In England and Wales, parents of 3- and 4-year-olds will get 30-hours free childcare a week from September 2017, if both parents are working (or the sole parent is working in a lone-parent family), and each parent earns the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the national minimum or living wage, and earns less than £100,000 a year. This is an expansion of the current scheme which already provides 15-hours childcare a week for all 3- and 4-year-olds, and the most disadvantaged 2-year-olds. As a father of 2 boys under 5 this has been an important government policy, I have been keeping an eye on it, as it will have implications in our day to day finances. For our family, these additional 15 hours will mean a saving of around £3,000 per year, which will make a massive difference. There are potential problems with scheme however, as nurseries have said that their funding has been slashed and that they will not be able to provide the childcare. It could lead to some nurseries refusing to provide the free childcare and spaces in participating nurseries being limited. Some nurseries have even suggested charging higher rates for under 2’s to subsidise the free childcare. Personally, our current nursery has increased their fees, which may be to cover the impeding shortfall they are about to receive. Let me know in the comments how you think you may be effected.
8 Comments
Typical policy to grab headlines and look family friendly, without being costed or budgeted for. The shortfall will be made up by the people who benefit, cancelling any credit out, but the blame will be put on the nurseries rather than the policy makers.
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Ryan
5/1/2017 11:33:36 pm
I think the policy is beneficial for working parents, but the same 'austerity' Government asking more but giving less means there'll be problems.
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5/1/2017 11:08:54 pm
Our two both go to nursery 2 days a week. When Jesse turned 3 in November we thought we'd see a massive saving. As it is they work out the 30 hours by dividing it by 5 (days) so our saving, although a saving, is pretty insignificant really. It may help others more than it helped us but for me it's been a well spun government gimmick that probably doesn't save most parents as much as the headline suggests and then financially penalises the nurseries who are already struggling. Typical politics hey haha.
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Ryan
5/1/2017 11:36:54 pm
I know when my son turned 3 in the Sept, we didn't get the free hours till Jan, but it did make a few hundred pounds a month difference. Hopefully this policy will get sorted by September 2017.
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5/1/2017 11:17:40 pm
Here is my problem with this. My school (I am a teacher 🤓) has a 100 place nursery. 50 in am 50 different children in the afternoon.
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Ryan
5/1/2017 11:39:23 pm
I can see this having a big impact on schools who use nurseries as 'loss leaders' to encourage parents to choose their primary school.
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6/1/2017 07:55:33 pm
It depends how they regulate when the hours are used. At the moment they are only valid 9-3 during term time if I understand it right. So if my son is only part time at nursery then I'm not going to be able to use the 30 hours unless I can have them anytime he's there. It was a policy to get votes but I'll be surprised if it makes much positive difference.
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7/1/2017 01:06:40 pm
Daddy McDadface has perfectly worded my concerns. When this scheme was first announced I punched the air, shouted something high pitched and planned my all-new free hours down to a tee. Then reality set in. Will this really work? How on earth will they fit all the kids in? Staff? so on.. so on...
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