Funding

[Guest]

Hi

I just wanted to seek advice about funding. We had a child at our pre-school who went on holiday for two weeks then never returned to the setting. That was 12 weeks ago, we telephoned but we never had any response. I informed our administrator that she wasn't on the premises from her first no show 12 wks ago. Last week i finally decided to give her space away to someone of the waiting list, and yes she turned up on friday with no explanation of where she had been, i explained to the parents that i had given her space away to someone else but i would have room for her after easter, they were happy with that but i did not realise our administrator had been claiming funding for her. She now wants me to tell the new child who has just started she cannot have the space anymore.

I don't think she should of been claiming funding for the child who hadn't been on the premises in the first place, surely this is fraud!!!!! You reapply for the funding in january as i understand it, she was definetly not at pre-school

I just don't think it is right that the new child should lose her place. I can see the administrators point that we will have to return the funding but i feel she shouldn't off applied for funding in the first place.

I am not quite sure what to do. I f i tell the new child they don't have a place it looks so unprofessional, but she has claimed funding for the child who hasn't attended the setting for 12 wks.

Now i am beginning to waffle but i do feel very annoyed that she was claiming funding and our chairman wants me to tell the new parent she now cant have the space.

Please let me know what you think, it would be great to have another point of view

Thanks

[Smiles]

If the child was not on your register on head count day you should not claim funding for that child. Do you have a funding form completed and signed for her? Is a difficukt situation - do not not have room for the two of them?

 

 

Sue

[Guest]

It is wrong to claim for a child who is not on the register, but presumably she WAS still on the register, but marked as absent?

I don't see why the child's place couldn't have become free the day after the head count, in which case the new child could keep the place (after all, you presumably have the same head count this way?) and the original child could start after Easter, as you suggest.

[Guest]

We had a very similar situation to you. The child in question went on Holiday and was paying fees (she was not funded until January), she didnt return after 4 weeks so we phoned the parents who kept saying, 'yes we do want the place' and kept giving various excuses as to why she wasnt attending. Weeks would go by and still no show. Then in January when the funding forms were due back in and she still hadnt showed up, we made numerous calls to the parents who always promised to pay outstanding fees and come and sign the funding form! Our waiting list secretary couldnt claim for her as she didnt return the funding form! The parents were still insisting they wanted the place! But this week we finally gave her place to someone else! We still haven't received the outstanding fees. Your administrator should not have claimed for someone who wasnt attending.

[Guest]

We have to fill in audit forms from the county to make sure children attend for the sessions their parents / we claim for. We are also subject to register checks and audits from county. If the child has not attended the required sessions we have to pay the grant money back.

[Inge]

Funding is a minefield, but the parents should have signed and returned a form in January on or by Headcount day to be able to claim the funding.

They can be on register and absent that week to claim funding.

 

from others on the forum all areas are differnt.

 

In our area we are then able to keep the funding for that child should they leave and fill the place with another child. BUT we have to send in a form to let the Early Years dept know that the child had left the setting. (they are about to change this to having to refund money and we will be able to claim for any starting AFTER headcount too!!...many complaints from settings ,parents etc as the funding was not flexible enough)

 

If we did not know the whereabouts of the child and had tried all ways to try to contact parents but failed we would have reallocated the place and as you, told parents a space would be available after Easter.

 

Do you have a policy on non attendance ...we have one in place that states clearly that if a child does not attend for 2 weeks and we have not been contacted we will reallocate the place to someone on the waiting list. (we may not have any but they do not know this!!) This also applies to non payment of fees...We always write to the last known address after 2 weeks with a date they must contact us by if they want the place. After that they have to rebook a place and wait for a space as all other children on the waiting list, as well as pay all fees already due with interest added before the child can start.

 

We clearly tell parents that if we do not get funding forms by headcount day they lose the place and we offer it to another child.

 

Because of the non return or lost forms or constant chasing for them we now ask parents to fill them in while waiting, and not allow them to go home....I got really fed up with the amount of time I spent chasing parents.

 

there is no easy answer to this, but if the parents are not concerned about waiting why is it a problem. (other than to solve the problem the commitee/ administrator have caused themselves.)

 

Inge

[Guest]

Funding is a minefield, but the parents should have signed and returned a form in January on or by Headcount day to be able to claim the funding. 

They can be on register and absent that week to claim funding.

 

from others on the forum all areas are differnt.

 

In our area we are then able to keep the funding for that child should they leave and fill the place with another child. BUT we have to send in a form to let the Early Years dept know that the child had left the setting. (they are about to change this to having to refund money and we will be able to claim for any starting AFTER headcount too!!...many complaints from settings ,parents etc as the funding was not flexible enough)

 

If we did not know the whereabouts of the child and had tried all ways to try to contact parents but failed we would have reallocated the place and as you, told parents a space would be available after Easter.

 

Do you have a policy on non attendance ...we have one in place that states clearly that if a child does not attend for 2 weeks and we have not been contacted we will reallocate the place to someone on the waiting list. (we may not have any but they do not know this!!)  This also applies to non payment of fees...We always write to the last known address after 2 weeks with a date they must contact us by if they want the place. After that they have to rebook a place and wait for a space as all other children on the waiting list, as well as pay all fees already due with interest added before the child can start.

 

We clearly tell parents that if we do not get funding forms by headcount day they lose the place and we offer it to another child.

 

Because of the non return or lost forms or constant chasing for them we now ask parents to fill them in while waiting, and not allow them to go home....I got really fed up with the amount of time I spent chasing parents.

 

there is no easy answer to this, but if the parents are not concerned about waiting why  is it a problem. (other than to solve the problem the commitee/ administrator have caused themselves.)

 

Inge

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This is my point exactly, all parties are happy, its just the administrator who is pushing me to give her back the space. I feel she shouldn't have claimed funding as we do have forms they fill in and she did not fill the form in. This is a mistake by the administrator, she has claimed funding without the form.

I will definetley look in to a policy though as we dont have one at present.

Thanks for all your views, its a great help

Its good to moan!!!!!!!!

[Smiles]

We don't have a policy but it sounds like a good idea to me - another one to add to my list. We have had children leave mid term and the provider they go to often ask for the funding from us but never reciprocate if it is the ohter way round.

 

Sue

[Inge]

If she did not fill in the form I would be extremely surprised if she actually got any money for the child.

 

If there is no form signed by a parent they do not pay any funding. In our area the forms are checked each term and we are sent a list of the children who get funding with the amount we are due to recieve and if they have not signed a form they are not funded.

 

I would be wondering how she managed to get the funding, or was it just that she recieved an interim payment on the basis that the child would be there?

We have to put in an interim claim to recieve an estimated amount by the first week of term (most settings need the money to pay rent wages etc)and this is then all sorted out when the forms have been checked.

 

This being the case the money will probably be deducted from any final payment due if no form was sent.

 

we too get requests for funding paid....we are under no obligation to pay it and I only pay it if they request it in writing by sending an appropriate invoice (many ask parents to tell us to send them the money!!) and if I ahve not filled th place with another funded child.....so far I have filled the places, but have also had children where I get no income!!

 

Inge