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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Childminding Pay during Preschool hours

11 replies

Nicole1978 · 08/03/2012 14:00

Hi, First time I've ever joined a forum so all new to me so hope someone can offer some advice...

I've been with my current Childminder for just over 6 years and she currenly has my 3 year old twins (start school in Sept). She has 2 yr old twins everyday from until 1pm and another little baby most days until late (except Tues). She collects my children from pre-school at 1pm (after lunchclub which works well with her new set of twins that leave at 1pm and fills her gap). My twins now have the option of going to preschool all day on a Wed - I do the drop off's on a Wed morning anyway, but despite me not needing her to do anything on a Wed she is saying that I should still be paying her? I'm a reasonable person and can see things from both sides, but I don't feel that it is my twins that are stopping her from being able to fill the afternoon, I think it's the twins she has in the morning that are doing that and that she is lucky that we've managed to work it that mine fill that afternoon gap until 3pm when I pick my other child up from school (she only had them for 2 hours from 1-3pm) as I do school pick up. Only exception is a Tues when she has them all day as she doesn't have the baby.

Am I being unfair in expecting not to have to pay for this?

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thebody · 08/03/2012 14:16

If u never want her to have your twins on a Wednesday ever again
Then why would you pay her?

What about school holidays? Once space gone and u don't pay her then it's gone iucwim.

Catsdontcare · 08/03/2012 14:19

If you need that space to be available to you e.g in the school holidays then yes you should pay but if you never need her on a wednesday again then no you shouldn't pay imo

minderjinx · 08/03/2012 14:30

I can see both sides too. Perhaps the preschool is cheaper or free, but even so it is your choice whether you take up the option, and you can understand that your CM might find that choice hard or even hurtful and a reflection on how you value her care. Finding part time children to fit neatly into the available minding hours is a headache. She has done well to find some to fill the morning you do not need - it would almost certainly have been easier to find someone who wanted the whole day. Having found someone to fit around your two hours care, she may well be miffed at you then saying you don't want it one day a week. I think around here at least you would struggle to get anyone to take two children for just two hours a day, so she may well have the sense that you have been done a favour. She doesn't have to agree to reduce your hours, so you could find that she will think her best bet is to let you go and perhaps get someone else - when you think about it she would only have to get one child to do say 1-5 to be better off.

Original poster

Nicole1978 · 08/03/2012 14:32

We have two contracts, one for term time (which is 1-3pm on Mon, Wed & Thurs and 07:45-3pm on Tues (inc before school for my older daughter).

In the holidays my two take the place of her 2 year old twins (their term time only) and she has them Mon-Thurs from 7:45-3pm and my oldest Mon-Wed same time.

I don't need her for the term time contract anymore, but I do for the holidays - do the two contracts make a difference?

OP posts:

HSMM · 08/03/2012 14:38

If you have a separate contract for term time, then I would ask to change that one. You are very lucky to have this set up, because I would charge you for full days, all the days term time and holidays :)

Your CM has given you separate contracts to fit around her other mindees, so there is no reason why you cannot give notice to change one of them, as long as you are sure you will NEVER need her on that day in term time. She may terminate the term time contract completely, to reorganise her mindees, so you should be aware of that.

Original poster

Nicole1978 · 08/03/2012 14:43

Thanks All and Minderjix. I don't just class her as my childminder, I class her as a friend and wouldn't dream of putting my children with anyone else - she's fantastic. She used to look after both sets of twins (before mine went to pre-school) as she had special permisison from Ofsted. I told her not to turn down any jobs she got offered the nearer the time came for them going to Pre-school and said we'd sit down first and talk about what we could do. The new baby came up and we worked it that she'd have mine all day on a Tues (as she doesn't have the baby) and that if they stayed for lunchclub she could collect them at 1pm when the other twins went. I've changed my work hours so that I can take them all to school/pre-school as I didn't want to move to another childminder. I just feel like I changed my plans to help her as much as I can (i.e. my two filled her gap after 1pm which I would imagine would usually be a struggle) and it's not being returned... We even spoke about the fact that she'd lose them on a Wed PM in April and when I mentioned this, she just said we didn't discuss the financials...

OP posts:

minderjinx · 08/03/2012 14:47

I don't think two contracts really makes much difference. If you give want to change the terms of your contract for afternoon care (i.e not pay for care on Wednesdays) and she does not agree, you will have to give notice (and carry on as is for the notice period). It may be that she will still be happy to provide holiday care, but if providing holiday only care doesn't make practical or business sense, she is likely to give you notice on the holiday care contract.

Original poster

Nicole1978 · 08/03/2012 14:47

Thanks HSMM. she can't charge me for all the days term time as she physically can't have my children before 1pm due to the others she looks after as she'd be over her numbers, hence why she could no longer have them for the hour before school..

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Original poster

Nicole1978 · 08/03/2012 14:52

Thanks everyone really apprecaite your time. I've actually told the preschool that they won't be going for the afternoon for now, however, they've told me it'll be their getting ready for school day learning phonics etc so really in turmoil now. Will have to have a re-think..

OP posts:

minderjinx · 08/03/2012 14:54

Cross-posted there. I can see from your last post Nicole that this is not primarily a business relationship and that there has been a lot of give and take on each side over the years. I wouldn't discount the possibility that there are some sad/hurt feelings at being needed less etc. But given that you have this long and close relationship, it should be possible to ask what would work for both of you and sort something out.

Rollergirl1 · 08/03/2012 15:45

Hi there, my 2 DC's go to a childminder 3 days a week. The eldest goes to school so goes an hour before and for 3 hours after. My youngest goes to pre-school every morning till midday. The childminder drops and picks him up so she charges me for the time that he is there. I am fine about this as it would be hard for her to fill that slot. However if I were able to drop him off and then he was not being cared for by the CM for the remainder of the day then I would not expect to pay any childcare for that day.

During the holidays both DC's are with her for 3 full days. However if we take holiday during that time then she charges me a retainer to hold the places.

The majority of the kids that my CM looks after tend to be after-schoolers or a few hours here and there so I think she is used to filling slots for small amounts of time.

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