View Full Version : Leaflet designer wanted!
sarah707
27-01-2013, 09:31 PM
Do we have anyone willing to help design a leaflet which childminders can hand out to parents, nurseries, pre-schools and anyone else who will listen to promote the petition to leave our ratios alone?
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/uk-government-department-for-education-leave-our-early-years-ratios-alone
I can do the wording but I am not very techy with pictures and different kinds of type - despite being a typographer in a former life :rolleyes:
Please pm me if you can help! Thank you :D
silvermist
27-01-2013, 09:51 PM
Hi Sarah, Ive pm'd you xx
I'm not very techy either so I'll leave that to someone else but will happily hand leaflets out to parents, nurseries etc as an increase in ratios is not something anyone wants
:thumbsup:
miffy
27-01-2013, 10:24 PM
I didn't realise we had a petition.
Funnily enough I was sent an email link to another petition about the same thing on Friday. Pity they can't be combined - surely we would be a stronger voice together.
Miffy xx
Mouse
27-01-2013, 10:34 PM
I'm not very techy either so I'll leave that to someone else but will happily hand leaflets out to parents, nurseries etc as an increase in ratios is not something anyone wants :thumbsup:
I do! I'd love to be able to increase my numbers on a permanent basis.
I'm not very techy either so I'll leave that to someone else but will happily hand leaflets out to parents, nurseries etc as an increase in ratios is not something anyone wants
:thumbsup:
As Mouse says, I also would be happy to have numbers increased so that I could have greater flexibility in my service (ie be able to have an overlap of lo's in the middle of the day without having to 'work the system ' to meet the criteria for a variation.) :o
As Mouse says, I also would be happy to have numbers increased so that I could have greater flexibility in my service (ie be able to have an overlap of lo's in the middle of the day without having to 'work the system ' to meet the criteria for a variation.) :o
Yes I guess overlap times would be beneficial to be allowed more, but I think the argument is ratios would be increased but we would have to charge less (maybe?).
angeldelight
28-01-2013, 09:22 AM
Hope you got someone to help
Angel xx
moggy
28-01-2013, 09:27 AM
Yes I guess overlap times would be beneficial to be allowed more, but I think the argument is ratios would be increased but we would have to charge less (maybe?).
No one can make us charge less but I think they hope increase of supply (if all childcare providers created more vacancies) would lead to fall in market price. For example, if a childminder/nursery down the road chose to take on more kids and therefore felt they could charge less it would put pressure on you to reduce your prices to compete.
Whether this will happen is debatable and only time would tell, but it is basic market forces. If there is a demand for childcare places (there are waiting lists at good nurseries/childminders I believe and there are more and more babies being born, immigration and mums needing to go out to work) and if supply is increased, prices will fall. That's the economics. Of course, that is looking at the whole national situation, individuals may say they will not increase numbers or not drop fees but despite that the economics is based on the 'masses', the national picture.
Childminders are an odd situation as we are limited by the size of our house and how many hands we each have (and that will not increase!) but for nurseries to be able to increase their numbers allows obvious and immediate economies of scale. I believe most childcare is in group settings (?) so the mass effect will be there despite childminders limitations, and the mass effect, the gov hope, could be a fall in prices. A fall in prices will attract more clients the market to fill the spaces as childcare becomes more affordable to more people.
sarah707
28-01-2013, 06:20 PM
No one can make us charge less but I think they hope increase of supply (if all childcare providers created more vacancies) would lead to fall in market price. For example, if a childminder/nursery down the road chose to take on more kids and therefore felt they could charge less it would put pressure on you to reduce your prices to compete.
Whether this will happen is debatable and only time would tell, but it is basic market forces. If there is a demand for childcare places (there are waiting lists at good nurseries/childminders I believe and there are more and more babies being born, immigration and mums needing to go out to work) and if supply is increased, prices will fall. That's the economics. Of course, that is looking at the whole national situation, individuals may say they will not increase numbers or not drop fees but despite that the economics is based on the 'masses', the national picture.
Childminders are an odd situation as we are limited by the size of our house and how many hands we each have (and that will not increase!) but for nurseries to be able to increase their numbers allows obvious and immediate economies of scale. I believe most childcare is in group settings (?) so the mass effect will be there despite childminders limitations, and the mass effect, the gov hope, could be a fall in prices. A fall in prices will attract more clients the market to fill the spaces as childcare becomes more affordable to more people.
I was just saying this on another thread Moggy - I agree with you - as an ex economics student it's a simple matter of supply and demand and market forces.
If every provider in my area is allowed to take on more children it will only be a matter of time before there's a fee war - that will cause upset among everyone as well as affecting sustainability in all provisions.
Plus - for the vast majority of childminders who already charge much less than the min wage per child and are nowhere near full - exactly where are these extra children coming from to fill our spaces? :huh:
I feel it is ill conceived to say the least and the people who matter - US - can't have been properly consulted or they wouldn't be pushing ahead with it - AND suggesting agencies AGAIN as we have seen in the news today!!
So let's use this time to discuss, plan and get ourselves organised so that those who are worried about sustainability - as well as outcomes for children - at least feel they have tried to do something about it! :D