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Childcare

retainer fee

9 replies

babiesrcool · 15/01/2006 16:44

I know this sounds daft and I should just ask but I never have been someone that can ask for money. When my dd started her childminder I paid a retainer fee. She is leaving in a few weeks and I don't know if this was to keep the place or a deposit that I am likely to get back. Any advice?

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babiesrcool · 16/01/2006 21:30

It was a retainer fee. By the sounds of things I'm not entitled to it back.

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Tan1959 · 16/01/2006 00:03

Is it written into your Contract what type of fee your paid? whether retainer or Deposit?

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babiesrcool · 15/01/2006 19:56

Thanks for this. I know it would be easy just to ask her but she has been a really great childminder and I would not want to leave on a sour note.

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katymac · 15/01/2006 19:02

HB is right

A retainer is a fee to hold a place until you want to use it (child wants to start 1st March - but I have a space now - so retainer is paid to hold that place)

A deposit would be for a place that didn't yet exist (ie to start after Easter I would take a deposit and if I didn't have a place I'd return it to the parent)

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HellyBelly · 15/01/2006 17:32

Hello

I'm a childminder and although I've never charged a retainer before, I looked into this with other minders recently as I had a lady who may have wanted to keep a space open for about 4 months. She would have had to pay a retainer to keep the space open but it would have been a fee, not a deposit.

HTH

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HappyMumof2 · 15/01/2006 17:06

Message withdrawn

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uwila · 15/01/2006 17:03

I think if I paid a retainer fee I would interpret that as a fee that reserves my place at the childminder. And I wouldn't expect to get it back. However, if I gave a deposit, I would expect that to be returned.

You caan always ask her to clarify. But if she seems quite clear that she expected to keep the money, then I think I would leave it at that.