If i pay childcare until 6.30pm, surely that means i can collect my child any time up until 6.30pm?

[KettleAlwaysBoiling]

Just had a bit of a ticking off from the manager of my daughter's after school care! Feeling a bit confused and embarrassed.

I've recently switched before/after school childcare companies as I needed somewhere open until 6.30pm. I live quite rurally and this place advertises itself as being the only childcare in X open past 6pm.

I usually collect DD around 6pm but a few times over the past few weeks it has been 6.25pm.

She's a big girl near the end of primary school so there is no need for any 'catch up' such as you might expect with babies or young children. So i don't need to allow any time for this. There's no signing out or anything like that. It's simply - open the door, take coat/bag from the hook, shout cheerio. Pick up time takes no longer than two minutes maximum.

Tonight I collected DD at 6pm and the manager took me aside to discuss my collection times. She said she wanted to remind me that her staff finish at 6.30pm as that is all they are paid until. She said she has never had to consider introducing a 'late' fee before but might have to unless I'm more punctual. I double checked that their clock is the same time as my watch/phone clock. I told her that me and DD were always out the door by 6.30pm. She said that her staff report i didn't actually leave until 6.29pm the other night, and they ended up having to stay until 6.45pm to do all the last minute jobs they couldn't do while DD was there.

I said that I can't guarantee what time I'll get there each evening but can promise it will always be before 6.30pm. I reminded her that this is the reason i've put DD specifically into this childcare place - because i need care past 6pm.

The conversation ended rather awkwardly and she just said that all parents will be getting a letter next week about lateness/late fees.

Surely this is more of a managerial issue than a parent one? I pay for childcare up until 6.30pm. But staff are sometimes having to stay until 6.45pm to do the jobs needing done after all children have left. She needs to extend their hours i would think.

Any ideas what I can do, going forwards? I'm obviously going to be contesting any late fees added on to my bill since i'm always out of there by 6.30pm. I might also suggest they do introduce a sign out book so it's documented what time i've collected DD.

I really need this place to work out as i absolutely do need childcare past 6pm some nights. Also, DD seems to really love it!

Surely there should be a signing in and out book anyway for safeguarding purposes. Or do they sign her out for you?
Oh and they are absolutely in the wrong.

That’s nuts. The manager tried to validate her nonsensical objection by pointing out the once you left the building a minute befor the time you’re due to pick her up?

If she goes to the cinema does she leave fifteen minutes before the movie finishes to allow the staff to start cleaning earlier?

I agree with typing an email/letter reiterating that you’ve paid till 6.30 so sometimes you will be collecting at 6.30.

Cheeky cow!

YANBU. Bad management. It’s not your problem what time the staff are paid until. Perhaps she can consider staff doing different “shifts” - our nursery is open 7.30am-6pm. The staff have a 2 shift rota to cover this.

In my first job in a shop we closed at 8pm on weeknights but late shift staff were rota-d and paid til 8.30pm to allow for getting last minute customers out, tidying up, cashing up etc. Same principle should apply here.

At the end of each day our local nursery tends to put the children in one room with the quota of staff while the rest tidy and clean up the other rooms. Then the last room they tidy around the kids. They only need one member of staff to look after your DD and the rest can tidy, put the bins out etc

If I was last in to pick up my GS he would usually be sat with someone in the reading corner or doing a jigsaw. All conducive to a quick exit, I think your nursery manager needs to look to her staff not the parents.

Yes get legal with the twat

Dear XX I wanted to follow up after our conversation.

I checked the terms and conditions of the contract and the terms state that pick up time is 630pm . Can I check this still applies ? I am happy to pay late fees but to avoid anyway awkwardness I would appreciate confirmation that the contracted agreement stands

Appreciate your feedback as DD greatly enjoys her time with you yada yada

Remind her that the staff in a shop don't walk out with the last customers, nor do the staff in a pub at closing time, the staff in a restaurant don't pack up if their last service starts at 8.30, teachers don't have their coats on at the door at 3.30, banking staff don't leave with their last customers...... Most front facing staff have final duties to do when their class, customers, clients leave. It's the way things are.As others have said, her staff either need her permission to finalise things before 6.30 while children are still on the premises (as long as they children are supervised and safe) or need to be paid to stay on and finish off after 6.30.

I think they have a point if you are not off site before 6.30 - so if you arrive at 6.25 and it takes longer than you realise (If your DD dithers ever or the staff expect to do a handover). If that's not the case, you need an explanation as to why it's an issue.

Our after school club annoys me with their timings - I know they have to stop parents taking advantage but there is a late charge of £10 per child if you're 1 minute beyond pick up time.

Viques has a very good point!

How rude
I manage a nursery and we are open till 6 pm
If parents arrive at 6 pm then we just have to deal with it
We will have done all our jobs and be ready to leave as soon as the last child has gone. Tonight I left at 5.45. But if a child was not collected til 6 then that's just how it goes
One of my staff says her children's nursery has them outside waiting tone collected in their coats with the nursery closed when she gets there
Even though she has an arrangement for them to stay til 6.30. She is arriving at just before 6 or just after
I think it's really rude

Hi @stopfuckingshoutingatme, I'm not sure why the OP should say she is happy to pay late fees to avoid awkwardness. She isn't being late. The nursery has seemingly shifted the goalpost and not forewarned the OP in advance.

Unless there's something in the paperwork op signed along the lines of 'X childcare services has a right to alter our operating hours without due notice' and the op agreed to that, the the nursery is being legally underhand.

No way, as long as you are out the door at 6:30, then that's what you pay for. Staff need to clean up as the last few children are left, it doesn't take multiple staff to care for one primary school aged child. Some nights when I stay at school late, DS is the last one left, and the staff have cleaned and packed up and are sitting on some big pillows near the door reading a book quietly with him, and will switch off lights and walk out a few minutes later. It doesn't need another fifteen minutes of cleaning after that.

Hmm my nursery kind of does this, the advertised end time is 6pm but they say that the staff go home at 6pm so request parents collect by 5.50, and they will assist by having your kid's coat on ready to go etc.

I've never been later than 5.50 so I don't know if they would "have a word" but if they did I would react the same as you. I collect earlier because I can and as a courtesy but I think it is a piss take, and, wasn't made clear to me when I signed up to that nursery.

Surely part of any childcare professional role is staying after the last child leaves? So if they charge until 6.30, then they stay an extra 15 minutes? That's just normal.

If they want staff out by half past, then they need to charge for quarter past, and make that clear. If your contract says they care until half past and you are paying for that time, they have absolutely no right at all to object to your using the service they offer, and you have booked and paid for. Really, really basic contract law.

Problem is, if they're the only provider, you don't want to cause a ruction. What a pain, and I sympathise.

If they have been used to all children being out earlier and shutting up shop by 6:30 I can understand the staff thinking this is the normal. Also if their contract says they are done at 6:30 on the dot then they can also not be expected to stay later to clear up, its not like they will be earning lots of money.

Now they have 1 child who wants to stay until 6:30 they will have to clarify their advertising. Perhaps reduce opening hours to 6:15 and increase prices to cover staff staying to clean up until 6:30. Or increase prices to cover staff staying until 6:45 to do whatever they need to do after the 1 child is gone.

Surely she only needs one member of staff to look after her? Why can't the others get on with clearing up?

OP should perhaps say she will be glad to pay late fees if she arrives after 6.30, ie the time when she ceases paying for care.

No, YANBU, the. Manager is! She should be honest and say that cut off is 6.15 or 6.20.
DD was at a nursery where most of the staff had long rush hour journeys home. There was a late charge which everyone knew about and tried not to incur. The children were all gathered in one room with a member of staff about 15 minutes before cut off while they were gradually collected. However if a parent was late for whatever reason they just paid up and everyone was ok about it.

They’ve just got used to the status quo of thinking they’ll be fine by 6.20 and have been moaning at the manager... but she shouldn’t have brought that moan to you! Poor client relations. Of course if you pay for 6.30, and they advertise being open till 6.30 then any time before 6.30 is reasonable. 6.31 - then they can moan. 6.29 - still being paid to care!

If you've paid until 6:30 then you need to make sure your child is gone by 6.30 at the latest so 6:25 pickup is fine assuming child gets coat and stuff and leaves by 6:30. 6:30 pick up however would mean by the time you and the child are offsite it is past 6:30 so not OK imo.
It's the same as trying to walk into a shop at closing time, yes they are still open but you can't arrive at the time they are shutting the door and expect to do your shopping.

That's madness! I would take pictures of any signs and screen shots of advertising now to build your case.

My children attend the school after school club which is open till 6. I try and get there about 5.50 as any later and I panic about traffic making me late.

Last night it was parents evening and we got out of class at 5.58 - thankfully her class is next to the hall they use but even then my two were not the last. It's never been an issue.

Usually they are all packed up when we collect and are either running around playing tig or sitting quietly talking so I assume staff pretty much get up and go at 6.

You don't actually have to do anything. The manager said that late fees will start to be charged but you're not turning up late so they have no grounds to charge you. They advertise childcare until 6.30 so that is what they have to provide. You are totally in the right here, they don't have a leg to stand on. I wouldn't email them, I would just carry on as normal. There's nothing they can do about it unless they change their advertised hours.

I have a bit of this. I pay til 6. If I arrive at 5.50 kids r at the door with coats on waiting for me. Most patents seem to pick up around 5

If they need 15 minutes to clear up they need to shut at 6.15 then!