To not pay this childminding bill

[Ellie6578]

My one year old goes to a childminder 4 days a week whilst I'm working since October last year, I've had no issues so far.

My dd visits her dad for 2 weeks every 6 weeks, so she doesn't go to the childminder during these times (he lives up north and I'm down south) however I understand that I still have to pay for her missed days in order to secure her place (her dad pays for these 2 weeks of missed time) and that's fine as my contract states I have to pay for 4 days a week even if my dd doesn't attend.

She came back this week after only 4 days of being with her dad unlike the normal 14 days. This was because her dad had to go to Germany for a few days for work and my little girl really would not settle with his mum.

I messaged my childminder and said my dd had come home early and would she be able to have her tomorrow as normal. My childminder stated she could not have her for another 4 days as she had taken in another child for childcare which took up my daughters space. Ok I thought, my mum took time off work to look after her.

I got the invoice yesterday and I've been charged for those 4 days even though I was told my daughter couldn't go in because she had filled her space! So if I paid for it, the Childminder's earning double for half the work. Aibu not to pay for those 4 days?!

You pay to keep your space, not for her to fill it, you be paying for it so in effect her being paid twice for your space. Definitely get that checked

You pay for that place to secure it. What the childminder should have done is actually cancel the other child and sincerely apologise to you. She did not have the right to refuse you. Also if your childminder is able to fill the days that your child is not attending then I'd ask for a refund on all of the times she has offered YOUR daughters space to another child. I'd consider reporting her tbh, she cannot do that. Trust me I know!!!

Thats seriously a disgrace. I have to be honest I hate these childminders. They ought to have tons of certificates to back them up but they are money making scavengers. I had a bitter experience my dd went in with a new childminder, a month later she decides to tell us that she is 4 months pregnant and now we are stuck with her as our dd is well settled with her. Not like she cannot do the job but the fact she hid it from us was a mere disaster. I rather send kids to nursery and pay them a fortune tbh !!

Is it possible it was a mistake. Perhaps a polite email back?

I wouldn't be happy paying! I worked in a private nursery and our contracts were the same, you paid for the days you requested whether the child attended or not. Parents would always say their lo would not be in and then turn up with them as there had been a change of plan! If you pay for the child minder then you should be able to send your child on the day you've paid for whether she was expected there or not! Plans change and can't be helped. your childminder shouldn't charge you for a service she's refused to provide!

Just to throw another angle into this:
You've paid already for the place
Dad can't have her the x amount of (paid for days)
She recruits and charges another little cutie = DOUBLE PAY
No room at the inn.. your place has been taken EVEN THOUGH you'd paid for it.
So... you MAY even have to resort to a plan B... meaning you've paid out twice.
To summarise... you've paid OUT twice and only had one set of childcare
Meanwhile... CM has been PAID twice for normal duties.
Yes...its a pisstake.

Omg that's so cheeky of her!! She can't have it both ways! I would be looking for another childminder!!

I do think this must be a mistake, because no (sane) person can think this is an acceptable way to run a business. It could well be she sorted invoices in advance and forgot to amend for that week (as she could no longer claim she was 'holding' the 4 days for the OP as she had to turn the OP away).

I do, however, think the CM made a big mistake, she had to turn away one of her customers as she'd accidentally overbooked herself. At tht point, she has a choice between two customers - one a child that's lower effort, books 4 days a week, every week and even though the mother pays for 4 days a week every week, the CM knows she'll get 1 or 2 weeks regularly paid when the child won't be sent to the CM. the other customer - a parent wanting 'ad hoc' childcare, not committing to a regular booking, and apparently a child that's harder work. Anyone with any business sense would at that point tell the 'ad hoc' parent that sorry, can't do care this week, and prioritise teh parent who wants regular care contract.

If I was the OP, not just the fact that she's been charge for a service she neither recieved nor was available, would be less of an issue than a single parent finding their childcare provider won't always be available even if the OP thinks she's done everything possble to reserve that space.

I'd be looking at other CMers or nursery options in the time. A single parent can't be using unreliable childcare.

You don't even have to ask! Of course you are not being unreasonable!

Check your contract and also run it by the National Childminding Association. I did that years ago when I thought my-then childminder was being cheeky and they gave me honest advice ie she was taking the mick. Good luck x

I wouldn't pay.
The payment 'secures the place', you pay if they don't attend. The space is available at all times to the child.
She shouldn't have taken on another child knowing that space was for your daughter.

I was a childminder for ten years and your childminder should have had your child if she was expecting to take the money! If she didn't have a space she shouldn't get the money!!! X

National childminding association is now called PACEY.

OP if you have been paying full price for those two weeks for months how many other times has CM sold it? IF she hasn't kept it open then surely you shouldn't have been charged for those two weeks since October at all?

As a childminder myself.. These situations need to be discussed in the beginning of the contract. But your situation seems unfair to me. Currently i have a baby girl who come to me only in term time. She does not come on school holidays, but the parent is paying a retainer. Which is basically a half fee. The retainer is a guarantee that by the beginning of school term her place is fully available. But if she does need me in a school holiday I can not guarantee the space is available. I usually am able to fill it up with other kids. It is different story if I was charging her in full for the absence in school holidays. Her place would have been open to her and fully available. So I think you probably need to review your unfair contact.

I used to be a childminder - and one of the benefits over a nursery placement is 'flexibility'. A nursery claims to be open 52 weeks per year with closures only on Christmas day etc., so you are charged for the place the whole of the year when they are open. If your holiday plans change when your child is in a nursery, you would be able to take her/him to nursery as you are a 4 day a week place holder. The same should be true with a childminder. I would dispute this invoice and not pay. Although, the childminder may make you feel uncomfortable with this. I would also look at other local childminders just in case. This practice gives chilminders a bad name IMO.

No you shouldn't be paying for those four days!! The reason you pay is to secure her space and when you needed it she couldn't offer it to you as she had taken on another child!
I would be fuming that she has charged you!

This is why I never used a childminder.

We went to see one who wanted us to pay for her to have 4 weeks holiday a year. Not a chance.

I don't have a problem with the CM doing some ad hoc childcare on the days the OP's DD is at her Dad's, and then still charging the OP. But the OP should take priority if she needs care on those days, so the other parent should be told she can no longer do care and find someone else.

She's taking the piss. Don't pay.

Most childminders use the NCMA contracts and they are pretty standard contracts that you can access on their website. I would take a look there and speak with your childminder regarding the fairness of her request that you pay in full for a place that she has not provided.

I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding another childminder to take you. Being paid for one third of the time without having to do any work sounds great.

In the circumstances i.e. she charged you (which is fair) and she took on another child on that day (a bit cheeky but nothing you can do about it) and then you needed the space, she cannot charge you for it. I know she is running a business but it is quite ruthless of her. I agree with grand/York.

I'm a childminder and that's a tough one. I would expect some kind of notice to cancel a child's booked holidays (but I only charge half). At the same time though if youve paid in full for a space then it should be there to use. Tough one. I would have expected the cm to waive the fee in this situation. Check the exact wording of your contract.

I would have been livid that she had another child for the space I'm paying her for. I'd blithely point out that she's obviously forgotten that you had to make emergency arrangements after she was unable to do her contracted job so obviously you won't be paying her for those days. I would also question as to why you are paying for days she's taking other clients. Time to find a more honest childminder?