New Forest Living Jul - Aug 2023

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CHILDCARE EXPANSION A GAME CHANGER By Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive of National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA)... When Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced “free childcare” for all children over nine months from working families, excited parents and expectant couples were already contacting their local nurseries. This announcement is a game-changer for working parents and their children, but also for the early years sector. Parents returning to work after a new baby will soon have support with childcare costs. More children will be entitled to high quality early education and care, which supports their development and offers exciting learning opportunities. But is it as good as it sounds? And what needs to happen to make it a reality? Currently, all three and four-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare per week for 38 weeks. This doubles to 30 hours for those with working parents within specific wage limits. Two-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds are entitled to 15 hours per week. Around 80% of these “free” places are delivered by private, voluntary and independent (PVI) nurseries, with the rest given by childminders and schools. Unfortunately these places aren’t free, for either parents or providers. Here’s why: the Government offers free places but then doesn’t give childcare providers enough money to even cover costs. This means they make a loss on each funded place. In NDNA’s February survey, under 2% of nurseries said Government funding covered their delivery costs; 83% will either make a loss or break even, so can’t invest in staffing or resources. This is why childcare costs are so high. The Government contribution is so low, nurseries have to put up their fees to parents to make up the shortfall. From April 2024, all two-year-olds of working parents can claim 15 hours of childcare; this extends to all children who are nine months old from September 2024. A year later, working parents with children under five will be entitled to 30 hours. The Government currently buys around 50% of all childcare in England; this will rise to around 80%, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. While this is great news for parents’ budgets, if the Government does not pay its share, it could bring the whole system crashing down. NDNA research shows that 87% more nurseries closed between April and December 2022 compared with the same period the previous year. Providers’ costs have rocketed, including staff wages, energy and food costs, business rates and VAT. Unfortunately the funding rate has never kept pace with actual costs or inflation. At the time of going to press, early years providers do not know how many more children are expected to take up a place, making it very difficult to plan. Currently only 86% of PVI nurseries offer two-year-old places. NDNA’s research shows that 67% of nurseries would have to physically expand to increase their capacity – this takes planning, investment and time. There is no capital funding for this, nurseries have exhausted their reserves through underfunding and time is running out. Three quarters of nurseries could only offer further places if they took on more staff. A workforce crisis has been blighting the sector for years, with some settings closing provision because they don’t have enough practitioners. NDNA has asked the Government for support to raise awareness of early years careers, providing pathways for development, funding for qualifications and higher funding rates to pay staff the salaries they deserve. Support is patchy at best. The childcare landscape in England is set to be transformed. We all want it to be a success, to support parents and give children the best start in life. If the Government invests sufficiently and works alongside the providers, it will truly be a game changer. But the Government must get its sums right from the start because from September 2025, there will be no means for nurseries to make up that shortfall and prices will effectively be fixed. For more information, please visit www.ndna.org.uk 12 | www.minervamagazines.co.uk
NEW COTTON PYJAMA AND KIMONO RANGE ONLINE Creative Arts Summer SchOol 1-week courses | July – August 2023 haus LIFESTYLE | GIFTS FREE UK P&P ON ALL ORDERS OVER £60 hauslife.co.uk AUB's vibrant and creative summer holiday art courses give young artists aged 7-15 the chance to: O – Have fun with art – Nurture their talent – Develop new creative skills – Learn from our creative experts – Explore and experiment creatively – Study at a leading specialist university – Increase confidence in their artistic abilities – Harness their imaginations in a supportive environment Due to the practical nature of our courses we've a limited number of places available. We highly recommend booking early. Learn more and book now aub.ac.uk/cass summercourses@aub.ac.uk 01202 363222 A dynamic and ever-evolving through school for girls aged 3 to 18. Join us for an education for the future OPEN DAYS Senior School Fri 22nd Sept Kindergarten, Pre-Prep & Juniors Fri 29th Sept Please check timings and register via our website, a warm welcome and exciting future awaits! Sixth Form Tues 10th Oct • Through school specialising in nurturing girls from Kindergarten to 6th Form • Ground-breaking STEAM curriculum for the future taught from age 3 • State of the art STEAM HUB • One to one iPads from Reception • Apple Distinguished School • Forest School in our own beautiful woods • Acres of outdoor space and sports facilities • Fully equipped Music School • Top performing Tennis & Swimming Academies • Dedicated Pastoral support and nursing team TALK TO US ABOUT OUR NEW SCHOLARSHIPS AND MENTORS Talbot Heath Independent School for Girls aged 3-18 Bournemouth | 01202 761881 | www.talbotheath.org | Day and boarding | Private bus service across Dorset and the New Forest www.minervamagazines.co.uk | 13
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