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Original poster

Terminating Childminder, Advise required!

78 replies

larryson · 25/09/2021 18:38

Hi all,

We need some advise on a current situation about terminating our contract with our childminder.

We switched childminder provider to one that is more conveniently located to our home. We went by her place a while back and signed the documents 2 months back.

Fast forward till today, it has been the first two weeks, spending 4 days a week. However, my daughter, which is 17 months old, has a real trouble adjusting. She has been ill since starting with this childminder, and one occasion she came home with no voice from all the crying. On the same day, the childminder messaged to us to pick up earlier than the agreed time.

None of this happened with the prior childminder. We also had a student covering during the prior childminder's holiday and everything went smoothly.

We are very concern over the well being continuing with the same childminder, as she has been screaming at night and her personality has changed drastically.

The issue we have is around the contract and notice period. The childminder would like us to still pay for the 4 week and if we choose not to bring her there there is a 20% discount. We can't afford to pay her 80% of her fee and pay the former childminder.

What rights do we have here given that it is evident that this relationship is not working out? There is no break clause. And we are concern of the long term damage this could have if she should continue with this childminder. In addition, she is only taking care of two children, my daughter and someone else, so this isn't an issue of attention.

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RedMarauder · 25/09/2021 18:52

OP one of the things you need to consider is that if you are in a nearby area childminders know each other or if each other, and so can tell each other about clients who breach contracts and don't pay.

This means if you need to use a different childminder in future you may find it very difficult to find one.

Looneytune253 · 25/09/2021 18:48

You need to pay whatever is in the contract and in fairness I've never seen a 20% discount for non attendance before so that seems quite generous. A lot of places will have a clause for non settling but in my experience a couple of weeks is really not long enough to settle a child anyway so they're not really worth it.

neeenor · 25/09/2021 18:43

Well you can't do anything. If you signed a contract saying those were the T&C's then you need to pay her the 80% as that's what you'd agreed.

I agree I wouldn't send my child if they were that distressed and couldn't settle and it wasn't working.

It's a shame it hasn't worked out. I don't know what the reasons are, and likely neither will you for sure, but you can't go back on a written agreement just because it's not convenient for you.

If your struggling financially then you could ask her to allow a payment plan but she doesn't have to agree and you'll have to make that work.

I suggest you speak with her and see if some sort of mutually agreeable plan can be sorted out. Although I'd be prepared for her to enforce her contract as it's likely something she considered in advance, this won't be the first or the last time this happens.