Day nurseries across England are finding it difficult to continue offering free childcare places to three- and four-year-olds as the Government's nursery education grant is failing to cover their basic costs and some parents are asking for refunds. The grant, currently worth a minimum of £1,248 a year or £416 a term, gives the parents of three- and four-year-olds up to five free two-and-a-half-hour sessions for 33 weeks of a year. But the National Day Nurseries Association has noted growing problems with the scheme as day nurseries are losing money because of it.