Childcare funding can be one of the most confusing components of the early years education landscape. Between 15 hours, 30 hours, stretched funding and tax-free childcare, parents are often left unsure of what they’re entitled to or how to apply.

Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries – the UK’s largest franchised nursery group – has developed a suite of specialist resources designed to make funding clearer for parents and easier for nursery owners/franchisees to deliver. By breaking down complex government guidance into accessible, family-friendly formats, Monkey Puzzle endeavours to guarantee that owners/franchisees across the network can confidently support parents while also strengthening their own value proposition.

 

Here, Jamie Ross, Monkey Puzzle’s commercial director, discusses why it is essential for the brand/franchisor to support their network/ franchisees with valuable resources to help customers cut through the jargon, especially in industries as heavily regulated as early years education.

Setting the scene

For many families, the cost of childcare is one of the biggest worries on the household budget. While government funding schemes can make a real difference, they often come with a maze of rules and variations, not to mention eligibility codes and strict deadlines. It’s no wonder parents can feel confused and overwhelmed.

What families really need is clear guidance they can trust, and providers need the right tools to deliver that support with confidence. By making the system simpler to understand and easier to access, families can get the support they’re entitled to.

With all this in mind, it’s important for franchisees to have the right resources at their fingertips to enable them to guide parents with clarity and confidence. This is why we’ve developed a funding guide – plus a new funding calculator that will soon be available on all franchisee landing sites – to simplify the process and provide a one-stop shop for our franchisees and their teams to answer any questions families may have when it comes to funding.

Adding value for franchisees

So, why is this beneficial for our franchisees? Well, to start with, it takes the heavy lifting away from our franchisees – meaning they can focus on their day-to-day operations. As the franchisor, our role is to help franchisees thrive – and sometimes that means taking the lead at head office to give them the best support possible, meaning while they’re saving valuable time, there is a consistent message across our whole network.

This cohesion strengthens trust in the brand, while also giving each franchisee and their team the utmost confidence that the information they’re sharing with parents is both accurate and up to date.

In turn, this brings real clarity for parents. Families feel reassured about what funding they can access – and what they can’t – and how to do it. With everyone singing from the same hymn sheet, the process feels a whole lot simpler, clearer and far more supportive for all parties involved.

Franchisor support in action

For franchisees, one of the biggest advantages of being part of a network is knowing the franchisor will have your back on complex, time-consuming challenges. Childcare funding is a prime example in our industry – by tackling it centrally, we’re relieving our franchisees of the burden, allowing them to focus on delivering outstanding early years education.

This approach strengthens our individual settings but also reinforces the power of being part of a franchise network. It demonstrates Monkey Puzzle’s commitment to investing in practical, high-value support that helps franchisees grow with confidence, while also setting the brand apart as one willing to go the extra mile for its people and their customers.

As a franchise, Monkey Puzzle’s role is to make the complex simple so our franchisees can concentrate on what they do best. By taking ownership of childcare funding guidance, we’re easing the pressure on each nursery and adding real value across the network as a whole.

For me, this is what franchising should be about: practical support that drives business growth while enhancing the customer experience.

When we invest in tools, such as this guide, that help franchisees succeed, the benefits are felt by everyone – from the Monkey Puzzle brand, right down to the children who walk through our nursery doors every day.

For more information about Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries and our franchise offerings, please visit https://monkeypuzzlenurseryfranchise.com/