Queens speech

[agency12]

She is about to tell us children will get 30 'free' hours (funded hours) per week - how do you see that affecting care ?

[Simona]

If you are interested in what the Queen's speech says about the increase in 'free' childcare...it is all in one line:

'Measures will be brought forward to help working people by greatly increasing the provision of free childcare'
now that needs a bit of translation!

Full speech here
https://www.gov.uk/government/speech...ns-speech-2015

[agency12]

Its an increase for working parents (and only parents not parent) to 30 hours of funded care a week, and presumably if childcare is now 'free' then childcare tax credits will be phased out ?

I can't see the morning only (church volunteer) childcare surviving this if six hour are available next door

[FloraDora]

The Queens speech is just their 'vision' - it still has to get through parliament - and be funded!

The issue is how much are they paying per hour if it comes to fruit..? ..we will need to be banding together about this as the current rate causes issues but can be made up by having children more hours.
I see this having an effect on all childcare providers.

I am ready to write to my MP.......

[Mouse]

This is from the BBC news website and it always irks me!

"Department for Education figures showed the average cost of providing free childcare places was £4.47 an hour, while the government paid £4.51 an hour for each three-and-four year old on the scheme."


Why can they not explain it properly? That LAs keep a good chunk of the money and hand over the minimum they can? No wonder parents think childcare providers are raking it in if we get paid more per hour that the average cost. Why can't it say "Department for Education figures showed the average cost of providing free childcare places was £4.47 an hour, while the government paid the LAs £4.51 an hour for each three-and-four year old on the scheme. LAs in turn passed on as little as £3.20 per hour to childcare providers meaning nurseries and childminders are subsidising the scheme."

Unless funding is reviewed and increased I can see a lot of providers not wanting to provide the 30 hours. It's something that will affect independent and agency childminders, especially if agencies take their cut as well.

[FloraDora]

This is from the BBC news website and it always irks me!

"Department for Education figures showed the average cost of providing free childcare places was £4.47 an hour, while the government paid £4.51 an hour for each three-and-four year old on the scheme."


Why can they not explain it properly? That LAs keep a good chunk of the money and hand over the minimum they can? No wonder parents think childcare providers are raking it in if we get paid more per hour that the average cost. Why can't it say "Department for Education figures showed the average cost of providing free childcare places was £4.47 an hour, while the government paid the LAs £4.51 an hour for each three-and-four year old on the scheme. LAs in turn passed on as little as £3.20 per hour to childcare providers meaning nurseries and childminders are subsidising the scheme."

Unless funding is reviewed and increased I can see a lot of providers not wanting to provide the 30 hours. It's something that will affect independent and agency childminders, especially if agencies take their cut as well.

Perhaps we could become 'Acadamy providers' and just miss out the middle man - the LEA - that's why lots of schools become independent acadamies - they then get paid direct from government and buy in all the services they want - from anyone.

[hectors house]

Think we need to set up one of those "Change" petitions - every time I sign one for whatever injustice I mostly get an e-mail telling me that there has been a positive outcome.

[Simona]

Both NDNA and PLA have issued a response to the Queen's speech and both say that funding is vital for this to work....as did Family and Childcare Trust
Sam Gyimah did promise a review of funding and both associations will hold him to that...he is in charge of childcare in his portfolio.

PLA have also requested a seat at the table when the review takes place.
The promised 30 hours would not come in until 2017 anyway so there is time to debate.
I hope parents get the message now that what they believe to be ' free' childcare is not so.
Preschools on rented premises will struggle to extend if not able to rent for further hours.....not sure how state schools would also deliver 30 hours
So far only nurseries and CMs would be in a position to offer 30 hours but the shortage of places will be acute.

I feel this is a debate that will go on and on.... And where is the money coming from?

[agency12]

We get £3.16

[FloraDora]

We get £3.16

For what?
3/4 year old funding?
Are you a childminder then?

[bunyip]

This is from the BBC news website and it always irks me!

"Department for Education figures showed the average cost of providing free childcare places was £4.47 an hour, while the government paid £4.51 an hour for each three-and-four year old on the scheme."


Why can they not explain it properly? That LAs keep a good chunk of the money and hand over the minimum they can? No wonder parents think childcare providers are raking it in if we get paid more per hour that the average cost. Why can't it say "Department for Education figures showed the average cost of providing free childcare places was £4.47 an hour, while the government paid the LAs £4.51 an hour for each three-and-four year old on the scheme. LAs in turn passed on as little as £3.20 per hour to childcare providers meaning nurseries and childminders are subsidising the scheme."

Unless funding is reviewed and increased I can see a lot of providers not wanting to provide the 30 hours. It's something that will affect independent and agency childminders, especially if agencies take their cut as well.

So instead of advertising their own "generosity" the LAs should have posters up explaining how CMs work to raise around 75p ph for the LA by providing childcare for a 3-4yo.

[JCrakers]

It's so maddening that the council don't pay the going rate. I charged £3.50 and the LA gave me £3.49 which wasn't too much of a loss..lol

But now I've put my fees up to £3.75 the council have also raised their amount but to £3.63 so I'm better off on my old fee but 12p less an hour on my new fee.

Some childminders in the town wont do the FEEE because of the loss we make.

[JCrakers]

We get £3.16

So are you an agency?
You get £3.16 from the council which then you have to pass onto childminders?
How much do they get then if you only get £3.16?

[Simona]

So are you an agency?
You get £3.16 from the council which then you have to pass onto childminders?
How much do they get then if you only get £3.16?

An agency would be the middleman in the funding ...LA gives it to the agency and the agency passes it to CMs...another bureaucratic step.

As I now have an agency in my LA I will be able to know a bit more on how all this works.

All LAs cream off from central funding because they can...neither Clegg nor Gyimah have kept to their pre election promise to encourage LAs to pass more to us...only the DfE can do so
The only alternative would be for the govt to fund providers directly but it would be a huge change and many do not agree with it.

[Mouse]

We get £3.16

Who gets £3.16? The agency or the childminder?

Did I read that agencies would have to pass on the whole of the funding (that the LA pays) to the childminder? Is it right that agencies can't take a further cut after the LA have had their share?

You are asking a lot of questions Agency12. It would be good of you to have the decency to answer some of ours. Show a bit of respect and you might actually get some answers

[Simona]

Who gets £3.16? The agency or the childminder?

Did I read that agencies would have to pass on the whole of the funding (that the LA pays) to the childminder? Is it right that agencies can't take a further cut after the LA have had their share?

You are asking a lot of questions Agency12. It would be good of you to have the decency to answer some of ours. Show a bit of respect and you might actually get some answers

A CM agency can 'offer' to administer the funding for their members...this would be declared in the application to Ofsted under additional services...see CM agency Handbook.

LAs can fund the agency but the agency need to pass the funding to their members...no mention of agencies able to reduce that amount...see Early Education and Childcare guidance by the DfE
If an agency offers these services they would charge a cm via their annual fee for services received.

Until they are actually running no one knows how they will operate because each agency has its own model...Agency 12 will know this.
What I think she/he is saying is that in the LA they are setting up the agency the funding is £3.16...I would say that is for 3/4 year olds not 2 year olds....is that right Agency12?

[Simona]

The govt has published the Childcare Bill following the Queen's speech ...see pages 25-26

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...INAL_NEW_2.pdf

[FloraDora]

An agency would be the middleman in the funding ...LA gives it to the agency and the agency passes it to CMs...another bureaucratic step.

As I now have an agency in my LA I will be able to know a bit more on how all this works.

All LAs cream off from central funding because they can...neither Clegg nor Gyimah have kept to their pre election promise to encourage LAs to pass more to us...only the DfE can do so
The only alternative would be for the govt to fund providers directly but it would be a huge change and many do not agree with it.

Personally I would like to be funded directly - like Acadamy schools.

I can't think of anything in the past year that the LA have helped me in - except to process my funding payment.
They invite me to update meetings that I already know the updates months before because I keep up to date and read things straight from gov sites or if I miss anything someone on here will mention it.
They provide free training that I don't need .....but because of my Ofsted grade and background expect me to support training and help others....for no payment!
I get oddball emails from DO - forwarded from someone who is telling her something so not even her view, her further research added and invariably about something I knew about ages before.
So I would like to 'opt out' - then choose which services I pay for, from whom , with my full per hour funding from govt , something they were very keen for me to do when I was responsible for hundreds of children, but I don't have an option to now I just manage 3 a day max.
I can dream...

[Simona]

Personally I would like to be funded directly - like Acadamy schools.

I can't think of anything in the past year that the LA have helped me in - except to process my funding payment.
They invite me to update meetings that I already know the updates months before because I keep up to date and read things straight from gov sites or if I miss anything someone on here will mention it.
They provide free training that I don't need .....but because of my Ofsted grade and background expect me to support training and help others....for no payment!
I get oddball emails from DO - forwarded from someone who is telling her something so not even her view, her further research added and invariably about something I knew about ages before.
So I would like to 'opt out' - then choose which services I pay for, from whom , with my full per hour funding from govt , something they were very keen for me to do when I was responsible for hundreds of children, but I don't have an option to now I just manage 3 a day max.
I can dream...

That sounds familiar...same here due to grade.
We can attend cms forum but it is so boring
No support but training is at a very high cost from my LA
Info is sooo out of date when I get it because like you I research my own.
Now that we have an agency in our LA it will be interesting to see what happens to those who do not join.

You could suggest your opinion on receiving funding directly from govt to PLA on the #EYAgenda...it welcomes every opinion form members or otherwise...I must remember to put tat question at the AGM next week.
I have just posted the link in another thread.

Someone asked in another thread if lone working parents can apply for 30 hours...PLA have just confirmed 'yes'.

[agency12]

Er, yes I can see where I've confused matters
Agency12 is a nursery (so we get funding) and we have applied to be an agency

Agencies won't have access to any funding belonging to cm's - it all (i say all....) goes to the right place

We (I'm talking as a nursery now) are getting all our parents NI numbers for the council, to get the funding they will at some point have to evidence they are working