Childcare cruch...fees up 30%?

[Simona]

There are many articles about focussing on the rise in childcare costs for parents...the new buzz word is the 'childcare crunch'!!

I do not for one moment deny that childcare is something that parents find 'unaffordable' but I do not agree that costs to parents have risen by that much.

Once again Family and Childcare Trust put out worrying statistics...so lets look at this a bit more

In any article no one ever looks at the cost to providers...we are not immune to the cost of living and our expenses rise relentlessly
I would say in the last 3 years our costs have risen even more under the More Affordable Childcare banner! This govt has done nothing to tackle our expenses, in fact they have increased them and yet it talks about 'affordable childcare'...affordable to whom?

Parents cannot pay fees but then a lot of them are paid well below the minimum wage...that is something any govt should tackle.
Is the pitiful funding we receive affordable to us?
The funding has remained at the same level for at least 7 years...why has it not been index linked?
should providers subsidise childcare or education when many of us actually earn less than the parents we are subsidising?

can we, in future, be able to afford to give 25 hrs of 'free childcare'?

I think it is time for the politicians and the charities to balance the argument...when they talk about the cost to families should they not understand that providers have families to support?
has anyone looked at our expenses?

Childcare places cut by 35,000 as costs go up 30 per cent, Labour leader Ed Miliband claims | Metro News (http://metro.co.uk/2013/11/18/childcare-places-cut-by-35000-as-costs-go-up-30-per-cent-4190441/?dm_i=77Z,201MO,2C95G7,778PI,1)

BBC News - Ed Miliband vows to tackle 'childcare crunch' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24979861?dm_i=77Z,201MO,2C95G7,77924,1)

[lizann]

Fees up by 30%? where? not in my area most of us have,nt put our fees up for the last 4/5 years yet our expenses have gone up gas electric fuel food insurance ect........ :mad:

[JCrakers]

I'm sick of it actually. Totally sick of people moaning and saying its too much to pay. :mad:

In fact I'm keeping it buttoned before I say something I shouldn't.

Another thing I'm seriously peed off with is the new Child Benefit tax....that's made me really cross too!!!!

[munch149]

I've put my fees up but purely because new minders on courses I have just been on were charging 50p more than me an hour so I out my fees up by 30p per hour so still cheaper but why should I earn less than them when I have more experience.

[hectors house]

25 years ago I paid my childminder £1 an hour, 40p for lunch and 25p for tea - now I charge £3.75 an hour, £1.50 per meal - back then there wasn't any help with childcare - I decided to have a baby, I decided to return to work - I paid the childminder - I was only earning £2.50 an hour and back then you didn't get the tax breaks like you do now, so I paid tax and national insurance on my part time wages. Maybe wages haven't gone up by nearly 4 times since 1988 but there is far more help out there now for working parents - but they want us to work for free so they have more money to spend on holidays, plasma tv's, designer clothes, meals out etc!

[FloraDora]

Thanks for that sign post Simona.

The BBC article quotes:

" But she acknowledged that many parents were finding it tough and the government was taking steps to increase the support available by making it easier for new childminders to enter the profession."

It certainly hasn't be an easy ride for me to enter the profession ...so I wonder if this is a reference to the agencies ....who supposedly will make it easier by providing training and support(but at a price) !

In some government areas I get the impression that they think childcare is part of the 'Public Service' therefore remuneration is not thought of as important - Julian Le Grand talks of Knights being the public servants - willing to do things for the cause regardless of personal funding... But in reality childcare is run mainly as private businesses where a profit is necessary to survive ( and to make a living) - ( therefore Knave like not Knight like)

Yet every political party is expecting the childcare business to run on fresh air and willingness!

Just a thought ......
"If you are as courageous as everyone says,
You will graciously grant me the game that I ask for."

This is the Green Knight’s first reference to Arthur’s knights’ reputation for great bravery. He will use these references to great effect to goad the knights into playing his game, for if they refuse, they risk throwing their reputation as great Knights away!!!

Gove the Green Knight!!!

[Simona]

I have just realised that the title of my thread is 'childcare CRUCH'....no no I meant crunch! if the moderators can rectify the spelling I would be grateful!

Family and Childcare Trust are having their annual conference on 12 December...the title?:

'Making more great and affordable childcare a Reality'
Oh dear I had a bit of a giggle at that fetchy slogan then....I looked at the agenda
Agenda | 2013 School Leaders Summit (http://www.familyandchildcaretrustconference.co.uk/agenda?dm_i=77Z,201MO,2C95G7,775VX,1)

Truss will of course be selling her CMs agencies and great reforms she has introduced in her morning speech followed by Lucy Powell MP, Shadow Minister for Childcare, who will be talking about 'the future of childcare under Labour'...that is 25 hrs of 'free childcare' to you and I and with no idea who is going to pay for it as yet even if the bank levy will be the source of funding it does not tell us if 'our funding' will still remain at the pitiful level of around £3+
should we provide 'free childcare'...which incidentally is only for parents both in work...so here we go again not a universal benefit for ALL children!

Tempted to attend and hear about how this 'reality' will come true (I did attend last year and was able to put a question to Truss about LAs conditions for CMs to access funding) I looked at the cost of the conference:
£225 + VAT...a bargain of course considering I would have to take a day off, pay for the travel but be rewarded with a bit of Christmas cake at the end!


So while the charity tell us we are 'too expensive' their conferences remain prohibitive to any CMs on very low income who would like to attend
I rest my case!

[rickysmiths]

I have just realised that the title of my thread is 'childcare CRUCH'....no no I meant crunch! if the moderators can rectify the spelling I would be grateful!

Family and Childcare Trust are having their annual conference on 12 December...the title?:

'Making more great and affordable childcare a Reality'
Oh dear I had a bit of a giggle at that fetchy slogan then....I looked at the agenda
Agenda | 2013 School Leaders Summit (http://www.familyandchildcaretrustconference.co.uk/agenda?dm_i=77Z,201MO,2C95G7,775VX,1)

Truss will of course be selling her CMs agencies and great reforms she has introduced in her morning speech followed by Lucy Powell MP, Shadow Minister for Childcare, who will be talking about 'the future of childcare under Labour'...that is 25 hrs of 'free childcare' to you and I and with no idea who is going to pay for it as yet even if the bank levy will be the source of funding it does not tell us if 'our funding' will still remain at the pitiful level of around £3+
should we provide 'free childcare'...which incidentally is only for parents both in work...so here we go again not a universal benefit for ALL children!

Tempted to attend and hear about how this 'reality' will come true (I did attend last year and was able to put a question to Truss about LAs conditions for CMs to access funding) I looked at the cost of the conference:
£225 + VAT...a bargain of course considering I would have to take a day off, pay for the travel but be rewarded with a bit of Christmas cake at the end!


So while the charity tell us we are 'too expensive' their conferences remain prohibitive to any CMs on very low income who would like to attend
I rest my case!

It is £100 less if you become a member of the Family and Childcare Trust Simona and that costs about £30 for the year.

[Mouse]

What annoys me when you read these reports about childcare fees is that they never mention how LITTLE some parents actually pay.

I have one child comes to me 2 days a week. He goes to pre-school 3 mornings a week. He's in childcare for 27 hours a week. He's 3, so 15 of those hours are funded. The other 12 hours cost £50 a week. That's averaged out over the year to take into account the funded hours being term time only. But mum gets 70% of that paid by tax credits. She effectively pays £15 for 27 hours a week childcare. How can anyone complain about that? I know it doesn't work that way for everyone, but it's never pointed out that although a childcare place might cost £200 a week, some parents will only pay a small proportion of that.

[Simona]

It is £100 less if you become a member of the Family and Childcare Trust Simona and that costs about £30 for the year.

I was a member until recently then I realised they are not on the side of providers ...still £145 is not cheap for a conference and my m'ship was more than £30 per year

[Mrs Scrubbit]

My fees haven't risen in 6yrs ! xx