Interesting Article In Telegraph Today

[Guest]

Telegraph

 

Seems my fees are well below the statistics in this report ( note one example shows children 50 hrs in daycare and 15 in out of school 65 hours per week )

 

My fees total £3657.5 per year, but for 6.5 hrs per day, 38 weeks per year.

 

If I calculate my hourly rate (£2.75) for 40 hour week times 50 weeks per year it still only amounts to £5,560.

 

and I am in the South East.

 

Childcare trust wants government to pay 20 hrs per week for 48 weeks per year. This would seriously affect my sustainability as grant ( although covers my current fee level) I doubt will rise with increasing costs of inflation.

 

 

Peggy

[hali]

oh dear will have to go and have a read of that!!!!!

[Guest]

Had a read this afernoon. Seems that some nurseries are charging more than the best boarding schools in the country. Wish I could make that sort of money!!!! I had a meeting yesterday and our Nurseries are asking our LEA to pull out of the scheme. which didn't go down well!!!!

Our borough Lea have commisssioned a Counsultancy company called 4Children do do a study of all the providers on fees and finances to see if they can help us remain viable. we told them that if they put up the Grant money to a reasonable amount then it would help.

 

We had the head accountant who divides up the Schools money and allocates the amount that we get as grants. She would not give us a straight answer when we asked about how she calculated our money compared to schools. She said schools it was done on floor space and teacher ratios and overheads per school. We asked what was different to us as we work on the same thing but she side stepped the whole time. she was not like much by the end of the meeting!!!!

We will await the outcome of this consultant. it might have been better to put the money for him into the grant money for this next term!!!

But who am I to question the workings of government offices and officers!!!!

[Guest]

I would like to ask what people do if they have to close their nursery/pre-school due to lack of heating for example. This happened to us two weeks ago, we had to cancel the afternoon session due to the heating breaking down. One parent-who was late with her fees anyway- has sent in her cheque having deducted the session from the total to pay herself. Our treasurer is really annoyed about this. It has never come up before so we must do something about ammending the appropriate policy. What do the rest of you do about this?

Rose

[hali]

we tend to refund from the next invoice

[Guest]

We would refund too, but haven't had this situation as yet.. I would either ask the landlords to re-imburse loss of earnings or see if it is covered in the preschool insurance.

Steph, I must admit when I come across people like the lady you mention I do have a sort of hidden admiration for how well they are able to 'side step' queries, a definate talent which I do not possess, too honest is me.

 

Peggy