Nursery charging extra for early pick up?

[Northtosouth]

I’ve recently put my DS’s name down at a local nursery to start when he is 1 for 2 days a week. The nursery day is 8.00am - 600pm which I understand is needed for parents working however I’m able to either drop off later or pick my child up earlier than this but the nursery want to charge me extra for this.
Am I missing something here? What is the added cost involved? Is this normal practice at a nursery?

Wtf

They’re probably calculating it hourly rather than the full day rate. A bit twisted of them!

I have never heard of that before. Not sure how they can justify that. My daughter's nursery asks us to avoid picking up during tea time (as it's a bit disruptive) but we're still allowed to collect and drop off at any time between 8 and 6.

That's bizarre. I paid from 8-2:30 but picked up every day at 12:30. They didn't charge me extra...

*rainbowstardrops
So you'd be paying for a full session and they'd then be charging you extra for picking your child up early? How on earth are they justifying that?!

Because nurseries are some of the cheekiest fuckers around.*

So it would seem!!!

Nope, that's crazy. Are you sure you understood correctly?

Our nursery was open 7-6. A "day" was any eight hour period during that (maybe 7 hours, can't remember exactly) but you paid the day rate then any extra hours. We had ours booked 7-5.30 so paid the day rate plus 2.5 hours. But we could drop off and pick up anywhere in that period we had booked and paid for. Once we got into covid we were still pay9ng for the 7am start but they were rarely actually there till 8 and usually picked up by 5.

Maybe they charge extra to try and put parents off coming at random times throughout the afternoon. It can be quite disruptive to routines, planned activities and upset other children if there is a stream of children leaving from 3pm onwards 🤷🏻‍♀️

The only nursery I've ever known do this was one that wanted very strict control over when parents were turning up.

Normally when you picked up it was all happy and cheery, but twice I had to unexpectedly collect early and it was a very different atmosphere.

For me that's a massive red flag.

Absolutely not normal and not ok. Maybe the manager is confused? I'm allowed to take my child home whenever I like on any day with no notice other than a courtesy text. Same with last nursery. Find a different nursery. Or negotiate? They must know they'll be saving money with your child being there less so might be open to a threat of you going elsewhere.

Are you sure you haven’t got the wrong end of the stick?

That's ridiculous. One of the benefits of a private nursery is the flexibility on drop off and pick up times. Sometimes I drop off at nursery before school and other times if we're running late I'll do school run and then nursery. Similarly in the evening I'll pick up when it's convenient anytime between 4 and 6.
The only time I've seen more fixed timings is at a preschool attached to a school where they keep the same school timings.

I would be finding a different nursery

I think OP is the one who got the wrong end of the stick.

What??? I'm a childminder, and when parents collect their children early, I always think that's a bonus for me. Easier end to the day having 1 less child to look after, and also a lovely treat for the children. No way would I ever consider charging more or less. However, sometimes it can muck up your plans for the day if you want to go on a day trip to a museum or somewhere not local. Maybe they feel like they'll have to rush back because your little one is being collected at 2pm. But I'm sure that if that was the case they'd let you know beforehand when they'd expect to be back and text when back, then you could collect. How bizarre.

Anyway, if you're in East London and want to pay me for a full day and collect at 3:30pm I'd happily not charge you extra!

3pm not 2pm

That's ridiculous, no way would I be sending my child there. An extra charge to pick them up early is bizarre!

Weird!

Our nursery was also a preschool. Some kids were there from 7am-6pm and got breakfast etc some just did preschool hours 9am-12. You paid the full day rate, half day rate (think that was 7am - 1pm) or just the preschool rate.

Anyway, they asked if kids could be there by 9 so that it didn’t disrupt their class routine too much as they did circle time about 9.10 and then they liked to go out for walks and things in the mornings. And that you preferably didn’t pick up between 1 and 3 as that was nap time. But after 3 they were more than happy for you to come any time and get your kid. After 5 there were usually so few kids left they combined into a single class.

(if you were going to be late/ pick up before 3 you just had to phone and let them know. The kids weren’t hostages!)

Very strange. We pay full day nursery and often drop off late or pick up early and no extra charge!

Red flag. Suggests they don’t have enough staff to answer the door while doing activities with the children.

I thought they rely on kids being picked up early so they can send some staff home... this is bizarre and there'd be no way I'd be sending my child to a nursery that insisted the children where there until 6. My child is booked in until 6:00 but I'd never leave her that late - often she's one of two when I get to them at 5:00

My dd nursery you can drop off any time before 10- even after 10 as long as you phone to let them know. The latest pick up is 6pm but my dd is picked up at 3 usually. No one in the nursery has mentioned this is a problem. They’ve said if she’s out a walk in the pram then they will phone the staff for an update of how far away they are.

I think it’s usual for them to charge and actually don’t see a problem with it, especially if you’re letting know ahead of time about the early pick up .

That does seem crazy, but I can sort of see the thinking. I had to pickup up early one day per week, and they were clear it was a massive pain in the arse for them.

It was a very outdoorsy nursery, and they would be out and about, down the beach or out in the woods etc every afternoon. So they needed to either bring all the kids back for my pickup, or have someone available to bring DC back. It was only short term, but I could understand them trying to discourage it.

This. They are running such a tight ship they can't even answer the door without getting an extra person in

I’d definitely not be paying this so would look at alternative nurseries if they won’t waive this charge.