AIBU re: paying for childcare in arrears

[Sunnyskies111]

Understand that nannies and au pairs are different so if people could answer the poll only if they've used a childminder or nursery please, but SFE seem to think "all childcare providers" accept payment in arrears because "how do you know what hours you'll need every week until you've had them?". Every childcare setting and provider I've used has stipulated you must book for a whole or half day anyway and pay in advance, am I just out of touch?

YABU- childcare provider accepts payment in arrears
YANBU- childcare provider expects advance payment for the month

That should read I understand that nannies... Etc.

Always in advance. if you need the hours or not is irrelevant, its not pay as you go (that’s a babysitter)

My previous childminder I paid in arrears. And my current one is paid in advance.

We bill in advance and expect payment in advance. You also have to booked a day/session and if you want to change this we need a months notice.

I pay my child minder in advance, and if I add additional hours on throughout the month pay in arrears at the next invoice.

I always paid my childminders in arrears, not because I might change the hours, but because they might. So eg if she was ill and couldn't work. Obviously if I just decided not to send my child for whatever reason though, I still had to pay.

But on the other hand, I'd assume nurseries would want to be paid in advance to secure the place.

Nurseries are definitely in advance. As you tend to gave you set days you cant pick and choose on a weekly basis.

Nursery was in advance, childminder in arrears.

No option for me to vote but when I first sent Dd to nursery they wanted payments in advance. Dd went the same hours every week so it was the same amount. When I got a new job with different shift patterns and hours, they let me pay in arrears and just pay for what I used, but I'd used them for over 5 years and never missed a payment or even been late.

I think paying in advance is the norm.

Every childcare setting I know (Childminders and nurseries) in our area charge in advance based on the days agreed and in your contract.

Always in advance, but we have to have set hours. We can choose to take her out at 3.30 next monday, but we'd still have to pay for the full day regardless.

I don't know what SFE is.
It have always paid nursery fees in advance. And had to book days in advance and be prepared to pay if I don't use the days/times agreed in my contract.

My CM adds up all hours for the year (to factor in split between term time and school holidays). She then deducts the 4 weeks she takes off and all the Bank Holidays. Then she divides by 12. We pay that by direct debit monthly (5th for the current month).

Any hours over what is agreed is then paid the following month.

I’ve had both. Current childcare is in arrears.

Nursery is in advance for us. Invoices come out in final week of the month for next month, payment due on 1st month. You are booked for your standard sessions and pay for those whether you go or not, extras are accommodated if possible and added to the next invoice.

@myself2020 that was exactly my point with them, I wonder if they've ever had to use childcare themselves! They're not a babysitter nor a creche, how can they be expected to have a child in for 10~ hours scattered across the week at random, it makes no sense from a common sense or a business perspective

@Gazelda Student Finance England x

For child minding and nursery, I've only ever seen pay in advance. Extra fees such as emergency care when covered, or late fees etc, added onto next bill but invoiced shortly after.

So if we pay £x per month but in this billing cycle we have extras like an emergency session then it gets added to the next invoice generated i.e. where we pay for next month's usual cover.

It's standard near me but no idea if that's normal elsewhere. It works well.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz that's interesting, haven't come across that before with childcare settings, if I'm not mistaken that's how teachers are paid (someone correct me if I'm wrong in thinking that )

... the usual fees for next month's sessions are collected automatically by direct debit and the next bill is automatically adjusted to add on anything too btw...

Sort of like a utility bill for a landline I guess! It's very smooth.

Always in advance, with any adjustments being applied in the next invoice.

I pay my childminder part way through the month so half in advance half in arrears but only because of the stupid way UC is paid luckily my childminder was understanding and came to that arrangement with me or I wouldn't have been able to start at all but as a general rule yes she expects payment in advance.

any setting my dc were in stipulated both payment in advance & also what hours are needed.

Always paid for our fixed days at nursery in advance. On the odd occasion we've used extra days at short notice we've paid those in arrears on the next bill. If we don't use our fixed days due to holiday, illness etc, we still have to pay.

My CM adds up all hours for the year (to factor in split between term time and school holidays). She then deducts the 4 weeks she takes off and all the Bank Holidays. Then she divides by 12. We pay that by direct debit monthly (5th for the current month).

This is really, really sensible for all self-employed people. You don't have to invoice monthly necessarily, but you absolutely should be working out your rates this way. They should be high enough to cover all the fluctuations throughout the year, including your own time off, rather than expect to be paid when you aren't working.