Free Nursery places for 2 year olds

[Ruthierhyme]

This news article was released this morning ..

Free nursery places for 2 year olds ~ The Guardian Unlimited

What are your thoughts on this (when its officially confirmed !!) new provision ?

I guess that for parents who have to work then its a godsend.

am ok with it as long as we dont have to start taking year olds!!! i think that for us 2y9m is to young but that is what the parents want
in preschool setting think we are not so equipped for the younger ones

still wanting the move to 3 hrs free though then would be happy as we already do 3

This service has already been implemented into the area i work the initiative is referred to as Flying Start, the children start the term following their second birthday. At the moment it is being rolled out in areas of deprivation, where there is seen to be a large Social Services input. The children attend for 12.5 hours per week, 2.5 hours per day, there is provision available for the children to rest or sleep should they feel tired. The environment is nurturing with a large emphasis on play and having fun, the children we have attending are coping extremely well. We are just coming to the end of our first year.

[sarahnev707]

As a Childminder, I think I will lose even more work. I wonder how sustainable my role will be - I am losing babies to longer maternity leaves (which I totally agree with, but they do hurt my business) and I am losing toddlers to longer school sessions... very hard.

[brown owl]

Originally Posted by Ruthierhyme

This news article was released this morning ..

Free nursery places for 2 year olds ~ The Guardian Unlimited

What are your thoughts on this (when its officially confirmed !!) new provision ?

We take 2 year olds in our setting, and if this came into being, it would, hopefully, let more families use us. Also, the families that are on a low income would benefit as their children would be able to attend more sessions.

I think it is a good thing.

Brownn owl

[buildingblocks]

I agree with Sarah that as a childminder soon I will have to close as a business as I just will not be able to exist as a business. What parent will send a child to me if they can have a place for free.

The extended schools are taking away from us the care of older ones as well but what happen sto the parents who need care outside of those hours of 8 - 6 as childmidners will not be in existence for them

Sorry that doesn't read right to me but hopefully you can understand

lov eKate

Child minders are included in this provision as there is not always enough available places to to cater for the number of children, child minders are there to take up the slack, also to cater for the individual needs of a child that may not be able to cope in the larger environment. I know that there is a net work of childminders within the my community who are involved within this program

[Chelltune]

Both my children started preschool at about 2yrs 3mths, just for two morning sessions a week. At the moment this costs me £98 a month for DD, some funding would be wonderful!

[Air]

Our setting has taken 2 yr olds for sometime...we needed to lower the age we took children in order to remain afloat....some children cope well with this...others are really not ready....for various reasons.....I was aware that the funded age would be lowered....have mixed feelings about what message this is giving to already anxious parents....