Please would somebody be kind enough to clarify when the 3 hour entitlement for children entitled to receive the NEF funding is to start in Birmingham.

I know it has started for some nurseries in disadvantaged areas, but I am in an OK area and thought it was from September.

I have had several parents contact me who have been informed by the Family Information Bureau that they can now take their 15 hours as flexibly as they want and that the 15 hours has started now.


This leads me onto another issue which I would be grateful if anybody could feed back about what they do/intend to do?

If a parent wants to take their 15 hours over 2 or 3 days and those hours go over the lunch time period, I am expected to provide for lunch for those children as well. This will really eat up into my costs. The NEF funding doesn't cover what I pay out as it is.

For example a parent wants their child to come 9.00 to 3.00pm on one day and 9.00 to 3.30pm on the second day. The first day means that they will have a lunch, the second day means that they will have lunch and tea, as we serve tea at 3.15pm, and even if we served it at 3.30pm the child would still probably be around as parents tend to chat and have feedback etc.

Can I charge for lunch?

We have 3 hour entitlement in Worcesterhsire..... on our second or third year now as we were a pathfinder county.

Our 3 hours include half an hour of lunch and parents send in a packed lunch.

We have to include lunchtime in the 3 hours or else we couldn't fit 2 three hour sessions into the day with a lunch break in the middle and still finish inline with school!!

Are you getting me???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its worked well for us!

You need to contact your funding dept at LEA.. they will tell you.. including if you can charge for lunch

as far as I am aware they have to take it over a minimum of 3 days . no more than 6 hours in a day.. ( it is in our area)

As to lunch, ask parents to provide a packed lunch with a icepack in the bag , we have always done this.. ( pre-school but with lunch club, open all day)


Inge