New Model agreement released to outline for childcare providers over confusion of charging for additional services
Recently many childcare providers have been confused over the whether they can charge for additional services and what these additional services are. A Guidance (model agreement ) has been released to help clear up this confusion. Stated in the model agreement;
The provider can charge for meals and snacks as part of a free entitlement place and they can also charge for consumables such as nappies or sun cream and for services such as trips and yoga. These charges must be voluntary for the parent. Where parents are unable or unwilling to pay for meals and consumables, providers who choose to offer the free entitlements are responsible for setting their own policy on how to respond, with options including waiving or reducing the cost of meals and snacks or allowing parents to supply their own meals.
As we all know funding doesn’t cover the cost of providing “free” childcare, and this is where providers can charge for additional services.
Additional services are being classed as
- Meals
- Trips
- Suncream
- Nappies
- Additional extracurricular activities
Providers must make this charge optional. With the choice being “optional” where again does it leave providers as many parents will opt out of paying this charge?. Having a clear message to parents is essential, preventing issues arising. The video “Champagne Lemonade Funding” is a great video to share with parents to help them understand the bigger picture
I’m being told I have to pay a $90 registration fee for my daughter to be in daycare which is already paid for by CCDF so I’m really confused and on top of that I’m having to pay out-of-pocket for these field trips that they supposedly have to go on and I didn’t know that I had to pay out of pocket for something that I’m already receiving and paying for
Is that all?! Im being charged £24.15/per day for a 7.5hr session 😱 (To essentially bridge the gap between funding & the standard rate they charge!)
My daughter is being charged £87 for 8 days of meals. Rather extreme don’t you think? Plus makes a mockery of ‘free childcare’.
No one questions paying £30 for a steak dinner at a restaurant. You’re not just paying for a steak, you’re paying for the restaurant that has had money pumped into it to look “pretty” for you to sit in, you’re paying for a trained chef to cook it and paying for a waitress to bring it to your table. You’re paying for the pot wash to wash your plate, the cleaner to make sure the toilets are clean and that you have soap in the dispenser. Same applies to childcare. You have a key worker, a manager, a cleaner, a chef, a senco lead PLUS all the consumables, plus training to make sure we give children the BEST start in life, plus replacing broken toys, new toys or development, electricity, gas, waste rates, nappy refuse to be removed, building rent, insurance etc to name a few things!
It is not “free childcare” and it never was. It is government FUNDED childcare. (and grossly underfunded at that). Feel free to complain to them for false advertising…..
Secondly, £87 for 8 days of meals. IF your child was going full days, that is 5 “meals” a day. Breakfast, lunch (usually a hot lunch with dessert) and tea plus an AM and PM snack. that works out at an average of £2.18 per meal. It was less than the price of a McDonalds happy meal in 2021 (£2.49). Which incidentally in 2023 is now £3.59… This would cover the cost of food, but probably not cover the cost of the chef and kitchen assistant to prep the food, nor the chemicals to clean the kitchen and equipment, the hand washing facilities soap etc, the training, the “chefs” uniform, the energy used to heat or cook the food, to store the food at safe temperature. etc
The government guidance states (page 33 of the funding operation manual)” Government funding is intended to deliver 15 or 30 hours a week of free, high quality, flexible
childcare. It is not intended to cover the costs of meals, other consumables, additional hours
or additional activities. Parents can therefore expect to pay for any meals offered by the
provider alongside their free entitlement. Parents can also expect to pay for other
consumables or additional activities offered by the provider, such as nappies or trips. Where
parents choose to purchase additional hours of provision, consumables or additional
activities, this is a private matter between the provider and the parent. However, providers
must offer alternative options for parents”
The definition of consumable is: Consumables are goods used by individuals and businesses that must be replaced regularly because they wear out or are used up.
so what is the alternative?
The alternative is you provide items from a list of consumables for the time yours child attends the setting…..example:
You can provide all meals and snacks and appropriate “cool” storage lunch boxes to keep the temperature at a food safe level,
A named water bottle,
Named plastic cup for meal times,
Named plates if providing meals to be heated. Plus a small fee for electric usage to heat up.
Washing up liquid and small water bill fee for washing up plates.
The child’s appropriate milk, labelled and named,
Toilet roll,
Antibacterial spray and 2 different coloured cloths: one to clean a high chair/table area where they eat, they other to clean up a changing Matt or toilet area),
Kitchen roll,
Floor cleaner: for any wee accidents that happen,
Baby wipes,
Pocket tissues for outings,
Box of tissues for setting ,
Hand sanitizer,
Miniature hand sanitizer for any outings,
Antibacterial hand wash/soap,
A Towel: to be changed daily when the child attends OR bring 2 towels in, washing powder and expect a small fee for electricity/water for the washing machine use so towels can be alternated daily.
Bags for Soiled nappies/clothes:
Nappies,
Bin bags,
A4 paper for learning journey photos,
Or fee for online system usage.
Printer Ink,
Plain scrap book,
Any outings and entry fees to be charged on invoice individually if you go anywhere. This includes mileage to any parks/playgroups/etc further a field. Nursery’s do not have the option to leave the setting as regularly as childminders do if at all, and it’s strictly not part of the EYFS that we do. But it’s still a cost we incur delivering our curriculum.
It may seem ridiculous but it’s the honest reality of the consumables we use as childcare practitioners and of just how much we actually go through caring for little people!
Most childcare providers charge in and around £2 is per hour OR up to £10-12 per day consumables which considering full fees are between £66-£78 per day….. you were still getting a good “deal”. but in an IDEAL world…the government would foot the entire bill for tiny humans…..alas…..they only care about lining their own pockets and the rich chums pockets….