funded early years places

[Anacrusis]

Hi,

Does anyone know what the going rate childminders get paid for these places in Northamptonshire?

I've just heard from my local childminding association that we will be able to provide these for 3-4 year olds & 2 year olds if we have a good or outstanding grade from Ofsted. I can't find any info online about how much they pay for the places though!

[sarah707]

I think the rate for 2 year olds is something close to £5 across the country - but it goes down quite sharply when they get to 3... :D

[karensmart4]

It varies from county to county, I think the average is £5 an hr for 2yr olds and £4 an hr for 3 & 4yr olds, but as I said it does vary and if it's less than your going rate you are not allowed to charge the parent the difference.

[snortlet]

The 3 and 4 year old funding is £3.52 per hour if rated Good and £3.62 if outstanding. not sure on two year old rate as not had any on that for a while.

[Anacrusis]

Thanks everyone, I've emailed my LA for more infomation about the 2yo places.

I've read that we can't charge for "extras" when providing the funded places but I usually charge (at cost or less) for trips/activities, meals & snacks. Does this mean I would either have to pay for them myself or stop providing them?

[Simona]

All cms should now receive notification form their LA regarding drawing funding for 2, 3 and 4 year olds following Truss' very clear message in her N World interview...no way can the LAs say they are not clear

The rate varies from LA to LA but it tends to be higher for 2 yo ...around the £5 or even higher in some LAs then as Sarah states drops to a very low level
That said Truss hints that this discrepancy may be addressed in future as she ...or her successor...will tackle the funding formula and may be introduce a universal rate..not sure about that either as cost of living differs

Good luck to you all...we appear to have achieved another step to equality after so many years of campaigning on this subject...what next? ...networks...what will happen to them?

Exclusive: The Minister's View - Shaping more affordable childcare | Nursery World (http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/article/1194592/exclusive-ministers-view---shaping-affordable-childcare?DCMP=EMC-CONNurseryWorldUpdate&bulletin=nursery-world-update-bulletin)

[snortlet]

Thanks everyone, I've emailed my LA for more infomation about the 2yo places.

I've read that we can't charge for "extras" when providing the funded places but I usually charge (at cost or less) for trips/activities, meals & snacks. Does this mean I would either have to pay for them myself or stop providing them?

Re charging for extras. I think that you cannot insist on parents paying for meals or trips if they want to only take a funded place with you. if you charge for meals they have the right to bring a packed lunch. for trips they can choose not to bring their child that day and you can then make up the funded hours later that week or not claim them from NCC. The latest policy and proceedure wording is due to be avaliable from NCC 30th August and you can use that to write you new policies then. If you need a hand I'm happy to help.

[Simona]

We must distinguish between funding for 2 yo and the 3 and 4 yo

2 yo will only get funding if they are from low income families and fit the DfE criteria (income below £16,194 pa)
These families are unlikely to want more that 15 hrs and those children will only attend for 38 weeks of the year

Providers are not allowed to impose any charges on them ...free childcare means it is free at the point of delivery...we may get more than our fees or less according to the LAs funding...but that is it.

3 and 4 yo are different and vary because most will attend for more than 15 hrs...providers have over the years charged for extras: meals, activities, playgroups and such like
providers have also upped the fees outside the free childcare to recoup the loss of lower funding from their LA...over the years this has made childcare more expensive

While it is good we are now included in this funding we now have to face the fact that we may lose income and have a space for 2 yo only for 38 weeks of the year...when that child gets to 3 the funding drops even lower.

We have gained one way but lost another...the argument continues that the funding has to be increased to cover our costs.

[Anacrusis]

Thanks Snortlet and Simona, your replies are really helpful.

Snortlet, do you know where I can find some really clear guidance for providers online? I've read the links sent to me by NCA & I can't find out anything about the payment rates or even how long a 3-4 year old is eligable for funding! Do they mean the one year between 3-4 years old, or for the whole year a child is 3 and the whole year a child is 4?

I'm going to email the LA today if I still can't find the answers I'm looking for!

[Anacrusis]

I've googled other counties info for funded places & found out that the funding is until the period after their fith birthday - does that mean they get to have the term that they term five funded or the term after the one they turned five in? Sorry if I'm asking stupid questions!

[Simona]

Please go to the thread: Is your LA still imposing conditions to draw funding? for latest news
you will find the DfE response there

For any child the funding kicks in the term after their birthday...so 2 year olds get it the term after as do 3 year olds...very unlike we still fund 4 year olds as they will be in reception by then.....this condition has never changed

[Anacrusis]

Thanks Simona, I'll look there. My LA has stopped imposing conditions, as a relatively new childminder (under a year) I'm just trying to find out the details of accessing funding which I don't think will have changed?

Some of my mindees are home educated so how long the funding lasts is relevant to some of my families.

[Simona]

Thanks Simona, I'll look there. My LA has stopped imposing conditions, as a relatively new childminder (under a year) I'm just trying to find out the details of accessing funding which I don't think will have changed?

Some of my mindees are home educated so how long the funding lasts is relevant to some of my families.

The compulsory age for education is 5 and 1/4...that is when parents can actually send their children to school not at 3 or 4 if they do not wish...so funding should caver until then
For home educated children that still applies....wherever they are educated...I assume home educated means the parents are doing the education at home or you mean in your setting?
Again your LA will be the one to answer your query if you can get a reply from them??

[Bambini2]

Hi,

Does anyone know what the going rate childminders get paid for these places in Northamptonshire?

I've just heard from my local childminding association that we will be able to provide these for 3-4 year olds & 2 year olds if we have a good or outstanding grade from Ofsted. I can't find any info online about how much they pay for the places though!


I live in Somerset and from Sept I will be getting £4.59 per hour for three year olds. This can vary slightly depending whether you own your own house, sufficiency & other variables. I don't have any two year olds at the moment so don't know what the rate is.

[Anacrusis]

Thanks Simona & Bambini2 :) I've just emailed my LA again - I'd already emailed but they said they need my Ofsted number! Is this sort of information classified lol!

Simona, officially home education is classed as "education other than at a school" and it's down to the parents how the education is provided. In my case I'm happy to help in anyway I can, however I'm a supporter of autonomous education so would only be able to encourage/promote (not enforce) activities that a child is reluctant to do. At the age we're talking about the families I have are carrying on in the same vein as with under 3's for the moment - providing interesting and varied experiences / answering questions / plenty of play opportunities etc. So to answer your question yes, I'm doing it & so are the parents, but at this point in time with this family's approach there's a limited amount of anything that would look like a lesson iyswim. I follow themes with my minded children and there are loads of educational opportunities for them which I differentiate for children of different ages/abilities, but no specific educational requests from parents at the moment. (In the past I've been asked to re-enforce days of the week with past mindee but that's it)

Sorry for the long answer!