30 Free hours for one and two year olds

[mumofone]

Apparently this is being announced in the budget tomorrow. What does this mean for us childminders and nurseries. Will we get the funding that WE need.

[Pixie dust]

Apparently this is being announced in the budget tomorrow. What does this mean for us childminders and nurseries. Will we get the funding that WE need.

Is it really! That's crazy as they will need to improve the funding rates for providers. I know some childminders who do not accept funded children so this would impact their income. We will see what the budget brings.

[Mouse]

I’ve been reading about that this evening so I’ll be listening out for the specifics tomorrow.

I have so many questions:

Is this funding rate going to be as ridiculously low as current 2 and 3 year old funding or at the rate of current 2 year old funding? (still lower than my rate, but slightly closer to it).

Is it going to be pushed as ‘free’ or ‘funded’ hours

Where are the spaces coming from? Parents in my area are struggling to find childcare as it is. I don’t know where all these extra spaces will come from.

I guess it’ll be great for parents who already have children in childcare, but I don’t see how it’ll encourage more parents back to work if there aren’t enough childcare spaces for them.

I’ll wait to be proved wrong, but I see it as another hastily thought up scheme without anyone having considered whether or not it’ll work!

[mumofone]

They want to give £600 to new childminders but isn't that short sighted. Childminders are leaving in droves. A poxy £600 payment upon joining isn't going to be much of an incentive and if it is they will just get loads joining up and then leaving after a year.

[loocyloo]

I can't imagine £600 would go far if you're setting up a a new childminder!

I've just had a parent at school ask that if ratios are changing to 5 under 2s can I take her child now on the day that I already have 4 under 2( and a little bit!) ... I have 2 x25mth olds and 2 x 18mths olds due to changes in parents working days. I said I doubted it meant us as well, and she was convinced she'd heard him say childminders ratio!
I'd be happy to have 4 under 5 as the 'norm' with maybe changing it to 6 under 6 max, rather than the 6 under 8.

I'm not convinced/ sure how this will all pan out ... surely there will be an election before April 2024 and things will change again!

[Mouse]

I said I doubted it meant us as well, and she was convinced she'd heard him say childminders ratio!

He did actually say childminders, through I don't think that's what he meant. He started off talking about nursery ratios changing, but then ended it by referring to childminders. As with most of the uninformed politicians, he seemed to be using the terms 'nursery' and 'childminders' without understanding there's a difference.

[Mouse]

"So we will increase the funding paid to nurseries providing free childcare under the hours offer by £204m from this September rising to £288 million next year.

This is an average of a 30% increase in the two-year-old rate this year, just as the sector has requested.

I will also offer providers more flexibility in how they operate in line with other parts of the UK. So alongside that additional funding, we will change minimum staff-to-child ratios from 1:4 to 1:5 for two-year-olds in England as happens in Scotland, although the new ratios will remain optional with no obligation on either childminders or parents to adopt them."


That's what he said. It is clearly aimed at nurseries as our ratios for 2 year olds aren't 1:4