Early Years Capital Grant

[Minnie mouse]

Amanda Gordon

Planning and Project Manager

Children and Younger Adults Department

Tel: 01629 580000 Ext: 5709

Amanda.Gordon@derbyshire.gov.uk;
this is the lady i spoke to and emailed me its her i sent my application to ive applied for
a laptop
and a pc as kids cant use a laptop and i can use the laptop to plan and document everything as well as do my ou course you can also apply for a dvd player for the eyfs dvd
a digital camera + case for camera
camcorder
dictaphone
outdoor climbing frame as my local play area doesnt have one
printer
scanner
software for pc
and a outdoor playhouse to use when weather is bad
just got to wait now to see how its goes
was told by her though that if approved they pay money direct toy you for you to get the items hope it helps you

Thanks so much for that. What should i say in the email. Sorry to have a blonde moment. x

[childmind04]

Just found this if i can get the link to work, we have been told our money is for trining but i may be wrong as i am shattered and not read it properly but this states the money has to go on resources and there is extra money for training!!

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/localauthorit...0-%20final.doc

[taiwallis]

Does anyone know if this is available in North Yorkshire. I just spoke to the CIS/or FIS as it is known now. She said we would be notified if it becomes available. However, as a childminder you tend to hear nothing up here - i was seem to find out AFTER anything becomes available.

Many thanks if anyone has any info! xxx

[childmind04]

According to the figures on the above document thay have got money

Susan

[childmind04]

I actually contacted my local NCMA person and she knew nothing about it but agreed we dont need anymore training in this area, lets see if they do anything

Susan

[taiwallis]

I did poxint out that i had seen a document stating they had money - she said even if they had it, it doesnt mean it has been made accessible yet. Do you think they are keeping it for a 'huge' christmas party!!x

[helenlc]

I contacted my local Early Years and they called me back. They said tht we wont be receiving a money hand out as such. They are going to line some things up that tick the boxes for the IT and outdoor play criteria and then offer those to us. She said they have not yet worked out how and when this may come our way.

Am a bit gutted actually as they money hand out would have been better as we could then get what we wanted rather than what they think we might ant.

Apparently they are going to ask us in some sort of survey form what we would like/need. But whether we get anything like what we ask for is another matter!!

[sallybrooke]

This is a load of baldedash as far as I'm concerned.
My network Co-ordinator asked me what I'd like.
I said a new back gate, maybe a camcorder and some multicultural dressing up clothes. I was put down for £500 - £1000.
She asked another lady who joked, and said 'A New house!'
The co-ordinator asked if she had room for an extension and she replied that she did. So apparently she's been put down for enough for an extension!

Had she mentioned that to me, I'd jump at the chance to convery my garage to a purpose built playroom, but I wasn't aware I could ask for that.

I'll be very happy to receive anaything, but the playing fields should be level in my opinion.

Sally

[hayley.acton]

Not sure if I have posted in the right place but Im sure you will move it for me if I have it wrong.

Did anyone else receive a letter about an Early Years Capital Grant, I rang my network coordinator about it today and apparently I can have up to £1,500 to spend on equipment and resources to help with EYFS, she said it can include things like laptops, digital cameras, camcorders, outdoor play equipment, indoor play equipment, buggies.

Part of the letter reads

What is the grant for?

The capital grant has been provided to:
1. Improve the quality of the learning environment in the early years setting to support delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), with a particular emphasis on improving play and physical activities and ICT resources.

2. Ensure all children, including disabled children are able to access provision

3. Enable PVI providers to deliver the extension to the free offer for 3 and 4 year old and to do so flexibly.

Who is eligible to apply?

To be eligible to receive this grant funding you must be delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage to be registered with Ofsted on the Early Years Register. In addition, to qualify for funding under item 3 above, your setting must be registered with the Families Information Servies to receive 3 and 4 year old funding.

That sounds like just about everyone to me.

love Elaine XXX

hi have you got a number i can phone about the grant thanks Hayley

[Minnie mouse]

Amanda Gordon

Planning and Project Manager

Children and Younger Adults Department

Tel: 01629 580000 Ext: 5709

Amanda.Gordon@derbyshire.gov.uk;
this is the lady i spoke to and emailed me its her i sent my application to ive applied for
a laptop
and a pc as kids cant use a laptop and i can use the laptop to plan and document everything as well as do my ou course you can also apply for a dvd player for the eyfs dvd
a digital camera + case for camera
camcorder
dictaphone
outdoor climbing frame as my local play area doesnt have one
printer
scanner
software for pc
and a outdoor playhouse to use when weather is bad
just got to wait now to see how its goes
was told by her though that if approved they pay money direct toy you for you to get the items hope it helps you

I contacted Amanda gordon and this is the response i got



Thank you for your query relating to the Early Years Capital Funding. This budget has a number of government restrictions attached to it, the main ones being that this is a capital budget and cannot, therefore, be used to purchase toys etc. Another is that the asset must remain within the ownership of the local authority, the implication of which is that should a childminder cease to operate they may be required to return the asset or its financial value. The budget holder is currently loking at the criteria to ensure a fair and transparent process. Once there is more information I will contact you.



Kind regards



Amanda

[tinkerbelle]

i got this from amanda gordon
Hi



Further to your enquiry about the above fund, I can confirm that childminders in Derbyshire are able to bid for funding. However, as I stated in our telephone conversation, the conditions of grant from the government says that the asset has to remain in the ownership of local authorities. Therefore if funding were approved to undertake capital works on your home and you decided to discontinue childminding you would be expected to pay back the funding. In the light of this, Derbyshire will not approve capital works. However, if there is equipment you require to deliver EYFS (excluding toys etc), for instance IT, you should submit your requirements in writing giving the cost and the reasons why the equipment is required.



I hope this is helpful.



Regards



Amanda Gordon

[Minnie mouse]

Oh lol, why didnt she just say that too me i could have given her a nice list lol. Now i have to wait til she has more information, which im guessing will be..............Never

[Bevbeetle]

I am phoning my co-ordinator daily she doesnt answer my phone calls or emails. I am going to keep calling and emailing till i get a reply

[kez]

wow!! at my pre-briefing in Birmingham they told us there was no funding for anything other then the Dhc course and the first aid course, and that there was no grants being given out to childminders??? except to pay for the courses??

I was hoping for some as i need to have my garden fences repaired as we brought our property a year ago and they have old council fences up?? its gonna cost us £1000 in total for both sides??? to have 6ft all the way down each side?? now we can only be able to use half the garden which is enclosed but not grassed area as wont afford to do it our selfs until next summer hopefully?? plus we having to buy all the equipment for childminding???

even if they just gave £500 half the amount we could try and get the other £500 to do it before im registerd??

[Minnie mouse]

Aint it up to the neighbours to repair the left hand side of the garden fence?

[kez]

yeah but they wont?? so i have no choice but to do it myself, well the left side is ours but the right side is my neighbours whos and old man... so if i want to use all my garden we will have to do it?

[Minnie mouse]

If the neighbours fence is causing any danger then im sure there will be something somewhere that says they must renew it. Im sure someone will come along soon with some advice x

[Kat]

Good Morning,

I am sorry if I missed but is there anybody from Hillingdon ? I was trying to read but kids are runnnig so not much time ? Did anybody got grant from Hillingdon and where to call for more info as I am not in any Network and my support person is not really good in any information...

Kat

[buildingblocks]

If the neighbours fence is causing any danger then im sure there will be something somewhere that says they must renew it. Im sure someone will come along soon with some advice x

The thing is that if that is the case they only have to install some kind of boundary which in theory could be wooden posts 3 foot high with chicken wire attached ( I amy be wring on this though but that is what I was old in a previous ouse pre childmidning) and don't think Ofsted would approve of this lol

[SuzanneN]

Hi

Ive been battling with Derbyshire County Council about this grant. Specifically xxxxxxx and xxxxx. Just had a letter today from xxxx basically saying sorry all the money has been spent. I've done a bit of digging they have given it to Alice's View Children's Centre, Creswell Infant and Nursery School, Heath primary School, John Port School, Mary Swanwick Primary, New Mills Children's Centre, Newhall Children's Centre, Norbriggs Primary School, Somercotes Children's Centre and Woodville Library. All the sites are owned by the Council. All the funding is for capital projects, so basically that's building work. So a bit of nepotism going on I think. The annoying thing is that Childrens Centres and extended schools had already received a grant, this is something seperate.

Im about to fire back a reply to them and also have contacted my local MP to take this further as the DCSF letter to the local authorities does state that it is to help all early years settings help deliver the EYFS.

DCC received 2.5 million, they will get another 2.5 next year and then again the year after. The letter says that there is no guarantee that childminders will be allocated any funding at all. It all basically reads like DCC have decided to use this money to bolster up the children's centres because if they fund them this way they don't have to take the money from somewhere else. I think they believe that because we are individuals that we do not matter and they can fob us off. Anyway I am very annoyed about this so am going to keep trying to rattle some cages so to speak.

Suzanne

edit by Pauline: Suzanne, I've removed the names of the people you have contacted as it is not really fair to put their names on the internet without their permission.