The main problem with childcare vouchers is that you get them late - there is a solution

BACS details went on the application form. So now the only delay seems to be with the parents (or possibly with the BACS system - it can take a few days to come through).
Will have a chat with my boss, Before she goes to work, so that if she hasn't processed the tranaction yet, she can do so during her lunch hour.
Alas it isn't the only issue, haven't had February's kitty money yet, or mileage payment.
I know Jan is a lean month for lots of people, but surely the person providing childcare comes fairly high up on the list of people to pay.

Just reading the Accor faq: Electronic Childcare Voucher payments are issued automatically once the parent requests payment online.
Hmm, so if I've not had payment, the parent hasn't requested it! Does not appear that I need to get the carer pack, I just need an account number, which I got from Accor via e-mail and gave to the parents, 4 days ago.

I'm losing patience with these voucher things. Faircare were great, but since my employer changed jobs I've been having nothing but trouble - as the voucher company has also changed (to Accor). It's now Feb 6th and I am still waiting for January payment. I can't log in to Accor's website, as I have not received by carer pack with my login details. I just hope that whenever I do manage to login, there is money in the account to transfer (but if there is, why can't they just credit it to my bank account, why do I need to login?).
I feel it is the parents responsibility to pay on time... while it may not be their fault that the voucher company has not processed things in time, it's not my fault either.

I'm with Jura on this, it is irrelevant when contracts are dated and start. I have parent who want a place with me and start claiming childcare vouchers whilst on maternity leave, so they have a large credit in their childcare account, but some still can't manage to pay on time, whether it be the 1st. 15th or 30th of the month!

Payment should be made when payment is due and parents have to sort that out.

The biggest problems with parents is paying fees, how can they mess about with their childcare like this, they wouldn't dream of not paying their car insurance, mortgage, rent etc.

I said to a parent just before Christmas,I am going to give you notice as I do not need you to support my childminding business, ( a bonus earner for me) would you really jeopardise your childcare for a few hundred pounds?

She has one in nursery and I asked her do you pay the nursery late or not pay when your child doesn't attend?
She promptly raised my fees and pays me a month in advance a week before the fees are due!!

Our nursery always expect us to pay a month ahead - I get vouchers on the 25th and pay the bill for the following month using those vouchers, so when we started we had to pay the first month out of our own funds.

Not sure how that works at the end of a contract though, but we haven't got there yet!

It's like rent - you pay in advance, even though salary and vouchers are paid in arrears. That's life, innit..

You seem to be missing my point entirely. I'm not arguing that a contract is a legally binding agreement and should be honoured. What I'm saying is that when you start with a parent and they tell you they don't get the vouchers until say the last week of the month and you know that it takes a no. of days for them to clear, why not start your contract on say the 6th of the month, that way there's no stress for the parents and you know that your account will be in credit by the 6th. I don't understand why that would be so difficult for you. If you had bills to pay at the beginning of the month, why not change the pay dates and pay them after the 6th.
If parents are not honouring their contracts then obviously you would have reason to complain, but if you set up a system where you make if difficult for the parents to pay on a certain day, you only have yourself to blame.

A nursery wouldn't let you pay them a month late. Neither would your mortgage.. So why should a childminder??

IndieChick, Katy contract is JUST THAT..would your mobile phone company/loan comapny etc accept that you would rather make payments much later?after you have signed and agreed to their contract?..its a legal contract, SIGNED by parents stating they agree to ALL t&c, they havea legal obligation to pay on time as well as complying with all other points onit...im not saying parents are with holding payment but they should all do whatever neccesary to pay on time...old saying goes..would tesco let you pay for your trolly full of shopping next week if you dont have the cash on you there and then??????

I've been childminding for 7 years and the last 4 have given each parent the opportunity to choose their own payment date to allow plenty of time for the transaction to be processed when they get paid. If there are problems with the first payments (eg cos parents didn't realise how long the payment would take to process, despite having discussed this) then I will discuss a payment date change and if necessary renew the contract.

But its made little difference. There are always parents who leave it to the last minute to authorise their payment without allowing enough time for it to be processed. Resulting in a frustrated childminder with a pile of bills to pay frantically going online every day to check if any money's gone in. I should have had voucher payments on 26th and 30th Jan - but both came in on 31st.

So if parents choose 14th as their payment date then they have to pay their March childcare bill on or before 14th February. Because this is the only way I stand a chance of paying my February bills before March. So, yes Indiechick, parents do have to budget a month ahead. The same as they have to do with their mortgage/rent and any other bill they are responsible for paying.

i think you need to draw up a nesletter Katy stating funds are NOT being cleared in time for you to pay staff and must be cleared in your account by the 1St meaning they need to look at transfering the amounts sooner..its their problem, you shouldnt be left stressing over it!

I agree with KatyMac, if there is an agreement to pay by a certain day, then it's the parent's problem to work out how to do it. You can store up vouchers, so if the parents paid by cash for the first month, then they'd have the vouchers going forward.

But why won't you change your contracts, you seem to be so inflexible and causing yourself grief when you know before you write the contracts there will be a problem?

Jura
I'm no more cavalier than Katymac who thinks it's acceptable that her parents are out of pocket the first month.
Luckily for me, my dd's nursery invoices in the middle of the month so the vouchers clear by the 4th/5th and don't have to be paid until the 15th. Maybe childminders should consider changing their invoicing dates. After all, it's really not the parents' fault that the vouchers don't clear for the first. And if they know the vouchers clear on the 4th/5th, they could always change their direct debits/payments to later on in the month.

Makes perfect sense KatyMac. I'm, now feeling a bit guilty that I give my childminder the vouchers the first time dd goes, after I've received them (dd only goes 2 days per week).

I need to have a chat with her and see what she would prefer me to do.

Having said that, it's sometimes the middle of the month before she gives me the invoice so I know how much top-up to give her.

Maybe you should use your own scheme to pay your staff, so they get paid promptly on the 5th and you use the previous months vouchers to pay them. If it works for the parents.........