Free Rangers Nursery, based in Welton, organised a special meeting with B&NES’ Planning and Perfomance Manager, Philip Frankland, last week, alongside other childcare experts and businesses in the area, to try to establish how a Government manifesto commitment to provide thirty hours of free childcare per week to eligible families from September 2017 will affect them in future. For some childcare providers, the new rules could simply mean their businesses are no longer viable, and has caused a great deal of concern. This also comes alongside news that B&NES Council has an anticipated £1.2m funding gap for local Children’s Centres and services, with a projected overspend of £2.219m by the end of the financial year.

As the local authority, B&NES is increasingly finding itself in the middle of Government cuts, which it will need to pass on, and could see very lean times ahead for local children’s services, focussing solely on those classed as ‘vulnerable’.

Nursery providers last week called upon B&NES Council to help protect local childcare businesses and to stand together collectively in the face of Government-enforced change. Next year, nurseries could have to offer thirty hours a week of free childcare for those three years and over – double the current allowance of fifteen hours per week.

Charlotte Lucas, Co-owner and Founder of Free Rangers Nursery, said: “For too long the Government has played families with young children off against nursery owners, making out that we are cashing in and that on the receiving end are the families who are expected to pick up the bill.

“Well, it is true that families are expected to pick up the bill, but not because nurseries are making a packet. The Government think B&NES nurseries can operate at a profit when paying merely £3.68 per funded 3+yr old. Operating costs are close to £5 per hour and nurseries have to take into consideration the new Living Wage and Pension pay-ins that are all increased costs, despite funding not reflecting these changes or increasing in over five years.

“The Government’s promise of ‘free childcare’ is not free. Many nurseries within B&NES will close, or be at risk from closure, if we aren’t listened to. The future of B&NES’ nurseries is on very thin ice and it is time for families and settings to work together to explain to the Government why their funding isn’t making the grade.”

Philip Frankland, from B&NES Council, explained to the Early Years providers that the local authority was looking at an indicative rate of funding of £4.06 per child, but this was not a final rate, and other factors would need to be included, such as the Early Years’ Pupil Premium and Disability Living Allowance. Because B&NES is facing such huge pressures with its own budget, Mr Frankland also warned that the Council may need to retain up to 5% of the funding. Providers pointed out that many local nurseries are already oversubscribed, without the extra thirty hour offer, and that some would have to reassess staffing and overhead costs to protect themselves. One of the nursery owners at the meeting said: “Whilst I completely agree this is publicly-funded money that needs to be monitored, the Government’s proposals feel bullish and we need to know that B&NES has our backs to make this work – for both our children, and to keep our businesses sustainable.”