Mindee has temperature of 38.5 - I think he should go home.

I think you need to ask the parents for another way to contact them in addition to mobile number.

This ^

There are very few excuses for being so hard to contact.

I've childminded for farmers, doctors, a dentist, a police officer, teachers and intensive care nurses. I've been able to contact every one of them easily if their child has been ill and needed to be collected. The only one I've been unable to contact quickly is an airline pilot.

If you phone someone's workplace and say you are their childminder, the person answering the phone generally pulls out all the stops to help you because they know the parent would want to know asap.

It's damn selfish, if your child is ill they'll pass it on to the others.
I would always have my phone switched off when seeing patients, but give childminder/nanny/nursery my work phone number (switchboard) and that was the only time I could be disturbed.
Not everyone is going to be able to come immediately, but they should be able to sort something out within a couple of hours.

Even surgeons can be contacted. My CM knows that I can't always answer my phone but I've explained that in an emergency she should phone the hospital switchboard and ask them to page me. I think you need to ask the parents for another way to contact them in addition to mobile number.

I would also point out to them the seriousness of not being contactable. Unless they are surgeons or similar, one or other of them need to be contactable at all times if they have no other emergency contacts in this country. If they really cannot have their phones on them, they have to come up with a Plan B - and you are not it! What would have happened if their dc had fallen/become seriously ill and had to be taken to hospital? I suspect they knew exactly why you were calling and ignored the calls.

They'd be much better off with a nanny as they seem to want/expect one to one care.

Some people have the knack of 'expecting' more than they are realistically paying for and making you feel guilty for not wanting to give it. I had to work hard to get over it and start standing firm.

Enjoy your snotty afternoon

Have you told them that they are in danger of being given notice for this?

I'm also going to re-write my sickness policy quoting the NHS website which says that anything over 37.5 in a child is considered to be a fever.

Include that fact that you will give notice to parents who are uncontactable when their child is unwell in your care on more than one occasion, give them a copy and ask them both to sign and return it to you.

He's been sick now, so you can send him home for 48 hrs

This really annoys me.

I had a little girl who developed a temperature of 39+ degrees. Parents refused to collect so in the end I just took her home, knowing full well Dad was there on a day off. He looked ever so hacked off!

The following day they both had holiday time off. Mum was booked in for some beauty treatment and Dad was meant to be going to play football. Their little girl was still really poorly, having been diagnosed with a raging ear and throat infection. She was given antibiotics for it and the buggers still brought her to me! She was so miserable that I called the parents and insisted they collect her again. We parted company soon after that.

Grrrrr!

Phone main reception at place of work and ask them to track them down as it's a childcare emergency?

I've had this done to me once when I was in an endless meeting without my mobile.

Have you managed to get hold of them yet?

Oops! How long have they been uncontactable? I only ask because sometimes I'm in a meeting room with no mobile coverage, nursery have my landline though so they'd get one of my team.

Appalling parenting, especially not picking up. I'd text them to say that as per the contract they singed, they need to collect their child.

How long have they been unc

That's horrible that they arent picking up!

Ds goes nursery 3days a week and on those 3 days my mobile is always close by he has sn so would be very unhappy if they didnt call about anything they didnt know about

Good idea about withholding your number. Could you find a main switchboard number for their place of work online and try that way ? I agree with pp if it was my DC I would expect to collect them straightaway.

DH says I'm too nice.

I think he's right.

You're running a business here and you have a duty of care to the other mindees.

When you do get hold of them, make it very clear in very direct language, that, if this should ever happen again, you will have no choice but to terminate the contract. Then confirm the conversation in writing.

Are they at work and can you call their office/shop/whatever? Poor mite should be at home (and not infecting everyone else). It's irresponsible of them to ignore their phone, what if he's really sick/had an accident and you're en route to A&E?

This would worry me as surely they should be picking up phonecalls from you!

Oh my word, they sound awful! Ignoring a ringing phone when surely they knew he was under the weather? Do they have work contact details?

Do you know where they work? Did you leave a voicemail?

Can you ring them from another number, or withhold yours? Chances are that they're not answering because they know why you're ringing.

Give notice. They are taking the piss, if they know he is sick, and they are not answering the phone.