Book your spot at our free business webinar on expanded childcare
Catherine Gaunt
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
The expansion of funded childcare brings with it both opportunities and challenges for early years settings of all sizes to manage, with an increase to administration and paperwork.
On 21 May we will be hosting a webinar for your chance to hear from a panel of experts about how to deal with the impact of the expanded funded hours on your business.
Join a Nursery World webinar in partnership with Funding Loop, a system designed to make the funded hours process easier and used by over 1,500 nurseries, including over 70 per cent of all large nursery chains with more than 20 settings.
As Khayam Ezzat, founder of Funding Loop and a nursery owner, told Nursery World earlier this year, ‘The subsidy will undoubtedly help many families who have been affected by the cost of living crisis. The offer will also bring with it many operational challenges for providers.
‘The level of demand already seen by parents suggests that places will be highly sought-after.
‘With many providers expecting a doubling of the number of place claims, it will also significantly increase the burden of completing funding forms. The process is tedious and time-consuming for providers and parents alike.’
Findings from our Nursery World survey, out this week, highlight that while most early years settings in our survey are taking part in the expanded twos offer, which launched in April, they are also struggling to balance its demands, including waiting lists, charges for consumables, and an increase in paperwork.
Our panel will debate:
- Expanding capacity: Gauging the scale of new openings and existing expansions
- Meeting parent demand: Taking a look at the booking trends on the ground
- Making the funded hours pay: Is charging for consumables the only way to stay sustainable?
- Managing administration: Exploring the operational demands of keeping on top of occupancy and funded hours, how to reduce time spent on it, and the potential pitfalls.
Our panel also includes Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, Clare Roberts, CEO of Kids Planet, the third largest nursery group in the UK, and Neil Dudman of Naturally Curious Childcare, who runs five nurseries.
Our free webinar, Exploring the impact of the expanded funded hours on nursery businesses, takes place on Tuesday 21 May at 12pm.
- Book your place here
