Own children and free hours

[mumofone]

When our children are entitled to their (currently) 15 free hours of childcare what happens when we are childminders ourselves? Do we have to send them to another setting or is there any way we can keep them but receive funding for this?! I'm guessing not?! :-)

[moggy]

Speak to your LA as each makes their own rules on entitlement. But I believe you can not claim for your own child!

[Simona]

The DfE guidance on funding for cms' own children is really very clear...we do not get funding to educate our own children at home...a clear discriminatory policy that no one can be bothered to raise or challenge the DfE with!
Even in this forum there is little appetite to fight this discrimination while nursery's staff can access funding for their children at the setting they work!...madness.

However...LAs CAN, if they wish, fund Cms' children....they usually don't because no one has ever really challenged them.

if you download the DfE guidance on education and childcare you will find a clear paragraph on this issue.....read it and call your LA...I certainly would if I had my own child coming close to funding age....and would also make a great fuss if they didn't"!

Good luck!

Just another myth to bust...LAs have clear guidance on funding CMs ...there is only one condition they can impose on cms: our Ofsted grade!
they make their own rules because very few challenge them and follow unnecessary and prescriptive conditions to deliver funding!

[moggy]

Although the Ofsted definition of 'childminding' specifies a child which is not your own. So maybe that also means you cannot receive FE for own child as you are not childminding them.

[Simona]

Although the Ofsted definition of 'childminding' specifies a child which is not your own. So maybe that also means you cannot receive FE for own child as you are not childminding them.

You may be right Moggy...however... the guidance is written by the DfE not Ofsted.
As you know I make a clear distinction between govt's policy and Ofsted remit to inspect us on those policies.

We can only follow what the legislator says not what Ofsted meddles in when it suits them....is Ofsted now rewriting the definition of cms?...dear lord!


If Wilshaw is so concerned about ALL children receiving good education he should speak up for cms...if they are Good or Outstanding what is the reason behind no funding for them?

[samb]

When my ds was the age to receive funding he only went to preschool 12 hours a week and I claimed the other 3. But he is 7 now and they've changed the rules since then in my la but worth reading your la's guidelines and asking if it doesn't state.

I effectively became my ds's minder so did him a short and sweet scrapbook for his lj and communicated with his preschool.

[Simona]

When my ds was the age to receive funding he only went to preschool 12 hours a week and I claimed the other 3. But he is 7 now and they've changed the rules since then in my la but worth reading your la's guidelines and asking if it doesn't state.

I effectively became my ds's minder so did him a short and sweet scrapbook for his lj and communicated with his preschool.

Yes you are right because the preschool was claiming funding....nurseries and preschools have done funding for ages but not CMs...unless they belonged to a Network...which Truss put a stop to by opening the funding to all cms as well after 2012....subject to our Ofsted grade!

CMs have only been allowed to do funding in the last 2 years or so but...it excludes our own children and the guidance is DfE Sept 2014.

LAs have Terms and Conditions and contracts for cms to draw funding...they can fund cms's own children if they can get the funding from other funding pots they have at their disposal....they rarely do.

We really need to raise our concerns on this issue....it has gone unnoticed for years.

[blue bear]

Our la won't let you claim funding for any child that is related to the childminder which I'm sure include step relations. I think this is really unfair why should my nephew, grandchild, cousins child have to go to someone else when their parent would prefer me?

[Simona]

Our la won't let you claim funding for any child that is related to the childminder which I'm sure include step relations. I think this is really unfair why should my nephew, grandchild, cousins child have to go to someone else when their parent would prefer me?

Yes your LA is following the DfE 'statutory' guidance which excludes cms' own children from claiming funding in their own setting.....it is discriminatory and frankly appalling!

The LAs can find the money from other sources for cms' children but rarely do...it is clearly stated in the guidance ...I think it is on page 26.
I wonder if any cm has ever tried to ask that? I would be interested in their reply.

The time will come when someone...either Ofsted or DfE will listen to this concern if enough people complain....and put it right.

after all we are subsidising every family in the land that comes through our door so can't see why we can't subsidise our own children?...
when the LA comes knocking on your door to offer 30 hours funding ask if they will also fund your own children!!

This has been the rule for a while but no association has actually taken it on for behalf of cms!
I will certainly raise it again.

[mumofone]

Have any of you ever "sent" their child to another setting such as a pre school to get your free hours even though you're childminding at home?

[moggy]

Have any of you ever "sent" their child to another setting such as a pre school to get your free hours even though you're childminding at home?

Yes, my youngest was 3 when I started minding and he went to the local playgroup for 3 mornings a week for the 4 terms before he started school. My eldest went to nursery for 2 mornings a week at the same age and I was not CMing then. They enjoyed it, they got a bit of independance away from mummy, it was right for them at their ages/stages and was a good introduction to group setting before school. I never felt the need to send them for more than 2-3 mornings a week as we did so much at home.

[Smiley]

I know a childminder who challenged the LA because she was told occasionally they may allow it as they have a pot of money it could come out of. However, they checked all the provision in her area and said some had been graded outstanding so therefore they felt she didn't have an argument!

[Mouse]

Have any of you ever "sent" their child to another setting such as a pre school to get your free hours even though you're childminding at home?

All of my children went to other settings for their 15 hours and they all loved the fact that they had somewhere to go that was just for them and didn't have to include minded children. The older ones went to playgroup and then the school nursery and the younger ones went to a childminder then the school nursery.

I always think I can offer the children (mine and minded children) everything another setting can, apart from experience of being in a big group of children. That's why I encourage parents to send them to a bigger setting for at least some of the time before they start school.

[Simona]

I know a childminder who challenged the LA because she was told occasionally they may allow it as they have a pot of money it could come out of. However, they checked all the provision in her area and said some had been graded outstanding so therefore they felt she didn't have an argument!

Thank you for sharing this Smiley...amazing how the LAs can twist statutory guidance when it suits them....how that cm lost the argument is rather difficult to understand if all she wanted to do...like many other cms...is access funding for her own child.
It may not be that easy for LAs to do as they please once the 30 hours comes in...time will tell.

Of course cms can send their children to preschool to experience a larger setting but personally I don't feel this is the issue...it is the discrimination against cms and for no reason that we have ever been told of!

I have also raised this concern elsewhere today and hope to be able to follow it through....the more know about it the better.

[TinyTinker]

Have any of you ever "sent" their child to another setting such as a pre school to get your free hours even though you're childminding at home?

Yes I sent my now 5 year old to the nursery year at her school for her 15 hours, it was a great start to her going to school as she has then progressed to reception now to year 1. I felt it was good for her, because although she was in an EYFS setting with me, she was not mixing with other adults, other children and was in her own home.