Offering funded places

[mumofone]

Hi I'm new to all this and wondered if someone could give me an idiots guide(!!) to what offering funded places actually means and how you go about it etc. I don't really understand what it means or the implications for me as a CM....

[moggy]

Unfortunately no one here can give you the complete answer as, yet again, it depends on your LA!

Call your Early Years Team/Family Info service or whoever you have in your LA and ask for the details.

Important to ask is HOW MUCH DO THEY PAY per hour? In some LAs it is significantly less than average hourly rates! (and parents not allowed to top-up), which is why I do not offer it. Ask about variable rates by postcode and by age (2yr or 3/4yr FE).
Ask if you need to be Good/Outstanding- and how they will judge that pre-first-inspection?
Ask for a copy of the contract you'd need to sign and read carefully.
Ask about stretching the funding across the whole year as it is basically calculated 'term-time only' which does not suit all families.

Search on this Forum as there have been lots of threads about it.

Good luck!

[mumofone]

Thanks moggy, it sounds like maybe I don't want to get involved with it if it's not straightforward!? I'll contact my LA about it :-)

[moggy]

Thanks moggy, it sounds like maybe I don't want to get involved with it if it's not straightforward!? I'll contact my LA about it :-)

Some find it worth doing if...

...your LA pay enough to make it cost effective, and still cost effective when child turns 3 (2yo FE is more £, drops at 3yo)
...your LA does not put any further hoops to jump through (they shouldn't do so, but some do)
...you have a nearly-3 year old who you'd lose to nursery otherwise (so they use FE with you, instead of nursery)
...you have spare space(s) you are having trouble filling (some £ is better than no £)
...you don't mind doing a bit of reporting to LA of what children you have on role who are claiming FE each term and checking up on LA money coming in
...you find an efficient way of working out the invoices for those using some FE hours and some paid hours over various weeks per year.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

My LA have been 50/50 - they got the funding for 2, 3 & 4 year olds running really well but when changes are made no notification was given and I found that my knowledge was lacking when it came to return of paperwork. I sourced the answers and now it is really easy. I am about to be paid (before Christmas) 75% of my 2 years olds and 50% of my 3 and 4 year olds fees from Jan - March 15. Can't go wrong if your LA works the same way.

[mumofone]

Thanks CC :-)) x

[Mouse]

Can you speak to any local childminders who already offer funded places? Where I live most of us offer funding as there's really no extra work involved.

The rate paid here for 3 & 4 year olds is about £3.60. Most childminders here charge £3.50 an hour, so it's better for them. Unfortunately I charge £4 an hour, so lose out. To limit my loses I only offer funded sessions between the hours of 9am-12 noon or 9am-3pm. If a child only comes to me for 2 days a week it means they only get a maximum of 12 hours funded with me. They pay any extra hours at my full rate and also pay for lunch on top as that isn't included in the funded payment.