FEES AND FUNDING
Bears Hideaway are open 49 weeks of the year Monday to Thursdays. We are closed on Fridays.
We offer 2 day patterns: full day - 8am to 6pm or short day - 930am to 430pm.
We close over the Christmas Period, for May half term and for one week in the summer holidays. We are also closed for bank holidays.
You do not pay when we are closed however fees still apply if your child is sick or on holiday. We do not offer swaps, and if you wish to decrease your days we require one months notice please.
For continuity of care we require a minimum of 2 days per week for all our children, regardless of age.
Fees are due in advance and payable by the 1st of the month.
We require a £250 deposit to secure a place in our setting. This is payable to us when a place becomes available before your child starts, to hold the space offered to you.
The deposit will be refunded against the final invoice when your child leaves as long as notice period has been given otherwise this is kept to cover fees not paid.
If you decide to not take your place at Bears Hideaway your deposit is NOT refundable as the sessions will have been allocated to your child.
Early Education Funding
If your child is aged over 9 months he/she may be entitled to the extended funding if you are working.
All
children can access the UNIVERSAL funding 11.5 hours at Bears as it is stretched - this is from the term after they are 3 years old.
Children maybe able to claim twos2 funding if they are not working / working for less hours then the working parents funding.
Please go to www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
to see what support you can get in childcare - Early Education Funding, tax free childcare, childcare workplace vouchers, tax credits, universal credit, support while you study, help for households.
** I would like to make you aware that the government funding does not support the costs of all we need to be sustainable.
FREE is never FREE without repercussions. Our staff are NOT paid the minimum wage for the long days they do with constant eyes upon the children, - they are paid at a minimum, rising with qualifications and experience ,10% higher than this.
It does not rise enough each year to cover the changes in utilities/business rates/NMW increases and new SSP from day 1 to name but a few.
We are a business, with vast overheads. We have chosen to create spaces above and beyond to benefit the children in our care BUT we need to be sustainable too and the Governments free childcare threatens the whole existence of non school private settings.
FREE is never FREE without repercussions.
With an abundance of settings in BCP, Parents have a choice where to send their children. We would love to have your child at Bears but and if you choose Bears you MUST agree with what we do and what we offer to ensure a good relationship form the offset.
Government guidelines states that the funding is to cover the cost of delivering the free EDUCATION - , and is NOT intended to fund the cost of consumables ( meals, inhouse cook, and all of its entirety- cleaning materials, training, fire blankets etc)
It states Providers (Bears Hideaway) are free to charge Parents for such discretionary items.
We are unable to come to an agreement to bring pack lunches as we only have meals served at Bears by our cook. Hot meals is important and these were our values when we opened Bears. When taking up a space at Bears Hideaway Parents need to be aware that additional costs are in place or respectfully, you will need to find a nursery that allows packed lunches instead.
