Anyone heard of a Nursery refusing to sign up kids until they meet their Mum?

[nowit]

I am so annoyed. I have recently started a job away from home and live away during the week and come home for the weekend.
My children's nursery has recently closed and a friend recommended a lovely nursery nearby. I called and arranged for my DH to take the children to have a look. They loved it as it DH. I spoke to the owner again and she asked to see me. I explained my situation and that I was happy to go ahead as we had had a rave review from a friend and DH and DC's loved it. I was told that they wouldn't admit the children until they have met me?
Would a nursery ever say that to a Dad, no?

Time is running out now and I can not get in there without taking a day off, which, so early on in a new job I don't want to do.
My DH is more than capable of dealing with this. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see the nursery but failing that a good review all round and a good ofsted report will have to do.

Why make it so hard?

I don't understand why they can't - what if your husband was a single dad - would they refuse to take the children.

Seems a bit odd

That's what I thought, really strange. It's making me re-think sending them there at all! TBH

Sounds v odd to me

Sexist twunts.

Ask if they insist on meeting both parents when the father works and the mother comes to check out the nursery.

Do you think I should kick up a stink? Nursery places are a little thin on the ground, but I can't just let it go!

they cant do that so very odd

phone ofsted and ask them (dont say the nurserys name just a general ask) then phone nursey back armed with ofsteds comments

Thanks dmo, good suggestion :)

I wouldnt send my child to such a narrow minded setting but as you said you are in desperate need of a place.

Ask for a saturday appointment if they are so flaming desperate to see you- what twonks!

ha, tried that one "we don't do saturday" was the response :(

that is sexist and if i were you i would tell them.

i was never asked if my dcs dad could come and meet the nursery staff prior to them starting.

Sounds very odd. Does your DH have Parental Responsibility? that is the only reason i can think of - that they need your signature if he doesnt

yes he does, we are happily married and he is the daddy of all 3 dc's.

Sounds very but my Dsis's partner, who is single parent to his DD, went to a nursery and they refused to let him look round unless he came back with his DD - so maybe not so unusual?

Sounds odd, very often children come from all sorts of family backgrounds, step, foster etc. However if thats the nursery policy then I don't see how you can get around it, Ofsted have no juristiction wrt to this anyway, personally I would look somewhere else.

Don't think Ofsted would really care all that much - though may consider it a breach of Working With Parents side of things.

Contact your local Families Information Service and ask them about it - they may pass you on to a dedicated early years team which deals with nurseries... they may not be able to do anything but may be able to make it clear to the nursery owner that it's not good for business.

Agree with atworknotworking, you need to look elsewhere. The nursery owner clearly does not want any more children at present!