Working tax credits changes

[Mouse]

You are correct again as it does depend on the number of places we can fill
Having their own children the income is restricted and that is something cms have to consider when starting childminding unless they are happy just making a little money if they do not wish to take older children....or have income from a partner/husband.

For me the business side is important....I would rather see cms doing a good business training alongside all the pre registration procedures than finding out later it may not work while subsidising childcare and all that goes with it.

I think cms are resilient and if they rethink their practice it can work in the end.

Completely agree about childminders needing business training.

Now that all my children are older and I can have my full numbers of children, I can make a profit I'm happy with, and that is just with EYs children, no school children.

It just seems a bit short sighted that some people who want to earn some money while their children are young may be put off registering if they can't get a bit of extra financial support.

[Simona]

Completely agree about childminders needing business training.

Now that all my children are older and I can have my full numbers of children, I can make a profit I'm happy with, and that is just with EYs children, no school children.

It just seems a bit short sighted that some people who want to earn some money while their children are young may be put off registering if they can't get a bit of extra financial support.

Personally I think it is not just being short sighted...there are many anomalies and dodgy rulings when it comes to cms...the first being we cannot claim funding for own children.
That would not solve the problem entirely but would help a great deal
The second is the allowances cms can claim compared to nurseries....I think it is time for a review
The third is the 'deregulation' of cms via agencies and this new Employment Act

Those are important issues and cms need to get them sorted if everyone was not just focussed on nurseries and their struggles....the sector is not just nurseries and we outnumber them!
Let's see what develops in the next 2 years....we need to shout a bit louder!

[sarah707]

As the changes to WTC seem to be affecting a lot of members, we have taken action to support you.

So far we have -

- Contacted Pre-School Learning Alliance (PLA) - they will raise awareness on the letters page of their magazine and we have asked them to intervene with Govt for us...

- Contacted Pacey - they have asked for further information and have said that they will raise it...

- Asked Childcare.co.uk to raise the problem with Sam Gyimah's office in the Dept for education - we are hopeful that they might be able to help lobby Tax Credits because of the damage this is causing to childminders who will soon be asked to deliver the 30 hours funding (and lots of other reasons)!

- Updated the business plan (which letter 2 is asking for) on Childcare.co.uk so that all members who need one can write one quickly, covering all the aspects needed to show that you are committed to your business - http://www.childcare.co.uk/information/childminder-plus

- Contacted Child Care magazine (Practical Pre-school) - they have said we have their support...

- Contacted Nursery World magazine - we are waiting to hear back from them...

- Contacted Childcarer magazine (Morton Michel) - we are waiting to hear back from them...

- Written guidance to completing evidence for WTC letter - if you get letter 2 from WTC please ask me and I will signpost the guidance

- Gathered more information and advice which we will be sharing with members soon...

PLEASE - help yourself and help others! Contact your local MP - contact Pacey or PLA - contact magazines - raise it with your LA and ask for their support - we can only do so much as admins - 17000+ members on the Facebook group and thousands more here can do so much more working together!!

[Simona]

Totally agree with that sentiment Sarah...cms must help themselves so start thinking and reflect on what can be done to avert a financial crisis.

Any employee in a nursery, preschool or cm assistant will be losing from the changes in WTC...as will employees everywhere else....this affects everyone not just cms who...by keeping their earnings below a certain threshold....are entitled to WTC now

At the same time all employees will gain the new Living Wage which I believe is £7.20ph from April 2016
Parents who pay us will also lose WTC but gain the NLW but they also have the prospect of higher childcare benefits coming to them in the near future.....hope I got that right?

This is my simple reasoning
If cms were to charge £5ph ....their income for 3 children....would be £15
We know that half of that goes into expenses and other costs....but they would be left with £7.50...above the NLW?

Some cms charge well below £5 while parents get at the moment the MW which is a national amount regardless of where they live

I am sure that the representing associations will raise this for their nursery staff and hopefully cms as well as most represent both.
I am uncertain how they will convince lovely Duncan Smith to change his policy?...his answer to those who pleaded was 'work longer' hours...arrogant so and so as he is

The Lords vetoed the Tax Credits cuts and the result is the govt is clipping their wings and curbing their powers
This issue is in cms' hands....they need to decide how to best survive and bring in a decent living...personally I don't think there has ever been a better opportunity for them to do so...hope they grasp it