30 hours - questionnaire for parents?

[mac20]

Hi All,

Just wondered if anyone had a question format they had used to ask parents about their intentions when the 30 hours comes in? Feel like I need to start to get a grip on what our current ones might be wanting and thought that someone might have some ideas!

Thanks! x

[laura]

This is what i sent :

 

Name:

From September 2017 the Government will be funding 30 hours a week free childcare to children aged three and four years old during school term time.

To be eligible for the 30 hours all parents in the household must be working the equivalent of 16 hours a week either at or above the national living wage or the national minimum wage up to a maximum of £100k a year per parent. For lone parents if that one parent works more than 16 hours and earns less than £100,000 per year they will be eligible.

XXX will be offering the free 30 hours from September 2017 but we are forward planning to gauge how many children would be eligible and what the uptake might be.

As yet we are unsure if the funding will be able to be stretched as the 15 hours is now, but we assume it will be. If so it will be about 22 hours a week

Please complete the questionnaire below and return ASAP, thank you

Will you be eligible for 30 hours funding? yes / no

If you are eligible would you take up the funding? yes / no

If you are eligible would you want term time / all year round

To give us an idea of sessions, if you are eligible what hours do you think you would want? (this is not a guarantee that the places will be available, we are just trying to get an idea!)

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GFCCCC]

We won't be asking parents at present. For us, the 30 hours isn't going to make much difference. The vast majority of our 3/4 year olds are already attending in line with parents working hours - many are full time. At the moment, they get 15 hours free and pay for the remainder - from next September they will get 30 hours free and pay for the remainder. The children who attend on funded places only and whose parents are not working will continue to do so; we have no reason to believe that there are going to be several parents who are suddenly going to start working. The initiative is to encourage parents back to work and it won't happen overnight - the number of working parents will creep up over a period of time and parents will start looking for nursery places. The only parents who will suddenly use 30 hours are those who already have it - they'll just pay less towards it. But the nursery has the number of places it has and when it's full, it's full. That's just my opinion obviously - but we're certainly not taking any steps plan for it at present.

[Mouseketeer]

I'm more concerned about the ones who will expect to take it up with no intention of going over 16hrs of work, we have so many people apply for jobs who say they don't want more than 16 hrs because of the implications ....cynical I know

[GFCCCC]

I'm more concerned about the ones who will expect to take it up with no intention of going over 16hrs of work, we have so many people apply for jobs who say they don't want more than 16 hrs because of the implications ....cynical I know

 

Good point, we do have some parents that work part time (16+ hours) and children attend part time - they will obviously be entitled to 30 hours too (wrong in my opinion, but still). If they ask for additional time, and we have it available, they can have it - if not, they will have to go elsewhere. I

[Pimpernel]

_{Parent Survey}

_{30 Hours Free Early Education and Childcare}

 

_{Dear Parent,}

_{You may be aware that the government are planning to introduce 30 Hours Free Early Years Childcare from September 2017, for parents who meet certain eligibility criteria set by government. The criteria are presently;}

• _{both parents are working (or the sole parent is working in a lone parent family) and each parent earns, on average, a weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum/living wage and less than £100,000 per year. Working will include self-employed persons. Parents do not necessarily need to actually work 16 hours a week, but rather their earnings must reflect at least 16 hours of work at minimum wage or at the national living wage. This includes parents on zero hour’s contracts who meet the criteria.}
• _{both parents are employed but one or both parents is temporarily away from the workplace on parental, maternity, paternity leave , adoption leave , or statutory sick pay}
• _{one parent is employed and one parent has substantial caring responsibilities based on specific benefits received for caring or}
• _{one parent is employed and one parent is disabled or incapacitated based on receipt of specific benefits.}

_{We are presently trying to estimate the numbers of parents who may be eligible and to see if we have enough childcare places to meet this demand. Your help with this survey will be invaluable in helping us do this. We do not need you to enter any names as the survey is anonymous but it would help if you could complete all questions.}

_{Thank you so much for your help.}

• What is your home postcode?
• Name of setting attending?
• Are you (please tick) Single Parent Family

Two Parent Family

• Do you work more than 16 hours per week?

Parent One

Yes

No

Parent Two

Yes

No

• Does your family income exceed £100,000 per year

Yes

No

• Are you (please tick which)

Full Time employed

Self employed

Part time employed

Zero hours contract

• Do you consider your employment

Stable

Unstable

Not sure

• Age of children attending this setting (please tick or enter number in each age range)

0+

1+

2

3

4

• How many hours of childcare do you currently use per week (please tick nearest)?

5-10 hours

10-15 hours

15-25 hours

25-50 hours

• Do you claim your free entitlements for 2,3 or 4 year olds as part of these hours? If so, how many (please tick nearest)?

0-5 hours

5-10 hours

10 -15 hours

• If you were eligible for the additional 15 free hours, would you use:

0-5 hours

5-10 hours

10 -15 hours

• If you were eligible for the full 30 hours how do you think you might use them:

In term time only

Spread across a full year

No preference

• Is childcare availability at weekends something you may need?

Yes

No

Edited November 4, 2016 by Rebecca
Layout on Forum

[Mouseketeer]

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/565668/Government_response_-_30_hours_delivery_consultation.pdf

 

 

An interesting read ..if you have nothing better to do like clean the oven

 

Pg44- 'The government disagrees that funding is to low for providers to deliver'

[finleysmaid]

no wonder we are not heard when only 1300 'people' responded to this!

[sunnyday]

no wonder we are not heard when only 1300 'people' responded to this!

Well I bl**dy did :angry:

[SueJ]

I'm more concerned about the ones who will expect to take it up with no intention of going over 16hrs of work, we have so many people apply for jobs who say they don't want more than 16 hrs because of the implications ....cynical I know

If I have read this right parents do not have to be working 16 hours per week - they just have to be earning the equivalent of working 16 hours a week at either the minimum or living wage (depending on how old they are) up to £100,000 per annum so if they are over 25 and earn at least £115.20 per week they qualify for the 30 hour offer but they could be on £57.60 per hour and working 2 hours per week or even on £57.60 per hour and working 33 hours per week as they would still come in at just under £100,000 per annum (obviously that makes them early years workers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

 

I am planning a questionnaire because as a sessional term time setting this could have an impact in terms of whether we extend our day or perhaps our school year and as yet there is no information coming through from any powers that be as to how many potential clients are out there for us to consider changing our business model - whatever we do has to be sustainable after all.

 

If you are a full daycare setting operating all year round the 30 hour offer will have a direct impact on income as parents will hope to have more "free" hours at the underfunded funding rate rather than just 15 hours at this rate.

 

For sessional term time settings it is not just a case of more "free" hours it is whether we are able to or wish to offer anything over the current 15 hours.

 

As I understand from the "guidance" so far we do not have to choose 15 or 30 we can offer a number of hours up to 30.

 

With regard to the questionnaire format I would take out the 16 hours bit and just put in the minimum weekly income and the maximum!

[SueJ]

Well I bl**dy did :angry:

 

Me too - (I have lost the ability to add faces)

[Mouseketeer]

And me but we're not in their list :-(

[lsp]

And me - and mentioned!

[Carol]

And me but not mentioned

[FSFRebecca]

I've started a new thread for the discussion about the consultation - lets leave this one for a discussion about parent questionnaires! You can access the discussion here.

[mac20]

Many thanks for all your replies! We're sessional and wondering if parents may choose to take up more hours when they have the option to, and therefore if we need to/can be open for more time so helps to have their early thoughts