Childminder wants to close at 1pm for the rest of the week

There are plenty of fuckwits who can't write a decent risk assessment because it relies on common sense and not being dim.

Even in education and childcare.

...oh! guess what! My childminder has just messaged saying she will be closing at 1 over the next couple of days. Because this is a NORMAL response and in line with the advice they're being given, particularly in terms of keeping the sleep environment cool. She says they are going to take steps to being able to mitigate this in future hot spells but that isn't any use to them now.

The thing is, I know she's committed and passionate and very well trained, and I trust her to make safe choices. Therefore I have not started to take legal advice or kicked off on Mumsnet accusing her of shirking. I've just rearranged my plans a bit. As is everyone else I know with small children right now.

This site is so out of step with what I'm seeing everywhere else in the country, it blows my mind.

Is there a particular problem with her house in the heat? Struggling with why her house is a less suitable place for the kids than at home as they can equally nap there.

I can’t remember who deals with funding for funded hours as my kids are older but is she planning to inform them that she’s not providing the service?

i only have one parent paying for private hours and that because they are using 30 hours elsewhere. Four family all funded hours (I’m only open three days) and term time only . They pay for lunch and snacks but can send a packed lunch instead . I provide wipes , they provide nappies , all trips included .

The “extreme heat” that has led the government to issue a red weather warning because it is dangerous to health. You think we should just all ignore it (like too many people did in 2022) and get on with our lives (like 4,500 people no longer can as they died due to the heat)?

I think thats fair enough for the childminders/ Both my kids schools are shut wed & thur and she may not have air con in her house.

We don't know that .
She might have school age children whose school has closed and she doesn't want to have too many children in the house in the heat, she might be someone not able to cope in the heat and so thanks the children will be better I their own homes.
Ultimately she works for herself and can choose when she works
If OP isn't satisfied with the service the childminder provides she can take her business elsewhere

My dsis has epilepsy which can be triggered by hot weather. She would not be safe to have children in her care in temperatures like the ones we are expecting this week. She can keep herself cool to avoid triggers but couldn’t do that if she was running around after small children.

It must be all those threads on Mumsnet clamouring for everything to shut down in the “extreme heat”; I think some people are longing for lockdown again.

@Ilovemychocolate do you mean lying babies on their backs etc?
I get that cm cannot guarantee cool rooms but no one can right now. I think this is a parental choice not a cm one - she should just keep the kids in the coolest room, bring the cot mattress downstairs, keep fans on, plenty of water etc. They are as safe at cm's as they are at home.

Yeah it's the equivalent of calling in sick and chilling in the garden with booze, isn't it?

Shame she doesn't seem to care about the kids. I'd sack her tbh.

@Ilovemychocolate do you mean lying babies on their backs etc?
I get that cm cannot guarantee cool rooms but no one can right now. I think this is a parental choice not a cm one - she should just keep the kids in the coolest room, bring the cot mattress downstairs, keep fans on, plenty of water etc. They are as safe at cm's as they are at home.

I know right. It’s meant to be a hot summer but life still goes on. My ICU nurse friend is still going to work

Can you clarify what you mean by "Parents mostly don't pay anything anymore" because if that's true I am flummoxed by the invoice for just over £1000 I have received today from my children's childcare setting.

I realised a year or so into parenting that the only guaranteed childcare was my husband or l unfortunately

I wouldn't accept this from a cm - she's been hired to provide a service, there are contracts. I'd expect her to do what she's been paid to do! The reason you hire a cm is because you have a job - if she's not covering the time you're at work, what's the point in hiring her?
I used to be a cm It's not a hobby that one dips in and out of, it's a proper job where you make a commitment to care for children during specified hours. This is unprofessional imo.

Not blaming her but there’s no reason for her to close at 1pm

But the point is if the childminder has done a risk assessment and they cannot keep children safe, they have to close. Just like many other childminders, nurseries and schools have made the same decision.

You stated that there were lots of easy ways to keep the sleep space between 16-20, I’m genuinelt asking what those ways are? We have done everything you are supposed to do to keep the house cool, windows open early doors for a cross breeze, blinds/windows/curtains closed after that to try and keep the heat out, haven’t used the oven, kept internal doors closed etc- the kids rooms are still sitting currently at 25 degrees. They are my children, so we’ll do what we can to keep them cool, but I certainly wouldn’t want to be responsible for other people’s children in these temps.

Childcare professionals are not magicians.

They are being sent home to their parents who can provide much closer care, and can accept their own risks for their own children. That’s exactly what we should want- not childcare settings staying open when they KNOW they cannot meet the guidelines on keeping our children safe because there would be countless threads if a child ended up seriously unwell or worse if a childminder stayed open against their better judgement.