Paying the CM

I'm slightly confused now - are you contracted to look after their child in both term time and the holidays?

I used to pay my childminder weekly on a Friday. The way i felt is that if I didn't pay her she couldn't look after my kids and I couldn't earn money to pay my other bills. The weekly pay thing was her idea, but suited me perfectly as I hate handing over huge amounts of money at once and worry about being short.

Just a thought, do they think that they don't have to pay you during the holidays as you are not having the child? Its seems a bit daft but you never know...

I do not get why people think it's ok to pay the childcare bill late. I wouldn't be continuing to look after the child if the bill was over due by more than a day or so. Shows complete disrespect to the childcarer, especially when it is a childminder or nanny who rely on the income to survive. (Not saying it's ok for a nursery but I imagine the is a bigger safety net as the buisness is bigger). If your childcarer refuses to look after your child you can't go to work, so next month won't be paying the morgagte either. And I'm sure word would soon get round if bills aren't paid, to warn other childminders not to take the family on.

We have paid late when a DD/SO stopped and we didn't realise as we had set it to expire and had forgotten, apart from that no-

As a PP mentioned I would be too worried they would refuse to take DD as we pay month upfront (so by 29/30 for the next month), so if we didn't pay they could easily say no to take her

So inconsiderate of them. It's your wages. My CM payment goes out on a direct debit each month so she doesn't have to chase me for payment. Maybe this would be a better option for you in future?

We have also never paid our cm late.

I am a part time cm and I only accept payment by bank transfer on the same day each month - doesn't have to be the same date for each parent because I don't rely on the money to pay my mortgage (I rely on the money though!).

Or old cm would only accept payment on the 1st of every month and asked that a standing order be set up.

If they don't pay you should look for other kids. If someone was 4 weeks late paying me I wouldn't even give them notice.

Childcare always paid on time. Well ok mostly because sometimes I'm shit and forgot but tbf the month we didn't pay at all the cm didn't notice either and it was us who asked her to check!

Do you have any kind of security? I've had one childminder who took a deposit and then charged in arrears but if we'd been persistently late or non payers she would have been able to give us notice and keep the deposit. The next one charged us the month in advance, if we hadn't paid we'd have been turned away.

Childcare for me is my number 3 bill. Our rent comes first, then council tax. We need a home and to pay council tax so we don't go to prison. After that childcare is first - we employ our nanny and I honestly can't imagine anything worse than being responsible for somebody else's financial struggle.

I would charge a late fee and give a warning. I pay our minded upfront. That's a disgrace

I have never paid a childcare bill late, ever. That's the height of rudeness.
If I ever did, it would be out of error, and one reminder would have me apologetically doing it.

Are you charging them? My nursery charged 7% per week of non payment.

Has the child been coming during the period of non payment, because they'll be building up to two months in arrears very soon and that would make me very nervous.

Gosh, of course it's an important bill, and the CM is likely to need the £ to pay their bills.

I think you should think about changing your contract to introduce late fees. And also whether you should continue to work for this family - if they can't afford childcare one month, how likely are they to be able to afford 2x lots of childcare the next month?

Well Ive never. Used a CM but in 9'years and counting of using nurseries and after school provision I have never ever been late in paying.

For me it's one of our most important outgoings after our mortgage, but more importantly it's a matter of respect and appreciation!!

We also have a dog walker and we have never been late in paying her either for the same reasons.

You don't need to put up with this, write to all the intents and instigate a penalty clause and then enforce it!!

For me, childcare is a paramount bill. I'd rather not pay the electric than keep the childminder waiting as I have to interact with her every day & I wouldn't want any awkwardness. Plus if I didn't pay her, she is perfectly entitled to refuse to have the DC & then what would I do when I need to get to work.

I pay her on payday every month without fail, she is on Babys Days & has a notice on the front page that childminding is her income that she needs to pay the mortgage & her bills. She also charges fees if payment is late.

Is it lots of people OP or just one? I'd be tempted to say that you can't have the child if your fees are not paid.