Poppyfields - Teacher Led Early Years

💰 Free Childcare Isn’t Free - And Our Children Are Paying the Price. 💰

Over the last couple of days, newspapers and social posts have been telling parents:

“You don’t have to pay the extra charges for childcare.”

We completely understand why that message lands. Families are under pressure. Every pound matters.

But here’s what those headlines are missing - and it’s important.

“Free” childcare isn’t fully funded - The Government sets an hourly rate for funded places, but that rate often doesn’t cover the real cost of delivering high-quality early years care.

Staff wages. Rent. Energy bills. Food. Training. Insurance. Resources.

All rising. All essential. All real.

When the funding falls short, that gap doesn’t magically disappear, it’s absorbed by nurseries and childminders. This means providers are quietly subsidising funded hours from their own pockets.

The sector simply can’t keep doing that.

Childcare across the country is on its knees. Settings are reducing places, leaving the funded schemes, or closing their doors entirely.

If parents opt out of every additional charge while funding stays the same, the result isn’t cheaper childcare… It’s less childcare. 🤷🏻‍♀️

❌ Fewer nurseries.
❌ Fewer childminders.
❌ Longer waiting lists.
❌ Parents unable to return to work.

That helps no one.

And when income is squeezed, it’s the children who feel it first.

High-quality early years provision isn’t just about keeping doors open - it’s about enriching experiences: inspiring resources, exciting activities, outdoor learning, special visitors, trips, and highly trained staff who have the time to truly nurture each child.

When funding doesn’t stretch, those opportunities become harder to sustain. Not because providers don’t care, but because the money simply isn’t there.

💚 Children deserve more than the bare minimum.

They deserve environments where curiosity is sparked, confidence is built, and every child can thrive.

This isn’t about profit. It’s about survival.

At Kayte’s House, we exist because we love supporting children and families. We believe in accessible childcare. We want funded hours to work - we really, honestly do!

But the current system only works because providers stretch themselves - financially and emotionally - to breaking point.

So here’s our message to Government:

✅ Fund childcare properly.

✅ Match funding rates to real-world costs.

✅ Stop pushing providers into impossible positions.

✅ Stop pitting parents against providers

Because parents shouldn’t have to worry, and early years settings shouldn’t have to operate at a loss just to stay open.

✨ Sustainable funding = stable childcare = secure families. ✨

That’s what we’re fighting for. 💪🏽

A fantastic morning in the forest bringing 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt" to life! 🐻✨

Getting outside and fostering a love of reading are two of our favourite things, so bringing them together through play is just perfect. 📚🌳

Learning comes alive when children can explore, imagine, and move their bodies — turning stories into real adventures.

Keeping childhoods magical ✨

Thank you

Space for a new little adventurer to spend their days playing, exploring, and discovering the world! Visiting the zoo, library, forest, beach, and more. All within a true home from home setting, where strong, trusting relationships are at the heart of everything we do. ❤️🌟

The space is available for a September 2026 start. Tuesday and Wednesday 7.30am-5.30pm and Thursday 8.30am-4.30pm.

The space is for all 3 days and a minimum of 8 hours per day.

Funding accepted.

If you have any questions please do ask.

I am also emailing everyone on my interest form but if you are not on my interest form and you are interested please do still fill it in. 😊

Interest form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSehbOg__i39JobGf_6WcOAS54hStdJNvDDXkq3w8LDmF6kd3g/viewform?fbclid=Iwb21leAP11H1jbGNrA_XUeGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHid9TH_2rrMCtqcTFvdz_ea9oMAJbfyo4KgKECKnKNJM8ZfqLfCiYx6sFOY7_aem_W_Gm5lmALrlgTBf0E2QtHw

This week we have fed the ducks, been to the garden centre and soft play, decorated gingerbread men and played lots. 🦆🫧

We are really working on independence from raking on and off wellies and coats to getting arms in and out of pram straps independently.

Barley and Ted have had a lot of love this week and as always a love of animals and nature is extremely important to us at Poppyfields.

We have continued to go with the flow and plan in the moment, letting the children take the lead. Learning through play as always.
ChatGPT said:
Here’s a smoother, more polished version while keeping the same warm, nurturing tone:

This week has been full of fun and exploration. We’ve fed the ducks, visited the garden centre and soft play, decorated gingerbread men, and enjoyed lots of playtime together.

We’ve been focusing on building independence, from taking wellies and coats on and off, to confidently getting arms in and out of pram straps by themselves.

Barley and Ted have received lots of love this week, and as always, fostering a love of animals and nature remains at the heart of life at Poppyfields.

We’ve continued to go with the flow and plan in the moment, following the children’s lead and supporting their learning through play, just as we always do. ❤️

A catch up on the past two weeks 🥰

We have had so much fun, going to the park, childminder meet ups, adventure walks, seeing our Grandfriends for the first time since Christmas and we were even lucky enough to see the baby chimp at the zoo! ❤️

We’ve loved being back together today at one of our favourite places, sharing special moments and learning along the way. ⭐️

The little ones are growing so quickly, it’s amazing how much they change in such a short time.

I love to see different ages learning and working together and I was incredibly proud to have my two with me today! Their kindness, patience, and care for the younger ones is inspiring, and it’s beautiful to watch them support, guide, and learn from one another. The kindest hearts ❤️

Here is a little rework of the DfE's "apology"