To delay paying childminder

[Harmonyrays]

On day two of my ds being with his new childminder I receive an invoice for the entire month. Is this normal? I'd expected to get it at the end of the month. I've only just gone back to work and don't get paid until then.

AIBU to delay paying until the 30th?

I work in retail and mine are partially paid in advance. Mid of the month. For the two worked weeks and two in advance.. If then off the end of Month its deducted the following month.

Neither though could a plumber come and rip out work he had done because you didn’t pay him.

Actually, a plumber did exactly that to us after a dispute over payment.

Most nurseries, holidays, extra curricular activities, most goods, some professional services, all paid for in advance. Why do childminders alone provoke your ire?

And as for accusing posters of lying, how pathetic. I could never be a childminder. I might have to deal with entitled parents like yourself.

Just thinking about it, my industry (professional services, B2B) demands 50% on commission of work and 50% on completion. Plus we run credit checks on new clients and we have a finance team, part of whose job is to chase up unpaid invoices.

We pay on first of the month for the following month, late fees added if you pay over a week late. Seems completely reasonable to me.

Most things paid in arears as I said

Except they aren’t.

DS's school fees have to be paid in advance, in fact we have to pay a term's fees before that actual term starts. We also have to give a term's notice if DS is to leave, if we fail to give proper notice we forfeit that term's fees

zsazsa I said you had a stick up your ass because of your point blank refusal to see why Childminders operate the way we do.
It isn’t because we are entitled or trying to take advantage. We have families to feed ourselves.
Far too many people are happy for Childminders (and nurseries and nannies) to look after their child and then bolt without payment. By insisting payment in advance it protects us from time wasters.
It’s also recommended by childminder insurance companies such as Pacey, to do this. We are often very small business’ so when someone lies and leaves without payment, it can have disastrous consequences.
Every childminder I know (and I am a member of a London borough network) including myself has been burned. We all operate a month in advance, and if people don’t like it, then they can find someone else.
I am permanently full and have a long waiting list, so clearly no one has a issue with how I manage my business.
If a parent came to me and was honest and said they were struggling, I would do everything I could to help them and we would come to an arrangement which suited us both. I don’t however tolerate payment which is 2weeks late without any communication, and no payment would mean contract termination.
Childminders aren’t here to fleece anyone.
You are wrong to imply that.

Op do speak to her first, you can’t just invent your own payment schedule!

We have families to feed ourselves.

|So do we but we dont demand money up front for our work

bruffin but is your payday ever in doubt?

And as I said...if you don’t like it, you can try find other childcare that doesn’t ask for a deposit, or fees up front.

A CM might not delivery the service for the month either

bruffin is that ever happens, I deduct any amount owed from following invoice, or do a direct payment. As I say we aren’t out to fleece or deceive. We aren’t villains, and if there was another way I could guarantee parents don’t do a runner then I would charge in arrears. But sadly far too many parents do not consider the childcare bill an important one

A CM might not delivery the service for the month either

So, you’re saying that they should trust “you” even though the “you” don’t trust them to provide the service?

Amazing how a couple of people disregard the considerable number of services that are usually paid in advance.
Blame all those previous CFs who did a runner instead of paying their bill

Clearly, payment in arrears is a big risk for any very small business.

A "cartel" is when firms get together and agree to fix prices, or possibly other terms

There is no evidence that CMs have ever got together to do this; merely that they have all been burned the same way, or heard of others who have been.

Copying common practice in your business is not being in a cartel and is often prudent.

I pay on the 10th of the month for the following calendar month - so I’ve just paid the bill to cover us until 31/10.

If I was a cm I’d never provide weeks of care with no payment - it’s too easy for people to walk away.

I really don't think you can compare a salaried job to a small business providing a service. If I got paid a month in advance and then didn't turn up to work, my employer would have a right hassle trying to track me down which is why they don't pay in advance. It's hardly likely your childminder is going to run off with your months worth of childminding money never to be seen again. However lots of parents would get a free months childcare then disappear - tracking them down would be too expensive and time consuming for the childminder to pursue.

Maybe a CMs could agree to being paid in arrears, but take out insurance against parents who stiff them
Problem is - even if any insurance company agreed to do a CM policy like this - it would massively increase the fees !

I never provide a minute of care without being paid for it. I will be flexible and allow payment a week or even a day in advance if I can necessary as I'm so nice
But if someone was difficult about paying in time the first month I'd terminate immediately and refill the place.
Anyone who doesn't wish to pay in advance can find another provider.

I find it very odd that anyone should think a child minder should provide a months worth of care before being paid and call them grabby to wish to have rhe payment up front to guarantee the place.

I'd find it grabby to want the childcare before you paid.

I'm not a child minder, never have been, but I paid mine in advance. I'd say any child minder requesting payment in arrears is overly naive and trusting.

I was a CM and in the beginning, I let people pay in arrears. I had one single mum who just didn't pay. We kept setting up payment plans and she kept ignoring them. I was a much softer touch then, now I would want payment in advance for the space that you are holding for your child.

I never understood any disrespect attitude towards childcare providers.
This is someone's business, not a little job for a bit of pocket money. Without them taking care of your children, many families wouldn't be able to work. And I would never treat anyone taking good care of my kids with anything other than complete gratitude and kindness, because my kids are my world and I need them to be happy.

It is common for any childcare provider to want payment in advance, not just childminders.

It is very common for parents to use childcare providers and then refuse to pay for one reason or another. Ofsted advises childminders to invoice one month in advance due to the number of instances of non payment.

Also, by paying in advance you are securing your child's place in a particular setting.

@NewYearNewMe18 NHS must pay differently depending on Trust etc as I'm paid on the 27th!

I've always known childcare is paid in advance so I'm baffled by our after school club. Apparently you pay half termly so I expected to have an invoice first week but no, I'm told I'll be invoices at the end of the half term. This is very unusual ime but helps as I've started a new job so don't really have the extra pay to cover it yet!

I used to childmind and my contract was to pay weekly, in arrears. You would not believe the number of times that I've had to chase payments, have to deal with late payments, or parents decided not to pay at all.

After about 3 months of providing the service I moved to weekly, in advance, plus a deposit of the value of the first week (refundable against first week of childminding). It worked a lot better that way, securing a payment.

A childminder is not an employee, like a nanny. he/she is self employed and is perfectly entitled to set up their own payment schedule.

I also think the comparison of a plumber, or car mechanic or builder not charging in advance is totally irrelevant. To compare those jobs to say a babysitter makes more sense because that tends to be something that happens once for a short period of time and it’s done.
But a childminder is different as you are paying for the space to be left continuously open for your child(ren) on a long term basis.

All childcare providers are really under financial pressure due to the govt paying many less than they charge for three year olds. Parents are told that it is FREE, but it isn’t. If you value her services I would pay it gladly, many are closing and the only alternative soon will be schools as settings are also closing because of the poor funding. The ratios in schools will be one adult to thirteen children, almost twice the amount of children to adults currently in settings. This is a tragedy for Early Years and especially for the children, please value your childcare or the children will ‘pay’ the price through emotional wellbeing.