Charging while at pre-school?

[emmas]

Hi All,

I wondered what everybody does when you drop off and collect a little one from pre-school, do you still charge for their place for the 15 hours they are not there? I am not, Is this daft!?

Thanks

Emma.

[moggy]

It is a business decision- so do and some do not.
I do charge full if I drop off and collect from preschool/playgroup and I have never had a problem from parents about that as they have been existing clients who were just delighted they could stay on with me while accessing a group-setting for part of the day. They know the preschool hours are free so were happy to continue paying me as they always had done.

[kellib]

I charge if I'm dropping off and picking up, never had parents complain as they all understand why I do.

[chris goodyear]

I don't either as the parents won't be getting the 15 hours free. i don't doubt there will be a lot of responses saying we are both daft but I'm happy doing it this way. I would be turning work away if I asked for payment and they would find care elsewhere. I always manage to fill the odd hours so no problem.

[tas]

Yes I charge and have never had a parent complain

[emmas]

Thanks for the advice everybody. I have decided to close on a Monday and Tuesday due to the impact minding has on my young family. I am just not finding the time I need to dedicate to them. My mindee arrives first thing in the morning Mon-Fri and leaves around 6.30 at night:angry: the collection time gets later and later and not contracted pre arranged or charged!

I am going to inform the parents of my inteded change of hours tonight and give 4 weeks notice in writing. I am also changing my hoursof work to 7.30am - 5.30pm no later! Unless pre arranged and charged.
At the moment as mindee is full time I have not charged while she is using her 15 hours at nursery school, however this I am also changing, as I need to maximise my earnings over 3 days, and I cannot refill those 15 hours with another mindee.
I feel guilty about it all, but at the same time its a business not a charity, and I cannot afford to lose 15 hours pay when I only work 30 hours!

Has anybody else changed hours, what response did you get?
I am turning new clients away weekly at the moment so I am not worried about finding a replacement, I have even had to start a waiting list:)

[AliceK]

I have had to make decisions and cut down hours. At one time I was working 07.30 - 18.00 and this just wasn't working with my mornings and having to get my own 2 children ready so I changed to 08.00 start. This was about 5 years ago. Then about 18mths ago due to other commitments I had to change from 18.00 - 17.30 finish. All my families except 1 managed to work around this, the other one threw their toys out of the pram and decided to leave.
I have learnt in this job that we need to do what is best for us and consequently our own families.
With regard to your original question I too do charge if I do the drop off and collection from nursery.

xxx

[gef918]

I reduced my hours from 5 days a week all year round to 3 days termtime only. All my parents stayed with me ☺. It was definitely the right decision for my family and I think parents understood that.

[JCrakers]

I recently cut my hours down, used to work Fridays but dropped them as finding no time for myself or family. The 3 families that it affected were fine about it, all found alternative care for that day.

I haven't done a Preschool pickup/dropoff for a very long time and tend to avoid anyone who wants one. I offer the FEEE so no need for an existing child to go to a Preschool. 1 child does but she goes on a different day, uses her 15hrs with me though and Preschool is an extra.

If I was to have an enquiry about dropping and picking up I would decline, because I don't see the point in offering a childcare service to drop a child off at another one. :thumbsup: :rolleyes:

[Simona]

It maybe useful for Cms to read the latest speech by Sam Gyimah given a few days ago in relation to the 30 hours when the scheme comes into effect.

He acknowledges that many children may attend up to 3 providers/schools in order to access the 30 hours...what will happen if parents are charged when their child is in another setting is something Gyimah and the DfE have not...I believe...worked out.

[k1rstie]

We have just had an email from the school saying that from September children will be able to attend 2 and a half days ( with the possibility of purchasing another half day) rather than the Monday to Friday, 3 hour sessions , either morning or afternoon that it currently offers. The timing of their full day is 9 till 3, no mention of the cost or lunch, or the staffs lunch etc. I guess it's a bit of a feeler email. They can also attend for 5 days from 9 till 3 if they wish.

My question is, I'm hoping that someone will know. At 3 years old, if a child were to attend 10 sessions, would they could as rising 5's in our numbers if we were to care for them after school?

[moggy]

...

My question is, I'm hoping that someone will know. At 3 years old, if a child were to attend 10 sessions, would they could as rising 5's in our numbers if we were to care for them after school?

??? No, surely it would be like a 3-year old child now going to nursery/pre-school 9-3 each day and we have them before/after 'school' (nursery/pre-school), it happens already.
The rising-5 thing is only for Reception Year.

[natlou82]

It is a good question though Kirstie. I have previously had this conversation and I'll be honest there's no way I would take on a 3 year old as wraparound care. They would need to access their 30 hours / or at least 15 with me. There's something else the DoE haven't considered!

[FussyElmo]

We have just had an email from the school saying that from September children will be able to attend 2 and a half days ( with the possibility of purchasing another half day) rather than the Monday to Friday, 3 hour sessions , either morning or afternoon that it currently offers. The timing of their full day is 9 till 3, no mention of the cost or lunch, or the staffs lunch etc. I guess it's a bit of a feeler email. They can also attend for 5 days from 9 till 3 if they wish.

My question is, I'm hoping that someone will know. At 3 years old, if a child were to attend 10 sessions, would they could as rising 5's in our numbers if we were to care for them after school?

No you can't put a 3yo as a rising 5.

It's hard believe me I live in a la that if children are 3 by the 31st August they can enter school nursery and get full time hours.
It has a knock on effect no funded 3 yos till Christmas. You have to consider your wraparound care if you offer it but it can be a long year especially of you have cared for the child for a long time.

[Simona]

K1rstie...I wonder if you can clarify a few points
who is the 'feeler' email from?
what age is the child?
are they referring to 30 hours of childcare?...if they are is your LA volunteering the trials or are they the implementers for SEND etc?
if a child attends 9-3 is that 'full time' at school'?
what do you mean by saying they have not said what the cost is?

The policy is still very much 'under construction' and no one knows what will happen so all people here can do is speculate
You may want to call your EY team and ask them directly ...or call your representing association as no one here will be able to offer a reply.

Has anyone heard of the recent conference attended by Gyimah about providers 'working together'...the new buzzwortd!!... to get children into school?

Many cms appear to continue to want to put barriers up against this 30 hours or specify what they want to do or not want to do
Cms will need to get together locally and work together otherwise it will all be about nurseries.

CMs will be VITAL in this scheme...it won't work without CMs...finally the penny has dropped at the DfE and with the rest of the sector

maybe time for cms to start putting forward some positive ideas and challenge the DfE on this....the DfE cannot have it all its way
For a start we need to know what the funding will be...no one knows yet....not even those trialling the scheme

Bear in mind that giving 30 hours to 3/4 year olds will leave little space for the 2 year olds whose funding is usually higher.

Please keep informed
Hope to see many cms at the various meetings/conferences on this topic putting their opinions forward loud and clear :thumbsup:

In reply to Nat...there are lots of things the DfE has not considered...that is why they are asking for 'innovative' ideas on this scheme...exactly what they asked about Cms agencies...the DfE is driven by ideology and there is little thought behind what they do or any of their policies

[k1rstie]

[QUOTE="Simona;1420242"]K1rstie...I wonder if you can clarify a few points who is the 'feeler' email from? what age is the child? are they referring to 30 hours of childcare?...if they are is your LA volunteering the trials or are they the implementers for SEND etc? if a child attends 9-3 is that 'full time' at school'? what do you mean by saying they have not said what the cost is? /QUOTE]
Hi Simona. Thanks for your reply and further questions.

The letter came as part of my daughters Friday emails from her primary school, which also has a school nursery attached for children age 3 and 4. They are offering flexible sessions, and state that 'in addition to the free 15 hours of government funded sessions, parents will have the option to pay for additional sessions. For example, if you require three full days of Nursery education because of work commitments, you will be able to pay for one additional session'

I suggested that it was a 'feeler' email because no costs were stated and no application forms were supplied, or any dates that applications needed to be in by.

[moggy]

[QUOTE="Simona;1420242"]K1rstie...I wonder if you can clarify a few points who is the 'feeler' email from? what age is the child? are they referring to 30 hours of childcare?...if they are is your LA volunteering the trials or are they the implementers for SEND etc? if a child attends 9-3 is that 'full time' at school'? what do you mean by saying they have not said what the cost is? /QUOTE]
Hi Simona. Thanks for your reply and further questions.

The letter came as part of my daughters Friday emails from her primary school, which also has a school nursery attached for children age 3 and 4. They are offering flexible sessions, and state that 'in addition to the free 15 hours of government funded sessions, parents will have the option to pay for additional sessions. For example, if you require three full days of Nursery education because of work commitments, you will be able to pay for one additional session'

I suggested that it was a 'feeler' email because no costs were stated and no application forms were supplied, or any dates that applications needed to be in by.

To me it looks like this nursery is just catching up with what most other nurseries already offer- flexible sessions or days as the parents choose, 15-hours of which can be FE and the rest paid for. It is still 'nursery'- not Reception Year at school, so the child's attendance there does not change the fact that they are a pre-school EYFS child at normal 1:3 ratio for any care they have at a CMer.

[Simona]

[QUOTE="Simona;1420242"]K1rstie...I wonder if you can clarify a few points who is the 'feeler' email from? what age is the child? are they referring to 30 hours of childcare?...if they are is your LA volunteering the trials or are they the implementers for SEND etc? if a child attends 9-3 is that 'full time' at school'? what do you mean by saying they have not said what the cost is? /QUOTE]
Hi Simona. Thanks for your reply and further questions.

The letter came as part of my daughters Friday emails from her primary school, which also has a school nursery attached for children age 3 and 4. They are offering flexible sessions, and state that 'in addition to the free 15 hours of government funded sessions, parents will have the option to pay for additional sessions. For example, if you require three full days of Nursery education because of work commitments, you will be able to pay for one additional session'

I suggested that it was a 'feeler' email because no costs were stated and no application forms were supplied, or any dates that applications needed to be in by.

Thanks K1rstie...is that the Head master signature at the bottom of the letter?
Is the school called 'Our school loge'?

Are you clear what the school is trying to do or as they say they want to change the 'way the nursery is run'?...I can't see how they can do that...maybe you should find out, you could suggest parents get to ask questions on how this new arrangement would work and what the cost would be.
There is a particular sentence that is a little unclear where it mentions parents can 'organise possible childcare needs'...are you clear what they mean?

Moggy...I think the letter is very clear what the school is trying to do...or at least it is to me.
If I had received it I would certainly go and get the contents clarified which I hope K1rstie will do.

Let us know how you get on K1rstie....ask you will provide the childcare or additional hours as they mention...;)

[k1rstie]

Of course it's not the school name or the heads signature! I stated in my original posting that the school had sent the email, and you asked if the email had come from the school. I obviously cut the top and bottom from the letter as there is no need to advertise the school or headmasters name.

[Simona]

Of course it's not the school name or the heads signature! I stated in my original posting that the school had sent the email, and you asked if the email had come from the school. I obviously cut the top and bottom from the letter as there is no need to advertise the school or headmasters name.

Fair point...I had guessed that but just wanted to clarify rather than assume...let us know when you have a clearer idea what they want to do.