To think nursery shouldn't charge me four weeks notice?

[Melindaaa]

I know I probably am being unreasonable, they are a business after all and I agreed to their terms. Basically my twins started two weeks ago going to an OFSTED rated 'outstanding' nursery. We moved house mid January and there were only two nurseries reasonably locally to choose from, so went for the one with the best rating. Our contract stated both babies were to go Tues-Fri from 12.30-6pm. Ideally we would have had mornings but juggled things around as these were the only times they had available.

The week before they started we attended two settling in sessions for a couple of hours. I assumed that they would then start their proper hours the following week, but upon dropping them off the staff asked if I would be collecting them early. I must have looked a little shocked, and pointed out that I actually had to work so it would be difficult, but if there was a problem my husband was working from home and could be contacted. They called him at 4.30 as they said the babies were unsettled seeing some of the other children beginning to leave.

The rest of the week followed a similar vein, and the latest they stayed was 5.15.

The issues that bother my husband and I are as follows 1) all the toddlers were snotty and not once did we ever observe a member of staff wiping noses. 2) At least one child had conjunctivitis, which we have since been informed by the nursery that they do not have to exclude for. 3) The children seemed to be able to pick up any cup and drink from it without staff actually monitoring whether they had their own cup or someone else's. 4) over the course of their week at nursery only one of my children had his nappy changed, once, and that was because he had poo'd on the way in so was changed before I left.

Now all the above we put down to teething problems. We aren't new to nurses, my daughter attended one full time from 15 months old, but we were getting bad vibes, mostly hygiene related.

The weekend following their first week at nursery both babies came down with a nasty virus. One twin was in hospital for 8 days on oxygen, and although now home is too weak to get off the chair/bed and can no longer walk. The other baby escaped hospital admission but hasn't eaten for a week, is also too weak to move from bed or sofa and both babies have nasty, hacking coughs and some of the worst diarrhoea I have ever seen.

I accept that the nursery environment means that more bugs and viruses will be caught but there is no way I can send my babies back there. The nursery were fully aware of their vulnerable medical history (born at 23 weeks, chronic lung disease etc) but are insisting that we pay for weeks notice to the tune of £740, plus the one weeks fees they attended for.

We don't dispute paying for the one week we went, but surely they should show some special consideration for how sick my children are due to their prematurity and waive the four weeks notice fee?

No, its a contract which you agreed to - I'm sure the nursery will have a different view of the events you describe.

I agree that the cup thing and nappy changing is not good practice, however all children get sick when they start nursery/ playgroup. It's unfortunate that yours ended up so poorly because of their lowered immunity but perhaps that is something that you should have considered.

I think the nursery are well within their rights to charge you the 4 weeks notice, they are a business and it is in their t&c's which you signed.

They are within their rights to charge you the 4 weeks notice.

The nappy changing and cup thing is very bad practice, but you can't prove that it was either of those things that caused their illnesses. They are just as likely to have caught them from toys, the supermarket or out 'n' about. This is the time of year for illnesses I am afraid.

They took the piss making you collect early when the contracted hours were 12 to 6. I'd ask for reimbursement for the times you had to collect early. They sound awful, good for you keeping your twins away. I hope they recover soon. I think you may have a struggle with the money uk I'd put p as big a fight as possible and threaten reporting them for lack of hygiene.

I think you'll have to pay it and chalk it up to experience. I do really sympathise with you though, OP. I withdrew DD from a nursery I had bad vibes about and also had to pay the notice period. If you've signed the contract I don't think you have an alternative.

They took the piss making you collect early when the contracted hours were 12 to 6.
They didn't have to collect early. the n ursery quite rightly told them the lo's were upset. They could have chosen to say no, we'll collect at 6.
if they'd said nothing and left the lo's screaming for an hour there'd be a valid complaint .
What hygiene issues are you talking about? Kids have snotty noses, and unless you somehow physically attach beakers to the children they will always pick up the nearest one .
Maybe OP would be better off with a childminder which would minimise exposure to ailments.

Sorry YABU nearly all nursery's and childminders ask for payment in advance they have to cover there back. You also have to pay when your child is ill is to keep your place open the only time I don't pay my childminder is if she is ill or her children.
I would check that they haven't charged for the early pick up as they were the ones that rang you.

I have worked in nurseries for many years and all the ones I have worked in do nappy changes every 4 hour unless poo which is changed straight away. So if your child started at 1230 they wouldn't be due a change till 430 so if you were asked to collect early that maybe why they have not been changed.
If your children were really upset it is normal practice to let the parent know and let them collect early if need be.
Also when children start nursery they do pick up every bug at first but after a while it will settle down.
It is common practise at both nurseries and childminders to charge 4 weeks notice It will have been in your contract when you started, I am sorry but I think uabu to think you shouldn't have to pay it.

unfortunalty HPA don't recommed excluding children with conjunctivtis, so there is not alot the nursery can do in regar to that.

Unfair contract terms, there ought to be a sttling in or cooling off period in any contract and it seems there isn't in this case.

I would not pay, sit back and see what happens.

I did this with a council run nursery and after a few snotty letters, nothing seems to have happened at all.

Well just to go against the grain, I don't think yabu op. Whilst my DS doesn't go to nursery, my BF's son does and I often pick him up, all the children there have their own beakers, with their photos on, so they don't drink from each others, staff clean them if another child drinks out of it, there ate boxes of tissues everywhere and noses are forever being wiped.

Also, whilst they said your DC were upset, they'd already seemed surprised you weren't collecting them already and knew your DH was at home; how were the children when he got there?

Oh and meant to say, have recently viewed several nurseries and all told me conjunctivitis was a excludable condition so very surprised at your nursery!

"unfortunalty HPA don't recommed excluding children with conjunctivtis, so there is not alot the nursery can do in regar to that."

I wish they did. DS has had it twice now and I keep him home until it is clear (and still pay for his sessions obviously) but not everyone can/will do the same.

If you had concerns at your settling in sessions, could you have raised them then and not had to commit to the contract? Or were you already committed by then OP?

Sounds typical of a nursery to me. I have day's when ds's nose runs non stop and constant wiping doesn't keep on top of it and I'm sure most kids do.
As for conjunctivitis I know in dd's nursery children are allowed to attend if they have started treatment.
Sharing drinks will be difficult to police and, although icky, wouldn't actually cause a child with regular immunity any real harm.
It sounds like a nursery isn't the most appropriate childcare option for you. Even without the things you have listed the kids will be slobbering over one another and passing stuff around.
I think you should pay for the notice period.

YABU. You agreed to their terms and that is that. Unless they are actually being negligent to your dc, you need to pay.

You shudo have spent enough time in the nursery to get a feel for it before you signed up.