to not pay my child minder for days my son is on a school camp

[wantanewname]

Or should I? Really would like some advice please.

Depends what your contract says.

Of course should .Why should she be out of pocket because you decided to send your ds to camp.

Do you pay if he is off sick?

She said not to worry and usually I do if he doesn't go but am unsure what people normally do

Will she be out of pocket?

I think some CMs charge half rates for things like this.

Depends on what your contract says, but you have already agreed with your CM that your ds will be with her. It's not her fault if you've changed your mind. YANBU. On the whole!

Is this a day he would normally go to her after school ? If so then YABU - you should pay as that's your normal arrangement.

We don't have a contract as far as I'm aware. He's 10 so as far as I know he's outside ofsted so doesn't need contract but may be wrong. I've paid when he's been ill. Bit disappointed this week as my dad normally picks up on a Fri but couldn't do it due to am emergency with my mum who is very ill. I've asked my child minder before and she has done the Fri too if an emergency obv paid etc. This time she said no and that she thought it was a bit much.

Did she refuse to do the extra day after you told her you'd be paying her less the week he's at camp, by any chance?

I would have thought if you're wanting her to hold his place, then you need to pay (although ours would do half price for something like that).

Her and I are actually friends so feel a bit put out she wouldn't help in an emergency. My mum has severe dementia, my dad picks up once a week from school as a sort of respite with a carer for my mum but occasionally ties are emergency situations. She said she was a little bit tired. But will now pay her during the camp 2 days.

No I said I would pay her during the camp and she said not to

If you have a good child minder you want to keep then you should pay her. She's holding his place open over taking another child.
It's fairly standard practice with registered child minders.

You have no idea what reasons she had for not being able to help with your emergency. YABU to moan about it when she is usually accommodating!

And yes, if you are choosing NOT to send your son to her on days you normally WOULD, you should still pay her something, at least half - what if she had several charges in his class off that week - how is she expected to juggle her finances to make up the loss?

So will pay her but feel bit out by lack of help during emergency...

Should be a contract regardless. It may not be a full one like that used for younger children but some form of written agreement is good practice and may be required to be in place for the insurance cover.

If she does not want paying, that's up to her. To cover yourself, get it in writing/email.

there are all sorts of reasons you need a contract - you need to have signed consent for medication etc and should have "terms and conditions" which lay down what happens in school hols, illness, and other eventualities - so everyone knows where they stand

It's good that you've said you will pay her. That's what tends to happen in my experience. If the CM usually does that day/time, and is available but you for some reason don't use her, then she gets paid.

Don't feel put out by her lack of help, be glad that she usually does it. She could have had any number of valid reasons for not wanting to do it that time that she didn't want to fully explain. It's ok not to do people last minute favours. You have no reason to be put out.

We don't have a contract as far as I'm aware.

If you are exchanging money for a service, then yes there is a contract in place.

However, you've already said she said not to worry, so that also forms part of the contract and you are not obligated to pay her anything. It now only comes down to your conscience, if you would feel better paying her something then do so.

You may have an emergency, but you don't know what other commitments your CM has.
You have no right to assume she can always step in when you have a problem.

It's your emergency not hers.

I think it would be nice of you to pay her half rates but I think you are being a bit unfair expecting her to work at very short notice. She may have had a very good reason not to.