Funding Help!

[AnonyMouse_8391]

hi all

need some help, whats new!!

we have a parent whose child comes to preschool as well as 2 other settings, the child is now 3 and entitled to funding, but the problem is the parent wants to use the funding at the other settings and pay us as before this means we lose out as our sessions are cheaper than the funding! i need to add something to our fees and funding policy but cant think how to word it a bit brain dead! i only need a sentence

xxxxx

[AnonyMouse_3735]

Sorry unable to help.. but

 

Could you do this without being discriminatory against the one family?

 

One reason our fees are same as funding!

 

Inge

Edited September 17, 2008 by Inge

[AnonyMouse_3975]

We changed our fees for this paticular reason also. Some settings are still pressuring parents to use funding with them. Groups her also make them sign there forms a term ahead of head count day and are telling them once the form is signed they cant change it.

 

smiles

[AnonyMouse_8391]

thanks

you made us stop and think!

x

[Guest]

Our LA told us in the past we could charge what we liked and if parents chose to send their funding elsewhere it was between us and the parent what they were charged. That said we have moved to make our fees almost the same as the funding as it just worked out easier that way.

[Guest]

We also have this problem with a few parents every year. We consider they are using us as cheap childcare, while still expecting everything that we give to the parents who give us the funding. So we announced in a newsletter that we will charge a higher rate to those who do not take up the funding to cover our costs and it is up to the individual parents if they accept that and keep sending their children.

[AnonyMouse_1027]

never happened to us but food for thought isnt it

[AnonyMouse_10713]

Our fees are the same as the funding. (all but 3p)

[Guest]

this is what we suppulate in our prospectus regarding children not using their grants here with us:

 

If your child is entitled to free funding, but your child receives the grant at another setting, we will charge for the equivalent of the sessional rate for the Nursery Education Grant (currently £8.30per session).

 

The charge per session for the first 2.5 hour session per week attending by all children who are eligible to receive 3 and 4 year old Nursery Education Grant will equal the current sessional charge for that Grant i.e. £8.30 per session.

 

All 2 ½ hour sessions per day funded by the Nursery Education Grant are free and that other fees charged relate only to the following:

 

those parts of a session or those weeks are not funded by the Nursery Education Grant.

services that are not linked to a Nursery Education Grant funded place.

 

The only other charges that will be payable in respect of additional service are:

Lunch Club

 

hope this wording will help you

[AnonyMouse_14481]

Hi,

we had similar issues with some parents using funding elsewhere and paying for our cheaper sessions.

We altered our session fees, with half a terms warning, to the value of the funding, which has resulted in more money for the setting all round. One or possibly two parents have not liked this and chosen not to take a place with us but their children are attending other settings already.

 

New to this forum but have got some fabulous ideas and downloads regarding the EYFS - especially planning - thanks to all who share their hard work.

[Guest]

Hello

 

We have had a similar problem. We have a published fee list on the notice board and we have a fee for children who are not eligable for funding £2.40 and hour and once eligable they are it is £4.10 per hour.

 

Seems to have sorted out my problem

[AnonyMouse_665]

for al funded children i charge £3.25 per hour which is what we get for the nursery grant. we are a playgroup offering full day care so children can come more than their 15 hours and i charge them the same. we have a lot of children doing this for example a child will do 3 days 9-3 and i will charge for 3 hours. no one has complained yet.

 

 

angela

[Guest]

Like others I changed my hourly fee rate to the same as the funding rate, my rationalle was;

 

To ensure compliance with my Equal Opportunities Policy. (fees fair for all, irrelevant of age)

To ensure grant money was not deemed as being used to subsidise non funded children. (which could be the case if non funded fees were set lower)

or if fees were higher outside of grant funded times, to ensure it is not deemed that grant funding places are not subsidised by parents of non eligible children.

To support manageable administation systems and budget forcasts.

 

My letter to parents included a statement something like, The government has calculated that the 'rate' of a place in an early years setting is £......per hour, as all our children receive the same quality of service this rate applies to all children attending each session.

 

Peggy

[AnonyMouse_8466]

Welcome to the Forum, benny!

 

Glad the Forum has proved useful so quickly, and long may you continue to enjoy it!

 

Maz