Nurseries in York face closure due to the pilot of 30hrs free childcare
The funding rates for nurseries in York is on average £3.66 per hour; this has led to one childcare provider in York not providing the additional 15hrs. By offering this additional funding, the childcare provider is putting their nursery at risk of closure.
Around 20 other nurseries in York are also considering pulling out on providing the 30hrs free childcare unless the funding amount is increased to at least £4.50 per hour.
York is one of the 8 pilot areas to offer the increased hours in September. This will mean all children that are eligible will be able to access the 30hrs free childcare sooner than other children.
It has been confirmed that York nurseries will receive £3.95 to offer the extra 15hrs, but the current rate of £3.38 for the first 15hrs will stay the same. For providers, this means the average amount for those nurseries taking part will be £3.66 an hour. This is more than £1 lower then what the childcare minister Sam Gyimah promised settings.
Nursery met to discuss their feelings over the funding rates and to make it clear they wouldn’t be taking part in the 30 hrs free entitlement unless the funding rates were increasing to £4.50.
Ken McArthur, owner of Polly Anna’s nursery in Haxby, York, said that he would not be taking part in the pilot as it stands.
‘I’m out,’ he said. ‘I’m definitely not going to [take part]. I will not be offering the additional 15 hours to my parents.’
Helen Gration, founder of Yorkshire Montessori Nursery, said, ‘Only last month, the Government acknowledged an average hourly rate should be £4.88. So how can the offered £3.95 be justified, especially when we are left with a very tight four months of intense administration for a new system of extra funding, which cannot be afforded here for the city’s providers of childcare, who are already losing money on every funded hour they provide.
‘We hope there is serious thought given to how we can recuperate costs on top of each “free” hour. For such an important trial, providers in York are left asking if this city was chosen because it was a cheap option. For the quality education and care we provide the youngest of our children, don’t we deserve a justifiable rate?’
A further meeting has been arranged for providers in York on the 4th May to discuss the 30hrs free childcare funding rates further. The pilot scheme in York is the only one that enables all children that are eligible to access the free entitlement in all types of childcare. If this weren’t to go ahead, this would be a real shame for those children. However more needs to be done to incentive nurseries in offering the additional hours.