I feel so ruthless!

Given that the OP warned the family that she would give the place to a full-timer if one came along, I don't think this is unreasonable at all. She isn't providing free childcare out of the goodness of her heart, for heaven's sake - she is running a business.

I wouldn't use a childminder either, actually, purely because they are human beings who do get sick and who do have a bottom line to consider, and their priorities may not always coincide with mine or my child's. But I would never blame/judge them for this - unlike some of the posters on here!

I agree with freber. She's a childminder and not a charity.

Although I am considered a social outcaste for pointing out that childcare in any form is a persons lively hood it is very clear that whenever people people discuss their childcare arrangements the world always has to be rose tinted.

A persons cm business is just as much a business as any other and this lady has been up front and clear with the family as is expected. Would you all be up in arms if it was the other way round, how would you feel if the lady was relying on an income, had turned away other business and then the family after 6 weeks decided to leave?

Children are resilient creatures and as long as the care is loving and fun they will be happy. Childcare providers in nurserys change all the time but people don't seem to worry about that.

This cm has been correct in every way and has to think of her own family.

CinnebarRed: Your prospective CMs explaination wouldn't have put me off (as a user of CMs in the past). If you think about it a child who is only using a place in the school holidays is precluding a CM from filling a space all year round. The lady you spoke to has been open and honest with you at least.

The childminders I have used have been lovely caring people with lots of knowledge about their profession but who also need to earn a crust.

"I also warned them that I would be giving the place to a full-time mindee if one should come along."

right, then they were perfectly aware and there shouldnt be a problem. If I was them, I wouldnt have taken up the offer of the temp place - which is what they did.

I think we are wishing you had told us that at the beginning you know. Starting to this you are on a wind up here!

Assuming you are genuine, I think you should re-word the letter as it comes accross as uncaring and ruthless which WILL piss them off, yes. You should refer in the letter to the agreement you had with them about how the place was temp until a full time child came a long. I think if poss you should offer to reccommend a couple of other childminders you know that have places (part time).

I did this once (many moons ago). I took on an after school child, 1 day per week, term time only and I made it clear to his mum that I was really looking for a full timer. Anyway .... along came a pair of twins 6 months later, wanting full time spaces. I spoke to the first child's Mum and she remembered that I had warned her. I found her another childminder with a space available for her, who she was happy with. Anyway ... it all ended amicably ... and she has never spoken to me since

Not all chilminders are ruthless giving notice to a child just because a better opportunity comes along. I have been childminding for 17 years and would not dream of dropping a part-time child in favour of a full-time child. Yes I run a business and have bills to pay but ours is a caring profession and when you take on a child you make a longterm commitment to care for them. If you have a fulltime place and are offered a partime child you have to think can I fill the other part of that place or do I wait for a fulltime child. Not just say yes till better prospect comes along. also my reputation is important as most of my children come from referals from preious parents.

did you have it writing that they woud be bumped?

personally i would not pay for additional childcare i did not need to secure my child's place with a CM

you shouldn't have taken him on, if, in the back of your mind, you only wanted FT children

she now has to find alternative arrangements which won't necessarily be that easy

of course you are running a business, but you are running one which relies on word of mouth which is why this may bite you on the bum ...

CinnabarRed, if a childcare provider had told me she had let go children for monetary reasons it would put me off for certain. I'd always be worried about being bumped for a better prospect ie new sibling etc.

Although the OP has done nothing legally wrong, morally I feel its very wrong and the parents will be upset and spread the word. However I am a believer in Karma and what goes around comes around.

This thread re-inforced why I would never use a childminder.

not ruthless at all I would have done the same thing x

My DS is about to start at a CM.

When I was looking around, I explained to the CM (and all the others that I contacted) that I was looking for a FT place from September. This particular CM said she had a place available from a particular date; when I asked why that date she said that she had recently given notice to parents of a child who came to her only in school holidays because for financial reasons she needed to find a mindee for all year round.

I didn't think twice at this explanation at the time, and she was by far the best of all the CMs we met.

But now this thread has started me thinking - should I look into this further? I'm now concerned about (i) the possibililty that I've inadvertently been involved in problems for other parents; and (ii) similar happening to us. But the CM seems so very nice and friendly - surely she wouldn't have done anything below the belt?

Would really value honest opinions.

A business relies on good refernces aswell, which she will not be getting from the mindee she has just let go.

As a parent if she had done that to me I would be livid and would be telling as many people I know.

Yes, the cm does come across as ruthless. Fine if she is purely focussed on her bottom line, and it is her perogative to do so, however she will be reducing the pool of parents who will want to place their children with her if this becomes her reputation.

If I wanted a purely business focussed approach I'd probably choose a nursery not a cm.

Perfectly legal thing to do, but I'm afraid I wouldn't now touch you with a bargepole, and would warn all my friends to steer clear too.

atworknotworking, but it isn't the equivalent of taking twice the money for the same job. It is the equivalent of me interviewing for a part-time role, going on the training courses and learning the ropes, and then giving notice because I had found a fulltime job.

I certainly wouldn't be expecting a good reference if I did that unless I had made it very clear that I didn't want a parttime job, and I would expect it to hurt my reputation. Obviously I wouldn't care if I thought that I wouldn't be looking for a new job for a number of years, and I assume the OP won't be looking for new customers for a while.

I don't think that it helps that the OP gives the impression that she sees this as something that she has to do (ie the implication that it isn't the first time and won't be the last), but that may just be down to wording.

I can understand the terminating of the contract (happened to me when DS and DD were with a childminder) but happening after 6 weeks would really damage my trust in childminders in general.

And no I bloody would not understand that priority would be given to full time places unless the cm had made it clear - to put that in the letter will only piss them off more.

Yes this is a business, but as a parent if I had heard this story, then it would make me think twice about using this childminder.

As a parent continuity of care is important, and unless the cm had made it VERY clear that she would accept a part time child only until a full time child came along, then I'd be broadcasting this treatment to all and sundry. Local people do talk about local childminders.

Even if I wanted to place a full time child with her I would have no confidence that if a sibling pair came along wantign a palce that my child would not be booted out to make room.

Right as per the strict letter of the contract, but wrong on so many other levels.

GwarchodwrPlant I just wanted to offer a little support as some of the posts would upset me if I was in your position. I agree that it's a difficult judgement call to make and yes it's not great for your reputation and it may well put some people off from using your services.

As I said before I can appreciate that the mindees parents will be non too happy that they are having to find alternative care so soon. But as I read this I can't help thinking about all of the minders I know where mindees just don't turn up, no call, message, letter at least you have had the courtesy to stick to the terms of your contract.

To me childminding is a business, that does not mean that we don't care for or form attachments to our mindees, it's more of a career choice and often we have to make decisions that are not necessarily what we want to do, but from a sustainability aspect they have to be made.

I would ask that before people get too judgy take a step back if you had a job and were offered a better contract for twice the pay doing the same thing what would you do, I imagine that if people were very honest with themselves they would give notice and start the new job. The OP ultimately has to put her needs and the needs of her own family first that is where her priorities lie, she said she feels sad about the situation, she does care about the little boy, she has made a difficult decision and I for one agree with her.

Do as you would be done by - I just hope the OP never gets treated as badly as this when it comes time for her to look for a nursing home place .... as I have said on another thread, there is no excuse for pleading business grounds as a basis for rampaging over children's psychological wellbeing. As a childcare professional there should be respect for the young individuals in your care, and a difficult but important conversation with the parents should have taken place before you even thought of sending out a letter. Similarly when they signed up it should have been on the understanding that a f/t place would have to take priority. It sounds like you haven't even given them the opportunity to ramp up their hours. I am not impressed.

There aren't many other businesses that could get away with treating their clients so poorly. I'd be livid if I was that parent.

A business wouldn't take on a contract they couldn't fulfil? She is fulfilling the contract, she's doing exactly what the contract says.

The OP says she's not feeling happy about it, there's no need to berate her for it.

I do sympathise but how far depends on how you'd explained it to the parents when they took the place. If you'd made crystal clear that you were only taking this boy until a full time request came up fine but I'd be well peeved if I thought I had a permanent place for my child and got bumped after 6 weeks.