Childminder forgot to collect child

I wouldn't be at all happy with this and I'd be looking for another childminder ASAP. Or is after school club an option? I hope your son is ok and wasn't too confused or upset at not being collected.

No, no follow up other than the phone call I had with her at 3:35 to ask why she hadn't collected him. I think that's what is upsetting me the most. She's not asked after him, he's new to school, he would have been stood there alone and wondering why nobody had come for him, and he was excited to see her today so he feels a bit let down.

That's not good enough. She wouldn't fix her mistake?? That's shocking.

I would tell her not to bill you for any of her time today at the very least.

TBH, she doesn't sound great.

Did she ask after your son, whether he was upset or ask you to pass on an apology? I'd be very worried about having upset him and want to know he was OK.

If she hasn't shown any concern, I'd find someone different who cares about children.

Haha I noticed the name fail. Should have thought of that before posting but it only occurred to me after posting.

No, she didn't. She said if I wanted I go drop him off once I'd collected him I could. By the time I got to him it was 4pm - she only has him until 4:40pm and I finish at 5pm so that felt a bit of a token gesture.

I'm shocked you had to leave your work!

Name change fail too!!

Her reaction really doesn’t fill me with confidence. In your situation I would be looking for a new cm and would be telling her in no uncertain terms why. Things happen so she could be forgiven for forgetting your son (although that in itself is bad enough), but her lack of reaction and apology is astonishing!

Ex childminder of many years here.

If I'd done that, I'd have been mortified and apologising to the parent and to the child. I would have been out of the door like a shot, other mindees is tow to collect him the moment I was made aware and I would have been beside myself with shame.

I would have volunteered to the parent exactly what I had put in place to prevent this happening again and understood completely if the parent had wanted to end the contract with no notice.

If the contract had carried on, I would also have made a point of sending the parent photos of the child walking back with me or playing happily once we were home for a couple of weeks to reassure them.

She didn’t offer to go back and get him?!

I would be changing childminders that’s really unacceptable. I appreciate people make mistakes but forgetting to collect a young child is not one I would forgive.

My lovely CM (who is still a friend) used to collect my DC every day from school up to yr 4 for DS1. She never forgot. I would be looking for a new CM

I’d expect apologies and utter mortification, and a practical solution on the day. Otherwise I’d walk.

I used to be a childminder and never forgot a child in 5 years, I’d be mortified if I had!

I think I'm more annoyed that she's not checked on afterwards either. She's not messaged to ask if my son was OK or that he wasn't to upset - he's only 2 weeks into his school life. I genuinely thought she'd follow up with a message with a further apology, offer of rectifying it with a refund, and make sure I got my son OK and he was ok.

I would not give her the benefit of the doubt with that reaction.

I’d be going elsewhere for my childcare. I would doubt if I could rely on her to collect in future (who needs that extra stress?) and then I wouldn’t trust her care and attention to detail based on her attitude when you spoke to her.

Wow she didn't go at all? So you had to go and collect your son and she still took your money??

I think you need to look else where yes, if this was me I would be more than apologetic, embarrassed and gone to pick him up, if not refunded you.

She should have gone straight back to collect him no matter how many other kids she had. This was her mistake to fix, not yours. Refusing to go back for him and not apologising properly would be the end of the relationship for me. We can all make mistakes, it's how we deal with them that matters.

And I find the comment above that most childminders have done this at least once quite worrying tbh. How hard is it to write a list? These are little kids we are talking about, not dry cleaning.

Her reaction is really off. No way would I use her again.

This is the part of me that feels tight for considering changing childminders. She has always been lovely in person, if a bit ditsy/forgetful when messaging back and forth. But it's that ditsy forgetfulness that's making me wonder if this will be a reoccurring event.

I'm a cm and I have forgotten a child once. I remembered after 10 mins whilst still in the playground and was already rushing to the office when the mum called me (the school had called her.)

I was mortified and very apologetic. It was a different day to when I would normally collect a child and I reviewed my business processes after it. I now set alarms for anything that's out with the norm.

Given your cm's response I would be looking at alternative childcare. I would always go and collect a child and I'm surprised she didn't . It's her responsibility!!

This is basic stuff and presumably your son isn't too settled in yet. I'd be looking into other options.

No, no mention of anything such as refund or deducting it from next month's sessions. She only collects him twice a week so I won't see/hear from her until next week but then I'll be sat in work fretting as to whether he'll be collected or not.

Not a good start. Also I think your name change failed op.