To think a nursery charge of £5 per day rise with no conceivable benefits is unreasonable?

[Metrobaby]

My nursery has just asked for a £5 rise in their daily rate AND increased the age range where the rates decrease by 3 months. The rise is to take effect from 1st Jan, and is a 11% increase and will affect all children in the nursery.

They have already increased their rates in April this year and have always each year increased their rates - but never by such a large amount.

I asked the Nursery manager what the rise was for, and what benefits it would bring the children, she became very aggressive and stated the following:-

1. That she has not increased the rates for the last 2 years. (She has)

1. Waste disposal of nappies is £1k a month and she has other increased costs (which she wouldn't tell me about [hmmm]

1. She has too many staff (who I know are not getting any rises or any other enhanced benefit).

1. That her nursery has not made a profit for the past 2 years (I looked at the accounts and she has made very good profits for the past 3 years, taken out a £9k loan, and funds 2 'company' cars).

I am also annoyed as her nursery buys Tesco Value food for the children, and when I asked if the rise in fees planned would mean an end to it, she actually denied they use it. However myself - and other parents have seen the tesco value food packaging in the kitchen and when serving the children food.

AIBU to have even questioned her about this 11% rise?? I can't help thinking that £5 increase per day would mean almost £1300 increase per year for a child going 5 days a week! The nursery is also already the most expensive in the area.

If you're not happy you could look for another nursery

Change nursery? I would be miffed

Not unreasonable for you to challenge her given the evidence you have.

I would expect her to answer your questions honestly and in full.

This seems very steep especially if there is no obvious gain for the children or the other staff. If there are other nurseries in the area which are cheaper, why don't you and any other discontented parents vote with your feet?

YANBU. I am in the process of asking the head office why our fess have gone up by 2 pounds per day on top of the same rise earlier in the year.
Again it is already the most expensive nursery in the area and none of the staff are benefitting - which must be galling as they had to hand us the letters.
I am researching other nurseries in the area to point out any obvious differences.
If I wasn't 39 wks pg and not wanting to change dd's routine (and she loves it) I would be out of there...

Changing to another nursery would be an option but my dd is only 2yrs and she loves it there and the nursery girls are wonderful. My other children have been there too so i know the nursery is in other respects a good one. If I thought the rise was going to the nursery girls, and ditched the cheap food, I'd be at least happier.

Possibly the increase is due to significant gas/electricity increases?

Of course YANBU to question it. She is providing a service that you pay for why shouldn't you ask? She is probably hoping that no-one will ahve the time or energy to change nurserys.

The nursery manager actually said I was the only one to complain - yet the nursery staff in DD's room told me that nearly all parents had commented on the rise!

I think the manager thinks we'll all accept the rise regardless. I'm very very angry

Our nursery fees went up by 30% at short notice but nothing we could do.

Unfortunately, it seems to be a sign of the times. Two London nurseries closed at an hour's notice last week - the chain that owned them had gone £7m into debt. There are huge pressure on margins due to staff ratios, competition from cheaper council run children's centres and other factors. I still find it hard to understand how they can't make money but there do seem to be financial problems within lots of nurseries at the moment and the main solution appears to be fee increases.

And also angry that she has lied to me on several points. I'm going to follow my conversation up with a strong letter.

onceinalifetime - I can understand if my nursery was financially unstable - but they have been making profits for the last 3 years at least (prob longer but i didn't look at accounts further than that). Plus the nursery manager owns the premises outright.

It seems pretty cheeky to put up the rates 9 months after the previous rise, and a big percentage. Is the woman you asked the owner as well as the manager of the nursery? I'd find the comment about having "too many" staff rather negative.

As for food, how do you feel about the nutrition provided overall? I wouldn't necessarily object to the use of value ranges myself - if Sainsburys has products I'm happy with in Basics I'll get them for me and ds as well as dp, though I wonder about her lying about it, but I'd be concerned if they were using cheap food at the cost of nutritional balance.

The company cars - she said - were for herself and the other co partner (who left in odd circumstances) - for 'emergencies' and for her to go to our local Tesco to buy fresh food and veg as Tesco online she claims don't deliver fresh food to her nursery[hmmm]

Yes - I looked at her accounts legitimately from Companies House. But the accounts are not that detailed - hence my questioning her about the costs - which she refused to discuss.

I don't have a problem with Value or Basic range food at all. But if I am paying the nursery the highest fees I would expect more eg Organic - which lower fee nurseries in my area provide.

The nursery manager told me she had employed too many staff which she said was a 'mistake'.

DS nursery used reusable nappies while at nursery. Better for environment and cheaper.