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

Agree!

The child minder should do the same.

This is exactly why we used a nursery. I cannot think of a single time in 7 years between 2 children that nursery suddenly had to close.

I know right. It’s hot but it’s been hot before. Husband was at work today in his office with no air con, lots of glass few opening windows. Later in the week l will go to where l work which is Victorian no air con and cracks in the wall so thick l can fit my finger nails in! Yeah it won’t be super comfortable. This is why it’s called work

Im trying not to be outing but the kind of work we both do does impact on others and our colleagues if we don’t do it. Think mental health / police / probation type jobs.

@mindutopia but other posters have said their nurseries have closed so that isn’t fail safe either

What happens if it snows!

Maybe she cant afford one...

I realised a year or so into parenting that the only guaranteed childcare was my husband or l unfortunately

OP assuming the CM has an idea of the type of work you both do (and that you are in a new job) then you can refer to that and say as you know due to the type of work we both do it isn't easy for us to change arrangements on such short notice.

She has said she would like people to try and collect early but you can say unfortunately we won't be able to do it this week due to existing commitments.

She might not owe you any hours. In my LA she wouldn't owe hours.

32 degrees isn’t a red warning. Warnings are variable around the country - it’s 35 degrees here and amber so everyone is carrying on as usual.

A DBS doesn't 'cover' you for anything.
It's different to a playdate if you are being paid to care for children in your own home.

Are you in an area with a red alert @SweatySpider321 ?

This. I just checked BBC weather and it’s still showing 32 for our area tomorrow and lower on other days

If it's 32 I doubt it. It's 36 at mine and we're amber. Down south at my families area it's red and 39.

She agreed to provide a service. The parents have an obligation to their employer. Maybe the parents can’t afford to take the afternoon off.

Parents problem.

Does she have her own dc that could push her over numbers if at home?

If her house is her place of work it has to be suitable for all eventualities. Imagine if everyone closed down because of a bit of hot weather. The whole world would collapse

Didn’t think funded hours cover school holidays

Don't you have a 1 to 1 policy when dealing with preschoolers and water in the UK?

They can be used however you want. Some nurseries stretch the funds, others don't. Dds nursery stretched it for 50 weeks.

Many places are closing/reduced hours, encouraging WFH. Most of our infrastructure is not built for the high temperatures we are having. Most houses are built for colder climates than we have at the moment. Many countries have reduced openings etc in the hottest part of the afternoon

No

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