there is a further meeting on Thursday to confirm changes. Mentions that adult child ratios will be increased dies not say what to so that childcare costs will come down and these to be sorted out before the next election.

Is this what you saw?

pounds.html"]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9784012/Working-mothers-to-get-child-care-tax-break-worth-thousands-of-pounds.html

ziggy
07-01-2013, 11:43 AM
sorry, i'm a bit confused, are childcare vouchers gonna end????

One of my families pays a big part of their bill with vouchers and not sure how they would manage without

mama2three
07-01-2013, 12:46 PM
sorry, i'm a bit confused, are childcare vouchers gonna end????

One of my families pays a big part of their bill with vouchers and not sure how they would manage without

remember that they have paid the majority of that amount straight fromtheir wages..the amount they would be taxed on the amount is all they save this way not the whole amount. These famililes will instead pay less tax in the first place so they wont be any worse off , but the 'processes' are streamlined.

AliceK
07-01-2013, 12:54 PM
Just looked in Internet. Looks like changes to tax credits with parents of children under 5 havibg higher tax breaks and getting rid of the childcare voucher scheme which makes sense seems daft that there are the two. Mentions that there is a further meeting on Thursday to confirm changes. Mentions that adult child ratios will be increased dies not say what to so that childcare costs will come down and these to be sorted out before the next election.

Am I the only one that still doesn't get how this will happen?? :panic:

xxx

mama2three
07-01-2013, 01:04 PM
Am I the only one that still doesn't get how this will happen?? :panic:

xxx

noone gets how it will happen - because it wont!!
The rules on ratios may well be relaxed slightly - election promise will say... we are wonderful and this is what we are doing for you so your childcare will be cheaper... lots of votes ...more empty promises...more children recieving poorer care within establishments where the ratios are already too low to allow the level of interaction needed for the speech development and overall wellbeing of under 3s....slight saving maybe for parents who put child in a high volume nursery where the ratio could make a real difference to costs...no saving for those who choose high quality home from home care for their child.

Tazmin68
07-01-2013, 02:01 PM
Hi

Yes it was the feature on the telegraph that I read. I am quite happy with my numbers as they are. I would like the option of going up to 4 in the ey ate bracket purely as most of my children are part time and it would allow to overlap when needed.

Stapleton83
07-01-2013, 02:18 PM
Hi,

Ok the only conclusion I can come to is that the government are expecting us to reduce our hourly rates by allowing us to increase our child ratios. I have just one observation about that which is it flies in the face of high quality one to a few learning which they keep telling us they want. Personally I don't think you can have both!

My parents have never complained about the fees I charge and if they don't want to pay them then they go elsewhere. My view is I pride myself on quality not quantity, if you want that go to a nursery but the fees are the same! Ok rant over will wait and see what they come up with!

Sam x

bunyip
07-01-2013, 03:42 PM
[Citizen Bunyip rant alert.]

The likely way of things is usually that our glorious leaders will change the way of moving around the money available to support parents, but without increasing the total pot of money available. Thus there will be some losers and some winners. The winners will include the accountants who get to charge for "interpreting the complexities of the new system" not to mention the Whitehall accountants who do a rather clever thing with smoke and mirrors to make it look like they found some 'additionl investment' when they didn't really.

Increased ratios is based on the false premise that a CM/nursery can take in, say, twice and as many children and thereby halve it's fees. Except it can't possibly work like that. If a setting takes on more children, then certain variable costs increase too. That's just the pure economics of the scenario, before you even begin to consider the implications on quality of care/service/safety, etc. That will produce another set of winners, of course: insurance companies, who will jump at the opportunity to increase their premiums. Landlords will decide nurseries can afford more rent if they're taking on more children, and so on. And it's all based on the principle that EY workers will work harder for no more money. Well, that's what underpins late capitalism anyway, so why not apply it to the self-employed as well as the wage-slaves, eh? There's a nice big pool of uneployed available to fill the shoes of anyone who doesn't like it. Oh, and we won't want to reduce our fees too soon, as we'll all be working longer before we get a pension. (Times like this I wish I worked for the police and could take medical retirement instead of being disciplined for taking bungs from newspaper moghuls.)

Then, of course, the whole wheel will eventually turn full circle. If parent's childcare costs really do get reduced, then that takes the pressure off employers to give them appropriate pay rises. So the whole plan eventually does what it's meant to do - i.e. support big businesses. Of course, the UK regime is too dishonest, too scared of the truth, and has too many vested interests to own up to the simple truth. That is that childcare isn't too expensive after all - it's just that most employees are denied a fair wage so their employers can make stupid amounts of profit.

This is what you get when the country is run by economists, solicitors, accountants, etc. instead of being run by workers. :angry:

Rant end.

kel1983
07-01-2013, 05:15 PM
Hi,

Ok the only conclusion I can come to is that the government are expecting us to reduce our hourly rates by allowing us to increase our child ratios. I have just one observation about that which is it flies in the face of high quality one to a few learning which they keep telling us they want. Personally I don't think you can have both!

My parents have never complained about the fees I charge and if they don't want to pay them then they go elsewhere. My view is I pride myself on quality not quantity, if you want that go to a nursery but the fees are the same! Ok rant over will wait and see what they come up with!

Sam x

I totall agree with you. If parents are not happy with my fees they will go else where. The parents that actually like the small ratios will still use us at the price they pay now as they know there child is less likely to be neglected. The ones that choose the childminders that are charging a lower price are most likely the ones that care more about money than there childrens welfare. (In my opinion).

I am happy with the amount of children I am allowed to care for at one time. I cant imagine how I would cope with anymore children

bunyip
07-01-2013, 05:58 PM
The 'Mid-term review' document (or, as I like to think of it, "agit-prop") tells how the regime has

"set up a £2million fund to provide grants to assist those wishing to set up a childcare business - to create up to 6000 new child-minders and nurseries in the UK".
If we assume that the whole £2million goes in actual grants (not in the costs of administrating the scheme) then I make that £333 per setting. Either that's not going to go far to setting up a nursery or they'll have to wight it so nurseries get a higher proportion, which leaves very little to be shared out to CMs.

In short, I doubt whether this will even restore the level of start-up grants that used to be available through LA's before they got sc:censored:ed over by the ConDemNation guys. Oh, and don't get excited ladies and gents, I don't think those of us who missed out will be allowed to apply retrospectively.

It doesn't mention anywhere that 60% of people in work are still dependent on in-work benefits (never mind those without a job) and perhaps a fair wage for everybody might be a better place to start. :angry:

lisbet
09-01-2013, 08:44 AM
:mad:

BBC News - Cut nursery staff to child ratio, urges minister (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-20950899)

JCrakers
09-01-2013, 09:08 AM
Why don't they understand that if we upped our ratios we wouldn't charge less because its not bulk buying at the supermarket it's ****** hard work looking after children and an extra child is extra work....duh :(

loocyloo
09-01-2013, 09:21 AM
plus, there is a world of difference between a 18 yr old who has done a YEARs 'diploma' study and someone with maybe no formal qualifications, but 10 years experience!

i studied childcare ( NNEB ) for 2 yrs when i left school, and that was also a very hands on practical course, but there is nothing to beat experience as well. and it is experience that allows you to look after more children, not a piece of paper!

i would however, like to be able to care for 4 EY children, as it would make my life easier rather than constantly arranging exceptions!

JCrakers
09-01-2013, 09:30 AM
I also did my NNEB when I was 19 and I don't think I would have been able to look after a lot of children in my first nannying jobs. I had two children at the most.
Now after 18yrs of working with children I know who and what I can handle. I know children like the back of my hand and am very confident in what I do :)
I would also like to have 4 children. I have that 2 days a week anyway and as long as the ages are right to get out and about in a buggy etc. 4 is manageable :) especially at the ages I have. One is older and starts school in sept.

I charge £3.50 per child and wouldn't lower my prices if I was allowed to care for 4 or more. Plus I wouldn't have more than 4 under 5 as I don't think it's manageable, I'd just be stuck in the house all day :( 4 is my limit.