A letter from Sue Dreksler, Chairman of Trustees:
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Re: SDN Fees
I am writing on behalf of the Trustees of Sevenoaks Day Nursery to let you know the outcome of this year’s fee review. We review the Nursery fees annually. Last year we moved this review from the autumn to the summer so as to avoid increasing fees shortly after new parents have joined (most join in September time) and we intend to continue to do this in future.
This year we have had an awful lot to contend with (as has everyone) but I am pleased to say that through James’ careful management and some very generous parents, the Nursery’s finances have not suffered as badly as they might otherwise have done. We do however, still need to cover our costs and pay our wonderful staff a fair salary in these difficult times so, after some deliberation we have decided to increase the fees by £1.50 per day to £43.50 per day from 1 September 2020, and to leave the fees for Club at £30 per day.
In coming to this decision, the Trustees have taken into account that
- this is a charity whose ethos is to offer quality childcare at the lowest possible costs whilst treating our staff fairly;
- we need to ensure we maintain a certain amount of contingency funding to guard against unexpected events – something that recent events have emphasized the importance of; and
- we need to slowly start to build our savings for future improvements to our accommodation.
Your fees cover the day-to-day running costs of the Nursery, plus a contribution towards replacement of our buildings. Additional ‘extras’ such as new toys and replacement of furniture that are not absolutely necessary but a ‘nice-to-have’ need to be covered by fundraising.
In closing, I’d like to remind you that the Nursery continues to offer real support to families in need; through our own local contacts, the Children’s Centre and now through KCC’s Free-For-Two scheme. We couldn’t do this without your continued support.
Yours sincerely,
Susan Dreksler, Chairman of Trustees, Sevenoaks Day Nursery
