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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

Would you as a child minder want to murder me?

37 replies

Honeydragon · 05/01/2011 10:03

Managed to find a wonderful child minder... she is awesome. Left dd with her yesterday for 3 hours, dd due to do a full day friday and I start work Monday.

Work only finally confirmed my hours after chasing and chasing them yesterday. They then called at 5pm last night having changed them again and have requested overtime and shift changes in my first 3 weeks back.

Result is I can't afford to go back to work. I am going to have to resign today and work out what notice I owe them if any. I am devastated. But the only way we can manage financially is if I try to build up my work portfolio I do at home in the evenings / night and leave my day job.

Legally what do I have to pay her? And will she hate me for ever more?? Sad

Please tell me that this does occasionally happen.

OP posts:
Original poster
Honeydragon · 05/01/2011 11:11

Unis - that is exactly the issue.

The cm is wonderful, I feel like such an arsehole.

OP posts:
Original poster
Honeydragon · 05/01/2011 11:10

minderjinx

You are absolutely right.

I have a ds too, my cm is very reasonable in price. The problem is that I haven't started back yet and they are already wanting shift changes and overtime. Meaning extra childcare. I was prepared to work for less to keep my job, but it's worked out a lot less. It is also the travel cost and journey time that are eating up further income.

I have done everything to make this work with dh support, even though he admitted he'd be happier if I resigned. What has come as a major shock in my new contract is I probably will not be allowed any time off on the dates my child minder has her holiday as they are classed as detrimental to the business. And if my child is sick no longer will have the option of taking holiday, it must be unpaid leave. If I made the hours up it wouldn't be granted till the following months pay so I'd be terrified I wouldn't have enough to pay cm. Sad

This has all come as a real shock yesterday.

OP posts:
UniS · 05/01/2011 11:05

If I read OP correctly, overtime and shift changes would mean working out side hours CM is booked for and not in CM booked hours. Paying twice for childcare could well take childcare costs over earnings.

minderjinx · 05/01/2011 10:54

Are you sure you can't afford to work? Assuming you don't have other children you have not mentioned, I'd be astonished if you pay your childminder more than you earn - I don't know anyone around here who charges near the national minimum wage. When people say they can't afford to work, they often mean they can't bear to spend a big chunk of their earnings on their child's care, but it's often a situation to grin and bear with the longer term in mind. If you are relatively lowly paid, then you will get tax credits for childcare, and your free nursery entitlement isn't that far away. Think very carefully about throwing up the chance of employment in the current climate.

Original poster
Honeydragon · 05/01/2011 10:51

Bugger just realised I haven't signed contract yet as yesterday was a "getting to know session"

it says

There will be a trial period of 1 month for the child minder or parent to decide whether the child suitably fits into the circle of child minded children. If it is necessary to end the agreement sooner or straight away, then payment in lieu of notice has to be made. In ordinary circumstances both the child minder and parent should serve the appropriate notice.

It doesn't state how much though?

OP posts:
Original poster
Honeydragon · 05/01/2011 10:44

I only recieved smp so they owe me money at present not the other way round.

OP posts:
onlyjuststillme · 05/01/2011 10:33

look into your maternity rights at work. If you dont return to work for 3 monthd you way have to pay back some of your maternity pay. If this is the case you may wish to return to work for a few months and still use your cm for that period?

moogster1a · 05/01/2011 10:22

usually 4 weeks notice but in my contracts I have a settling in period of the first 2 weeks where either side can terminate the contract with immediate effect.
Read the contract, we all work slightly differently!

Original poster
Honeydragon · 05/01/2011 10:19

I only signed the contract yesterday -- so assume I owe her 4 weeks?

OP posts:
GoldFrakkincenseAndMyrrh · 05/01/2011 10:13

She won't hate you, it happens.

Give as much notice as possible, check your contract what the notice period is - typically 4 weeks - and be very apologetic! Also recommend her to anyone you know who's looking to help her fill the space.

Bramshott · 05/01/2011 10:13

I would imagine you will have to use/pay her for a month if that's your agreed notice period.

Is the work hours situation really so bad that you can't go back at all?

If you are trying to build up freelance work, would it be easier to use the CM say 1 day a week to enable you to do that?

A "wonderful childminder" can be hard to find . . .

UniS · 05/01/2011 10:08

It happens occasionally. You may need to pay/ use a notice period, check your contract. But above all, talk to your CM and ask them.

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