Childminder wants to close at 1pm for the rest of the week

[SweatySpider321]

Woke to a text from my childminder, announcing due to the weather we need to try to collect our children at 1pm for the rest of the week -530pm is the usual finish time. I’m not even a week into a new job and my husband has no leave left (mainly due to covering her annual leave). It’s not in our contract and it’s funded hours we use with her

We all know about climate change, we all need to adapt.

Luckily lots of LAs aren't taking funding back or making settings re-offer the hours if they have closed due to heat.

I'm a childminder. After all the posts I'm seeing on fb about the heat I'm not surprised to see this post!!
It's been 32 where i am today but my garden is half in the shade so I barricaded sunny areas off had water play trays on the grass with children in nappies. They had a great time! Yes sleeping is an issue as temperature in sleep areas is supposed to be between 16 - 20 but what can you do? Obviously avoiding blankets and checking regularly it's no warmer in my home than if child was at home. I think some CM just panick. I also know my LA would not be happy paying funded hours if you closed unless you offered them another time.
OP I suggest you sympathise with your CM if she has concerns but at the end of the day you are paying for a service and if she really, really is refusing to have your child she needs to refund/offer hours elsewhere and probably accept future notice been given

I am sorry but she is being ridiculous. She has contracted to look after your children and she should put her big girl pants on and deal with it. She doesn't belong to some privileged group. Tell her that the answer is no. I would also look for new childminder.

this weather is unusual. You’ll have to tell your company that you simply don’t have childcare.

Lots of schools and nurseries are closing at midday or for the full day. They have to submit a risk assessment to the DfE to show why they are closing. Some people, buildings or businesses just can’t adapt as easily as you’ve put it.
And we still don’t know her situation. Some people/ places can absolutely carry on and others can’t. I really don’t see what’s difficult to grasp here

And presumably you would be deducting those hours from the bill?

The op said she has been dishonest in the past, lying about illness. It doesn’t paint the childminder in a good light. My opinion and that’s my opinion: I think she is taking the piss !

So what???

Is the OP's employer giving her the afternoon off because it's hot?

Do you think the OP has aircon in her house?

Yes but the OP also said not a single school in her county has closed due to the weather

Yorkshire probably, no schools that I'm aware of have closed here county wide.

Google says they have

That's not what I'm reading or experiencing.

Can’t be true then if you haven’t read it

I think she's OOO. If you can't collect your children, don't. That's it.

I know what your opinion is. The point I’ve been trying to make is that it’s not an informed opinion. I don’t have an informed opinion either because I also haven’t seen her risk assessment. She had apparently “banged on about it” to the op who is dismissing it because it’s inconvenient to her but that doesn’t mean it’s not valid. Loads of posters are saying she’s taking the piss but are not acknowledging individual circumstances

Thing is, work will accept it a bit easier when it's all the schools in an area than one childminder who wants a quiet cider in her garden

Hospitals are nursing home are still open 24/7 Doxtors, nurses, carers, xleanees etc srill have to go to wokr in the hest, many home dont havs aircon either... no reason for her to finish early at all. She should provide adequate equipment/ environment to keep the children safe and cool... that is what you are paying her for.

and so she should if she does make the funding aware which she will have to etc and takes the pay cut. I work in early years and I’m dying to get a email to say we’re not required and our previous owner has suggested to the new ones that we close for two days for safety and the welfare of staff and children but everyone seems to be selfish and not give a shit that children struggle to regulate temps it’s easier to look after 1-2 children than it is a class of 30 or 6

Tell her the answer is no? She hasn’t asked a question!

She’s asked you to try. The answer is you can’t as you’re in a new job and your husband has no leave 🙂

Erm, the OP mentioned her contract with the childminder.. and discussed the implications with it being 'funded', implying she wants to report somewhere.. so, yeah, strong clues hoping there is a legal way to enforce the agreed schedule. And there may be but doubt we can help.

What utter crap. She's a childminder. How is her house any more dangerous than your house or the house of any of the other kids she wants to send home?

She just can't get arsed to look after kids in this heat and fancies a few afternoons off, the cheeky cow.

Presumably you feel the same way about schools closing?
Dog walkers cancelling because of the heat?
Bin collections being scheduled to finish earlier?
Nurseries closing at midday for two days?

The complete lack of respect for a childminder following extreme weather guidelines is astounding on this thread.

She’s completely taking the piss. 32 is hot, but not exceptional.

Even if it were 39-40, we all have to survive in this heat anyway - her place wont be any more different to yours.