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!

take photos of the advertising of times ie till half six. Include these in your email. :)

I really like the suggestion of sending an email to say that it was your understanding that you were paying for childcare until 6.30 (and as you say this is the sole reason you moved DD there) but based on your conversation that no longer seems to be the case so you want to clarify what time childcare is provided to? And if it is earlier than 6.30 then is there a fee reduction to reflect this as this is an inconvenience to you and not what you signed up for. You could also say that as the sole reason for your daughter going there is because you need childcare past 6, if they are not able to provide it you will need to consider whether this is still the right option.

Basically they are taking the piss and as you say clearly they want to leave as early as they can and don’t like staying any later than they need to. All the Nursery experience I and my friends have had is that childcare is provided until the end time stated. They do some clean down while the kids are there if they can but the remainder is either done by extra staff (as there’s fewer kids around then so they group the rooms together which frees up some of the staff) or by paying the staff until that is also done (so they stay an extra 15 mins and are paid up until then).

To echo everyone else she’s out of order.

My sis is a nursery manager. It’s open 7.30 to 18.15. They all do alternate weekly shifts. Earlies is 7.30 to 3.30 and lates is 10.30 to 18.30.

As others have said that’s 15 minutes at the end of their shift. They condense kids down to minimal rooms and clean the others, then all go in each other’s room to do the final tidy up etc.

If your pick up time is 6.30 then it’s 6.30. I think she’s just annoyed as she advertises this, but then no one else does it so she’s had it easy for too long

Read contract. If you are paying till 6.30 pm you should be able to collect until then. Its not your problem if they dont organise their workload efficiently to finish tidying and proper cleaning beforehand.
Ridiculous cheek

YA most definitely NOT BU! The manager sounds like she's used to getting away earlier than she's paid for most nights and is annoyed at having to stay until the time both she and her staff are paid for! I'd point out that you pay until 6.30 and I'd be turning up at 6.27 every night even if it meant I was sat in the car around the corner!

This is a good idea, honey lulu! Easier for the parents at pick up as well. .....My little girl was often last one at nursery at pick up- we always felt guilty but the staff NEVER made us feel bad. I would definitely email and check the times and they want you to pick up at 6, they need to charge you less! Go girl- you’re a strong women!

Cheeky fuckers! She is being unreasonable!

I briefly used a holiday club that worked the same way. All as advertising stated childcare until 6pm but the small print stated kids had to be collected by 6.45! I thought this must be old times and went to collect at 6 to be told off by the manager! There were no other holiday clubs available so was stuck with this one.

YANBU- if you pay until 6.30pm then you can pick up until then. They have to decide if they pay their staff until 6.30/6.45 or whenever. Not your problem. They should have thought of the logistics of this beforehand. However, for your own benefit, I would write or e-mail the owner. You are 100%in the right.

Get a copy of the contract first. The reality is that if the contract states the nursery is open until 6.30 but children must be picked up by 6.15, then I doubt there is much you can do about it.

Actually some shops do advertise as being open until 8pm but won’t admit customers after 7.45. I don’t agree with it but it’s not uncommon.

Haven’t read any comments, but wanted to say that I run an after school club, if there is one child left there has to be 2 staff members on site at all times. Towards the end of the day one staff member will start the jobs that needs to be done and lock up most of the building so that when the last child leaves we aren’t far behind them. It seems crazy to me that they are staying that late to do these things. They should either be done during the session, or if they aren’t allowed to do so then extend the staffs pay to allow time for them to do the jobs. They are open till 6.30 you have not been late atall so therefore they can’t charge you late fees! Have a read through any contacts you have signed and double check the rules. And insist on the sign out book to be in place so you can document times. They ABU and it is clearly a staffing issue and not your fault. X

Get a copy of your contract first and foremost. If it does say that you are paying from childcare until 6:30pm then do what you want. Personally I'd be a cow and sit in my car until 6:25pm before picking up for a week.

I've paid extra for both our children to stay until the very end of childcare sessions. I made it clear that I don't anticipate using it but there will be times when I've delayed and I don't want the stress. Both nursery and after school provision have been fine with it. Only once did DH collect right at the very last minute due to an accident on the motorway. No late fees as we weren't late.

TBH DS's nursery were excellent and said they wouldn't have charged us anyway as we had no history of lateness.

Both children are usually ready to go with their coats on though. I don't chit chat and tend to grab and run anyway.

If you pay upto 6:30 then you can ctay until 6:30.
Read the cntract and check the small print of terms and conditions. They are sometimes tricky and misleading .

OP did you have any joy with emailing her?

Also interested in the outcome of this!

Yes interested in the outcome

What happened last night?

@KettleAlwaysBoiling dying to know what they said!

That's insane - if you pay til 630 then just tell her that 6:29 is fine and if she's that worried then would she prefer to charge you less and you'll get there for 6;15 instead

OP?

@KettlesAlwaysBoiling - what happened last night ?

OP?

I put DS into holiday club, and it ends at 6:30, I pick up then or 5 mins before.