Member Article

Childcare funding for toddlers not being utilised

A South West day nursery group says government funded nursery places for two-year-olds are going unused at their settings across the city because not enough families know about the scheme.

There are spaces in all of the 22 Mama Bear’s Day Nurseries in the South West, which are open to children eligible for the year-round childcare allowance, but managers say parents are largely unaware of the help available to them.

Kerry Sturmey an experienced early education practitioner and regional manager at Mama Bear’s says utilising the scheme means disadvantaged children are just as likely to receive early years education as their more advantaged peers.

The Stretched Funding scheme, which allows families to claim their entitled childcare funding for two-year-olds throughout the year rather than only during term time, is just one funding scheme available to South West parents.

Kerry said: “There are so many funding options available to families to help them with the cost of childcare but they just don’t know about them, and therefore are not making use of them which is a real shame.

“The Stretched Funding scheme for example is brilliant, not only does it mean parents can spread the funding out across the year, making childcare slightly easier financially, it’s also great for the children who gain from consistent care and don’t have to settle back in to nursery life after longer holiday periods.

“We find that the main age-group affected is two-year-olds. Parents of toddlers just don’t realise that they are entitled to funding too. Nursery classes for two-year olds are so beneficial as it’s their very first taste of early education and can really help with a child’s social, emotional, physical and intellectual development as well as aiding speech and cognitive skills.

“At two-years-old children are keen to learn new things every day and socialise with their peers.

“As soon as they are confident on their feet, children are ready to go exploring. It is so important to encourage toddlers to learn about themselves, their environment and the world we live in by providing a full range of resources and activities and sometimes this is not possible within the home.

“At Mama Bear’s we have worked hard to create a stimulating environment designed especially for that age-group. We have also invested in age-appropriate toys and devised activities aimed at developing two-year-olds in a fun and exciting way.”

Assistance available to families includes childcare vouchers, working tax credits, funding for young parents and students and the free nursery entitlement scheme, which has been expanded to include two-year-olds.

Every three-year-old and an increasing number of two-year-olds are entitled to government funded hours. Traditionally the funding was offered for 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year but the new Stretched Funding Scheme is now available for 12 hours a week for 48 weeks of the year, meaning parents’ monthly bills are more even and children have access to all-year-round funded care.

Mama Bear’s Day Nursery is a family run childcare organisation which was established in 2002 with the aim of making high-quality, affordable childcare available to families living, working or studying in the South West.

There are now 22 nurseries across the South West in Somerset, Devon and Bristol which aim to provide children with their first vital level of education to give them a head-start when they start at primary school.

Each nursery is open weekdays from 7.30am to 6pm, or until 7pm on request, for 51 weeks of the year, closing between Christmas and New Year, and all bank holidays.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clarke Willmott .