Have you received grant money?

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Just need some feedback from those who have received grant money. I am going to a meeting with our council on Wednesday and would like to take some ammunition with me.

So could you tell me which area you live in, how much you got, what did you spend it on, were there conditions on what you spent it on and any conditions or time limits that you had to childmind to keep it?

Thanks in advance.

[huggableshelly]

Last I heard there are too many childminders in Hertfordshire and we will not be getting any form of grant at all, the grants are for other areas with less childcare provision in order to ensure all children gain the experiences they need.

less childcare provission is classed as ALL .. nurseries preschools and childminders.

We do have a toy loaning libary but they most likely do not have kiddy digital cameras and video recorders to borrow ... I've not looked to be honest.

[carebear25]

This is what my childminding co ordinator told me -

"Anyway Lancashire have decided because of 'European tendering laws' to buy the resources and then distribute them to the childminders rather than give the money direct to childminders to choose their own!

All childminders will receive them you don't apply or anything and we are waiting to hear when (don't think it will be before Christmas)
As soon as we receive definite information I'll let you know."

[LittleStar's]

I have just registered in Macclesfield and I got £300. They said If I stop minding within 12 months I will have to pay all or sme of it back. I could spend it on pretty much whatever I wanted, to do with the business obviously but had to keep reciepts, I bought toys, a printer, craft bits, high chair and some multicultural bits. and they where fine with all of that.

My husband is also looking into registering and they have said he will get the same as me!!!

Hope this helps

Jenna x

[nikkia77]

Just need some feedback from those who have received grant money. I am going to a meeting with our council on Wednesday and would like to take some ammunition with me.

So could you tell me which area you live in, Basildon Essex how much you got, £296 of a possible £300 cash, 1 year NCMA membership & insurance & the NCMA purple box compleat with 1st years paperwork what did you spend it on, I was told that it could be spent on start up costs & equipment but when it actually arrived 5 months after I was registered I was told that I can't backdate so the £200 I spent getting registered (courses, doctor's fee, stuff for my pre-reg visit) is dead money & because I have yet to get a mindee I haven't bought anything else were there conditions on what you spent it on the grant aplication form had a page where I had to list what start up equipment I would need but when I read the letter saying grant had been approved that said I would need to show proof of purchase & I couldn't backdate my costs I phoned them up & was told that as long as I proved I had bought equipment for childminding it would be fine and any conditions or time limits that you had to childmind to keep it?I will receive a review form 6 months after receiving the grant, it asks about what the money's been spent on & what it allowed me to do ie take on different age mindee's, I don't know what's going to happen with that as like I said I don't have a mindee & I did allocate half of the money to go towards a double buggy which I don't want to buy for the sake of buying if it's not going to be used, i'm expecting them to ask for it back. Also I was told by the development worker to say I would work towards getting accredited to give them more reason to give it to me but as yet again with the no mindees (& I don't rightly know what it means anyway) lol

I will say that if I had known how much time & paperwork it was going to take to get a poxy £300 I would never have bothered as I had to do
a bussiness plan
a cash flow forcast (on a sheet they provided which was done in the most complicated way possible)
as well as the grant aplication form which I found out, when I took it to my old boss at the nursery, is the same form that they have to fill in & they have no limit on how much they can ask for (even she said it wasn't worth £300) I'm not stupid but they made it really hard, i think on purpose to put people off, I almost gave up on it but I wanted the NCMA stuff

Thanks in advance.

Sorry its so long :blush: :blush:

[sarah707]

In East Cheshire it has been given to 40 childminders as resources - they each got a laptop, camera, digital photo display thing and printer - they had to do a course.

There were a couple of other small courses as well.

Apart from that, if you were not free to attend the courses, zilch for the rest of us.

Apparently according to them, it's not meant to be spent on our houses.

How will we ever be classed as equals when our own authorities don't consider us equal? :(

I know a childminder who has paid for a complete extension with the grant and I believe in Warrington just down the road all childminders have had resources, so distribution has been very patchy.

There have also been articles in Nursery World saying that huge amounts of the money has been spent inappropriately on administration.

Good luck with the meeting Debbie! :D

[TheBTeam]

As Huggableshelly, nothing in Herts, toy library is fine if you want to borrow things with bits missing and then be blamed for losing other bits, after having scrabbled for ages to get some of the bits.

The stupid thing about too much childcare provision in Herts is that does not equate to all childcare provision having enough business, (one only the other day went out of business) and we are only allowed the max that anyone else is, so we are no better off than anywhere else, yet they seem to think we do not need any money as we are in a 'shire', was the explanation given to me!

[manjay]

The capital grant is not available to us in Wales so we get nothing!

The motion was passed at the conference yesterday for NCMA to lobby your government for the same guidelines to be applicable accross the country. Within the room there were massive differences in what members ahd been able to access. Some had been awarded up to £9000 whereas others were given nothing.

Very unfair in my humble opinion:rolleyes:

[nell57]

We have been very lucky in Stoke-on Trent.

The LA decided to give all settings an equal chance in applying for the grant. We were given a a job lot of toy catalogues , a list of I T equipment and the chance to apply for alteration to our homes and gardens. We had to show evidence on how all this would enhance our settings and show evidence on our knowledge on the EYFS. There are conditions once an application is awarded, such as having alterations done and then decide to stop minding, you have to pay back a percent of the value of the alteration.

Most grants for toys and IT have been awarded in the area. While some have been lucky with garden and house applications, a lot have been turned down.

I personally had my grant application of toys and IT accepted in Sept, but I'm still waiting on any delivery. Many of my minding friends have had deliveries.

Good luck with your meeting, hope it goes well:thumbsup:
.

[margimum]

I'm in Lancashire like carebear and i've been told we'll get £1000 of resources aimed at eyfs but can't choose our own!
As I've been minding for 18 years I have every toy/ book /dress up you can imagine! but need more IT and outdoor things, but not sure if I can choose.

[Mrs.L.C]

Network childminders have just been given a digital Kiddizoom camera & a guide to the EYFS book and those offering the educational places are being given laptops from the capital grant given to LA

[babs]

We have been very lucky in Stoke-on Trent.

The LA decided to give all settings an equal chance in applying for the grant. We were given a a job lot of toy catalogues , a list of I T equipment and the chance to apply for alteration to our homes and gardens. We had to show evidence on how all this would enhance our settings and show evidence on our knowledge on the EYFS. There are conditions once an application is awarded, such as having alterations done and then decide to stop minding, you have to pay back a percent of the value of the alteration.

Most grants for toys and IT have been awarded in the area. While some have been lucky with garden and house applications, a lot have been turned down.

I personally had my grant application of toys and IT accepted in Sept, but I'm still waiting on any delivery. Many of my minding friends have had deliveries.

Good luck with your meeting, hope it goes well:thumbsup:
.

i live in newcastle under lyme which does not come under stoke on trent im st5 postcode stoke is st4 and we get nothin its like a post code lottery here. im husband came out of work in jan and has stuggled to find a job, so has now set up his own company but was also told he couldnt get help with a grant and was advise to open an office in st4 where they would give him a grant. so think it depends where u live and which council u pay your poll tax too... this has annoyed hubby to the point hes even thinking of goin to the papers with the story of postcode lottery grants for new businesses ...

[Tired]

In Hampshire only networked Childminders could apply. We could ask for any amount for outdoor environment or IT. However, I know people who asked for money for other things and still got the grant.

I asked for 2000 and got 1500.

[sallybrooke]

Bradford here.

We were able to claim up to £2500 at the beginning of the year.
Many wanted IT stuff, so that was put on hold while the network sorted out a good deal on stuff like cameras, printers, laptops etc.

I received £1378 to spend on provisions to help with EYFS.

Ive just received notice that I can have a printer, digital, camera and a video camera too.

We have been well looked after!

Sally

[nell57]

i live in newcastle under lyme which does not come under stoke on trent im st5 postcode stoke is st4 and we get nothin its like a post code lottery here. im husband came out of work in jan and has stuggled to find a job, so has now set up his own company but was also told he couldnt get help with a grant and was advise to open an office in st4 where they would give him a grant. so think it depends where u live and which council u pay your poll tax too... this has annoyed hubby to the point hes even thinking of goin to the papers with the story of postcode lottery grants for new businesses ...

It does seem unfair how different Local Authorities have decided how to allocate the grant. Stoke on Trent stands on its own away from Staffordshire as a LA and this is where unfortunately the rest of Staffs minders loose out as far as the Capital Grant is concerned. I do realise how fortunate I am to gain from the grant:D

Not sure how post codes work in our area though I get very confused with it. Where I live it is st1, the street behind, is st6! Even Kidsgrove (st7 and about 5 miles from me) and Werrington come under Staffordshire and not Stoke on Trent.

Have you asked your early years dept about the Capital Grant, I thought I'd heard, second hand though, that a childminder in Kidsgrove had some kind of IT resource, but I'm not 100% on that.

Good luck with your hubbies new business, hope it goes well:thumbsup:

[babs]

yes helen ive asked. nothin seems to be available at the moment thou will keep trying....

[daisyboo1980]

no grants in ni at all

[gailee]

Hi in coventry we've been offered ICT funding minimum £2500 sent forms off just waiting for Yes or no of my application ??? Should know by end of November !

[grindal]

I am in Enfield in North London and have received nothing.

[Dragonfly]

Nothing in suffolk:(

[tinynippers]

no grant here either which is annoying really as childminders on millitery camps in germany can get them :(

[Chatterbox Childcare]

no grant here either which is annoying really as childminders on millitery camps in germany can get them :(

Where are you?

[Happy Totos]

Bradford is giving capital grant of 4,999K this financial year.. going to a meeting tomorrow for the application on that. We got the enhancing EYFS one a year ago of 2,500k! I have also accessed Leadership Graduate Fund of 3k a year for two years to go towards my degree course in Early Years and EYP Status training :thumbsup: to Bradford!

xx

[stressed]

Hi, i registered 3 years ago and got £300 for recourses, but we have also been told that this year we are all getting a digital camera, printer & laptop but have been waiting since April so we'll see!

[Straws]

In stoke on trent, I got over £8500 toys and IT we are tied for 3 years many have had home improvements, and gardens done through the grant, there have been a few complaining when there grants have been turned down, but I'm grateful for what I have been able to order.

Straws xx

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Thank you to everyone for their responses.

I have collated a report by copying and pasting your comments and will let you know the outcome.

[TheBTeam]

In stoke on trent, I got over £8500 toys and IT we are tied for 3 years many have had home improvements, and gardens done through the grant, there have been a few complaining when there grants have been turned down, but I'm grateful for what I have been able to order.

Straws xx

WOW, i am really pleased for you, but a little aggrieved at my big fat nothing!

[sophiestars]

Nothing here either in west Sussex, it's so unfair that some get thousands and we get nothing!! We are told it's because Sussex is considered an affluent county, well there are certainly areas that are not!! And I am certainly not affluent either!

[Leelee]

In Coventry their is £500 through a Business Development agency, but its REALLY hard to get. You have to have an extensive Business Plan then fill out LOTS of forms, you have to have proof of a launch date (which is hard if you don't know if u will end up registered or not) then you have to give them proof of all the prices of the items you want to buy,(they wanted me to buy everything of the internet so i could email them the order summary) then receipts after you've bought them so they can check the prices!!! I gave up in the end, mainly because they were very unfriendly and made me feel like I was trying to diddle them out of something!:(

[mama2three]

in notts there have been 8 'early years kits' put together of which childminders may choose 1. they are laptop , construction , outdoors , music and shopping , role play , speaking and listening , dens , multicultural , storage and baby kits. All have been worth approx £450. Im happy weve got these , and will be excited when my parcels arrive - but cant believe some of you have had thousands ( have read of conservatories and major revamps! ) and other have nothing at all. postcode lottery yet again.

[Happy Totos]

From what I gathered at a recent grant meeting, it depends how well the outcomes are achieved in each LA for the Govt to give out funding. So for Bradford to get as much as they are dishing out, it seems the outcomes are poor and hence the Govt needing to raise the standards here.... Be glad :eek: if your locality doesnt get much or nothing, means they are doing well!? :laughing:

MA xx

[nokidshere]

I have recieved the forms but haven't yet sent them off. I am in Wiltshire.

We have 3 forms to fill in - one for outdoor resources, one for indoor resources and one for IT resources. I have no idea how much or what the criteria for sucess is :(

Apparantly I have to fill in the forms and they will decide what, if anything, the will give me. It would be so much easier if they put a value on it.

[singlewiththree]

I wasn't entitled to anything as I hadn't been registered a year and now they have spent all the money :eek: We only had 1 wave of grant applications.

For those that could apply, one has had their garden redone! others have spent £1000, £2500 on outdoor equipment and IT equipment.

[Daisy1956]

What grants are these we in my area have heard nothing about them

[kez]

no grants in birmingham-just funded training which we have just been told again that there being reduced too.....

[Tinglesnark]

im in kent and i got the NCMA file full of stuff, a fire blanket, a years free PLI and my £25 reg fee reimbursed

stingy b:censored: ........

:laughing: