Childminder terminating contract

[hoolahoolay]

Surely I'm not being unreasonable. So my son is due to start with a childminder next week when I go back to work after maternity leave. We have settling in sessions this week

So she sent the invoice for January out early December and she said to let her know if there were any errors, the due date on the invoice was 1st January. For one reason or another we haven't paid it and instead of reminding us she has messaged this morning to say she's terminated contract as invoice is 5 days late.
Surely she could have sent a payment reminder.

WTF can I do now?

I'd also go against the grain here. I get it, I was a childminder while my oldest children were little, and yes sometimes people take the mick, but with a new start and people not yet used to childminder fees (having been off on maternity) I would only ever send an email reminder and maybe a friendly text saying I hope they had a nice holiday and a reminder fees are due the 1st of the month.

I think she could have given grace this first time making it clear they must be paid the 1st of the month ongoing. Having said that it is people's responsibility to pay on time, just like we are paid on time from other jobs being a childminder is no less employment. She has bills to pay too.

Send an apology note. Hopefully all can be repaired/restored and it's smooth sailing from here.

But a childminder is a self-employed business owner? They don't get a salary?

It’s not her responsibility to chase her, it’s YOUR responsibility to pay for your kids care on time. She doesn’t have to facilitate your debt and have her business and income affected because of your “one reason or another”

would it be ok if she just didn’t turn up for work and left you literally holding the baby “for one reason or another” with no discussion??

You comparing childminders to your Sky tv subscription was and is ridiculous lol

My solution is to build up a relationship with the customers, get them to pay and ...... everyone's a winner.

And if they don't pay?

10 pages in and the OP hasn’t come back. Guess she doesn’t like the majority of the responses.

So there you are. Childminders are like rocking-horse-shit.

You dance to their tune or you make alternative arrangements.

I really don't get how posters don't understand this very simple lesson in economics.

Very few other self employed businesses except for this business in this industry where it’s the norm.

Because in many businesses, you can take back what hasn't been paid for. In childcare, you work your ass off for a month and they just walk away not paying, you have no recourse.

I often see people talk about childminders as if they are hired help. Parents really need to realise that it the childminder who has the power here. Not the parents. Parents need the childminder. If you take the attitude that people owe you something just because you are giving them money, you're not going to have a good time. This goes for any person providing a service. They are not your employee.

Echoing what everyone else says. This is your fault, not hers.

It really doesn’t matter how other people are paid. At some jobs I’ve been paid in advance, others in arrears, others half and half – two weeks in advance and two weeks in arrears. It’s part of what makes switching jobs so tedious if you move from in advance to in arrears.

The OP signed up to this childminder knowing the terms of the contract, which included payment in advance, which is standard for the childcare sector. She received the invoice well in advance and even prior to getting the invoice will have been able to sign up to the tax-free childcare site, register her child, input the childminder details and, depending on finances, start paying in money to receive the government boost – all of that is the time-consuming ballache bit. As soon as the invoice was received she could have hopped onto her TFC account and set up the outgoing payment, even put it as recurring if the childminder charges the same each month.

Haha you are so unreasonable it’s unreal! How can you not realise this? It’s up to you to pay, not up to her to chase you up. If you can’t even pay the first payment on time, she has realised (and rightly so) that you’re a nightmare and she doesn’t want to deal with you.

Find another childminder, and pay on time. Although you might find that they talk to each other so….

Yabu you knew it had to be paid by Jan 1st. Entirely your fault

So there was the best part of a month to pay it?

But for some reason it wasn't at the forefront as important & needing doing.

Well for her neither is looking after kids whose parents cba to pay.

Yes, I think we're pretty much agreed on that fact. It's the disproportionate response from the childminder that I, and a minority of others, are questioning.

Firstly, I didn't make the comparison (go back and check who you quoted).

Secondly, the very legitimate point being made was that some services are paid for upfront. This is common practice across many sectors and is the norm with childminders.

Hopefully that clears it up for you.

The contract is null and void as she never paid.

In the days of electronic bank transfer, it's difficult to think of a good reason for not making a payment in time. Being in a coma would qualify, but only if your period of unconsciousness began before you had the opportunity to set up a regular payment.

This is good advice

You knew you have to pay for the service. The invoice was the reminder.

All this debate about being paid in advance...we don't even know what this is invoice was for? What if it was for a deposit to secure the place?

Also to add, would you walk in to tesco, take items off the shelves and tell a member of staff “I’ll take all this and come back and pay when it’s convenient for me.” That’s essentially what you’re doing.

You breached contractual terms so it was terminated.

my little one started nursery a few months ago and we’ve never missed a payment, even though wrapping our heads around how to pay took a while.

I think you should ring her and apologise, explain though. And ask for another chance. Promise not to breach contractual terms again.

I imagine like many others have said she's had bad payers before and doesn't want another one, you raised a red flag for her. If childminders are in demand where you are she may have a waiting list so easily fills the spot.
I'd give her a ring and explain why you hadn't paid and try to reassure her it won't happen again.

It's not a job. It's a business. You aren't employing a childminder. Childminders aren't nannies. Private nurses, private music teachers, private carers, man-with-a-van etc are not employees doing a job. They are businesses providing a service. You don't get to decide when or how you pay them. If you want their service you have to pay for it as per their terms. If you want to be able to do that, get a nanny.