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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

212 replies

KettleAlwaysBoiling · 23/02/2018 18:54

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!

OP posts:
Bowerbird5 · 23/02/2018 21:24

I used to be a child minder and always gave the parents leeway of fifteen minutes( traffic, leaving late etc) although one cheeky on always arrived fifteen minutes late which I thought was a bit unfair. I never charged extra for this. I don't get paid extra at school either just have to suck it up. Parents are occasionally up to an hour late. Most don't even apologise. I sit with upset worried kids and chat, make light of it or play a card game till picked up.
I think if you are out of the building they are being unreasonable surely one can sit with her while others do the jobs.

Lindy2 · 23/02/2018 21:26

It would be interesting to see how she tries to apply a late fee.

You pay for childcare until 6.30pm.
You collected at 6.29pm
Your late fee is.......? Confused

I'm a childminder. If a parent pays until 6.30pm then they can collect anytime up to 6.30pm. I either clear up in the last half hour of the day whilst the last child or 2 is still here, or just after they've gone.
I expect they've been happy enough to charge you until 6.30pm when you've actually collected at 6pm and they may have been able to leave a bit early on those days.

GinDoll · 23/02/2018 21:28

We had this a few years ago at a setting we'd used for all of our children. We were collecting at 6.30pm which was when the time was advertised as being until but we're told this was too late and we should collect earlier! !!! Basically other parents finishing work earlier all picked up earlier and the staff were resentful about staying until the end of their day! Needless to say we stopped using that facility completely!

HotelEuphoria · 23/02/2018 21:45

maisypops this was river island, not known for their employee benefits, but fair.

UrgentScurryfunge · 23/02/2018 21:50

The lack of sign in/ out sheet could be problematic for the safeguarding aspect of their next OFSTED inspection.

Both my DCs attended settings with a 6pm finish. I had always resumed care of my DC by 5.59 and never had any issues about being late. The year I had two childcare settings to collect from, the second child was virtually always collected in the last 10 minutes of contracted time and was usually in the last one or two for collection.

The room was pretty much tidied and ready to go for its next user group.

Qvar · 23/02/2018 21:57

She's in her last year of primary school and this is after school care? What could they POSSIBLY be doing there until 6.30 that they cannot do with her there except leave early and lie to their manager?

AndhowcouldIeverrefuse · 23/02/2018 22:06

Let me get this right. They advertise childcare services finishing at 6:30pm for X amount. But this isn't what they are providing, is it? Either they change their advertised hours and charge you less or they fulfill their promise at the advertised price.

They are wrong on so many counts but it is so awkward to argue with the people looking after your child!

Blondeshavemorefun · 23/02/2018 22:07

It would worry me more there is no signing register

How do they know who is there?

But yes at 10ish sure your dd can sit on a chair and read a book/play with easy tidy away toys for last 15m while the staff tidy up

Managers problem is that she pays her staff to 630. She needs to pay to 645 or tidy as go along

As long as you have gone by 630 I don’t see the problem

Hmmalittlefishy · 23/02/2018 22:09

Ynbu I assume they don't refund you if you pick up 'early' and you aren't picking up late until 6.31
I would be very concerned they don't have a signing out book. What if there is a query about who has picked up? My dd after school club note the time of pick up and then you sign to say you have taken them. I guess it can also be used to illustrate late patterns etc

seven201 · 23/02/2018 22:14

Blimey that's cheeky!

ISpeakJive · 23/02/2018 22:20

Basically the staff need to be paid up until 6.45-7pm and by the sounds of it, they’re not.
Really not your problem. Your daughter has every right to be there until 6.30 pm.

GabsAlot · 23/02/2018 22:23

not your problem what time staff are paid till-youve also paid till that time

if she weants to give u a refund for early pick up fine but a late fee? dont think so

NeedsAsockamnesty · 23/02/2018 22:23

I would expect people who paid for childcare until 6:30 to collect at 6:30

Not 6:25

WheresTheHooferDoofer · 23/02/2018 22:27

OP, I agree with others that you need to get a copy of the form you signed. It may well be that something has been slipped in there that covers the manager.

scrabbler3 · 23/02/2018 22:32

They're trying it on. They've got a taste of leaving at 18:15 and you're now being strong-armed. Don't let them mess you about.

Clearing up? There's nothing they can't do whilst a 10/11 year old sits there with a book. Or she could assist. Anyway, it's not your problem until 18:31.

missmapp · 23/02/2018 22:32

Any childcare close at 6pm. I regularly collect at 5.50-6.00 . There has never been a problem . They are being ridiculous.

Thebluedog · 23/02/2018 22:35

That’s just ridiculous, if they want to leave at 6.30, then they set the picking up time at 6.00.

I can just hear the conversation now

‘I’m invoicing you a late collection fee’
‘I collected my dc at 6.29’

I’m not sure how they can even say this.

Jozxyqk · 23/02/2018 22:41

YANBU at all. We used a nursery for DD that is open 7:30 - 6, as I worked 8:30-5 with a maximum 50 minute commute. DD was in, 3 days per week, for the full day. We got every minute of the day we paid for & the staff were often just opening as we arrived, & often left as we did. They'd frequently (especially on a Friday) have done the laundry & have it hung high across the room to dry over the weekend (where the kids couldn't reach the lines). Smell of disinfectant, so they'd clearly done cleanup, dishwasher going, etc, etc. They usually had only a few kids for the last hour or so, & made sure they got the cleanup done then!

The service is either open or it's closed.

Notcontent · 23/02/2018 23:00

I had a similar thing happen at a nursery dd attended for a short time when she was little. It as also meant to stay open until 6.30 and I was relying on that. I used to turn up at 6.25 and it became clear that they didn't really want to stay open until then - dd was just plonked down in a corner somewhere while they cleaned and vacuumed around her and gave me dirty looks! Needless to say I withdrew dd from that nursery pretty quickly!!

Notagainmun · 23/02/2018 23:15

YANBU. I am a childminder and I close at 6pm. That means that I expect everyone to have gone and the door locked at 6.01.

AnnieAnoniMouse · 24/02/2018 07:56

It’s ridiculous. I’d definitely send an email, so it’s in writing, stating their advertised closing time is 6:30 and asking why there’s an issue with you collecting when you do as it has always been before 6:30... stupid woman.

oblada · 24/02/2018 08:03

The main issue is at the end of the day it's a private setting and they can change their hours with due notice to parents and say going forward it's 615 pick up time. It will happen if only 1 person comes after 6pm unfortunately, they need to make the business work.
Yes manager is v cheeky right now but she can do it properly and change the times formally so bear that in mind.
Our afterschool club has a closing time of 6pm but kids must be picked up by 5.45pm. It felt a bit unfair at first but it was explained to us straight away so can't complain really. And anyway we have our other kids to pick up from nursery before 6pm so works for us (so see nursery by contrast says 6pm and actually means 6pm...)

obviouslymarvellous · 24/02/2018 08:05

To the posters who say there aren't shops businesses that do this we have two children's play centres that say open til 5.30 yet at 5.15 they turn the lights off and start asking you to leave. As they have to be out of the building by 5.30... I've stopped going as it annoys me. When you pay over £18 for just an hour and a bits play after school I think it's a liberty. Re the childcare - that's a joke and I would feel the same as you op 6.30 is the time to which you can collect. Does she own a play Center or two?

NoSquirrels · 24/02/2018 08:18

Our afterschool club has a closing time of 6pm but kids must be picked up by 5.45pm. It felt a bit unfair at first but it was explained to us straight away so can't complain really.

How did they explain that they’re open till 6pm but without any kids to care for? A “closing time” of 6pm isn’t advertised for staff!

thegreylady · 24/02/2018 08:25

If there is more than one member of staff then one could be supervising your daughter in some quiet activity while the others clear up. They could do this on a rota system. Your dd could be ready to leave at 6.25 and all but the one carer could leave then.
The manager could put out the lights and lock up as your daughter leaves with you.