Nursery fees

[Angel786]

Is it standard that if you take your child on holiday or they don't attend because they are ill all prepaid fees are retained by the nursery i.e. no refund / offset against future invoices?

Thanks!

[Portofino]

With mine, they assumed 2 weeks holiday per year and you paid for the rest, whether the child attended or not.

[Katiebeau]

Totally normal. They can't resell the place when a child is off sick at short notice, nor is it that easy to sell short term places left by holidays. I once caught out a nursery though as my DD didn't need time off for an operation. They tried to make it my fault. I was fuming but I actually asked for it in writing that 1) my DD places will never be resold again and 2) that the place sold was cancelled so they didn't breach their numbers.

[suzikettles]

Yes it's normal. You really just have to assume you'll be paying the fees over 12 months whatever happens.

Our nursery builds in half fees for two weeks as long as at least two weeks holiday is taken, but they have no obligation to do this. You're paying for the place being available to you if you need it and they are unlikely to be able to fill the place when you're on holiday.

[mnistooaddictive]

WE paid full fees for 51 weeks a year. They were shut for a week at christmas so didn't charge then. You are paying for the place. It is compketely normal. Frustrating but normal. I used to really resent paying for bank holidays when they weren't even open.

[lynniep]

yup. we pay for 50 weeks a year. No refund for long hols and nothing for illness (fair enough).
However ours a pretty good, and let us swap days about often at short notice, even bank holidays (As long as they have space/staff). So my kids dont normally go in on a Weds, but if theres a bank holiday that week, I'll ask to swap them from the Monday to the Weds and they are fine about it. Gives me a day to myself!

[mumofsussex]

at mine if you give notice you don't pay for holidays but if they don't attend due to sickness you still have to pay as are charged a month in advance and don't get a credit.

[Angel786]

Thanks all, seems quite normal so will bite the nursery bullet!

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