To challenge childminder on holiday charges?

[Newbiecat]

I'm feeling a bit miffed. I've just had my third child who is going to be starting with the childminder soon. My other two children have used the childminder for the last two years. In her contract we are entitled to 4 weeks annual leave a year as is she. The way she works it is that we pay half normal pay for her holidays and half normal pay for ours. We have 3weeks holiday of our own choice and 1week is fixed at Christmas.

The main problem is that my husband and I get 6 weeks annual leave per year. For the extra 2 weeks that we have off, even when she isn't minding the children, she charges full term time fees. From 830 to 615pm on one day. With 3 children this means that for our extra 2 weeks holiday we are paying £575 for her not even to have our children!
I understand that childminders and nurseries charge during holiday times but surely the rate should be reasonable and fixed?

I'm confused. In total your DC are not with the childminder for 7 weeks per year - all payable at 50%. Don't you take your 6 weeks of annual leave to match that as far as possible? Why are you taking 2 weeks off at a different time and what do you do with your DC when your CM is on holiday?

I guess your cm has her income planned as having your dd for 30 or so weeks at 3hrs/day and 20 weeks at 10hrs/day so holiday charges I guess need to match.
If you were to take your flexible 3 weeks and her take her 3 weeks all in holiday time she won't make enough money from her.

I don't think these are unreasonable terms. If it were me I would look on it as a marvellous gift that I could have 2 weeks off per year child-free off work to catch up with diy and household stuff, and possibly have some quiet grownup time off with dp.