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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

Is there such a thing as a "stand in CM"

20 replies

PrincessOfSnails · 31/07/2012 15:58

Hi All,
My DH and I both work full time and our DD is at a CM all day. I've been back at work for 4weeks but already the CM has cancelled at very short notice (let me know at midnight that she was unable to have DD in the morning) and in a couple of instances has asked us to pick her up early.

Our families both live 250 miles away so we literally have nobody to help us out and we are totally reliant on our CM.

My DH says we should line up a reserve CM who could have her at short notice but I didn't even know such a person existed. Also I do not think it would be particularly fair on DD to dump her on someone she hardly knows.

At the moment we are just weighing up options and not really sure what to do as neither of us want to p&@£ off our customers/boss because of childcare issues.

I just wondered if any CMs here do that kind of thing or what other parents do if their childminder can't have their child on a day when you were relying on them.

Thanks.

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Flisspaps · 31/07/2012 16:02

There are CMs who will do ad-hoc care but you rely on them having space on the day. Some CMs have a CM friend who will operate as a stand-in if necessary, but either way they need all forms filling in and a contract in place to cover legalities.

Flisspaps · 31/07/2012 16:03

Are all 3 pick ups due to the CM being ill (seems a lot in a short time, from my POV as a CM)

GoodButNoMedals · 31/07/2012 16:04

My cm has a friend who is also a cm. They spend a couple of mornings a week together so the kids all know both of them. On the odd occasion my cm has looked after 1 or 2 of the children due to be with the other cm, and the other cm has offered her services if our cm is ever unable to have them. It depends on numbers though as there are limits on how many children 1 minder can have.

I've never taken the other cm up on the offer as my parents are close enough to help in an emergency (but not close enough to help more regularly). I'm not sure if this is a common arrangement or just because these 2 cms are friends.

Original poster

PrincessOfSnails · 31/07/2012 16:05

No, one was her own DD being ill and the others I don't know but were all Fridays so suspect she might've been going out.

OP posts:

Original poster

PrincessOfSnails · 31/07/2012 16:07

Tbh one of the reasons we went with her is because she has a sister who is local and also a CM, and in her blurb it said that they would often take the kids out all together. However in 4weeks I've seen no sign of the sister

OP posts:

MummytoMog · 31/07/2012 16:53

We use our CM flexibly and don't have a contract in place. We did fill out medical forms etc though.

sillymillysmummy · 31/07/2012 17:19

I as a cm spend alot of time with 3 others in my network, all parents have the other 3 cm details in case of my illness. They may or may not be able to help out depending on their numbers.

Flisspaps · 31/07/2012 18:55

Mummytomog you should have a contract in place in order for her insurance to be valid - it can stipulate ad-hoc hours rather than set times. I won't mind a child for any amount of time without a contract in place.

Stoney666 · 31/07/2012 19:20

Bad form to give such short notice i
Have it in contracts that any time off on both sides where reasonable (obviously a funeral or something would be shorter notice) should be with four weeks notice. When my Dcs were ever I'll I always gave parents the option of still coming. Still feel guilty that they up poorly in bed while I looked after other children but I hate letting people down. I've had three sick days in 11 years and they were purely that I was just too ill to work. ask
Her for more warning atleast a week, next time if not I would look elsewhere

bigkidsdidit · 31/07/2012 19:30

I'd hink about changing CM - she doesn't sound very reliable.

In answer to your q, my CM goes to a special CM only playgroup three times a week so all the children know everyone, and of one is ill the others can take them ( but in nine months ht has never happened)

Original poster

PrincessOfSnails · 31/07/2012 19:48

I didn't know there was supposed to be a contract, I will ask her tomorrow.

I must admit I'm a bit dubious about how she does things sometimes, her admin appears to be all over the place.

OP posts:

BikeRaceRunningRaceNoSkiing · 31/07/2012 19:52

This is exactly why we use a nursery.

Original poster

PrincessOfSnails · 31/07/2012 20:01

Bikerace - Sadly we couldn't get her into a local nursery full time

OP posts:

forevergreek · 31/07/2012 20:10

Sounds a lot, in 8 yets as a nanny I have had one afternoon off sick! ( yes I have gone in on many occasions feeling like crap!)

I would just let parents know of the situation , for example you mentioned her child was ill, and say x is ill so you can bring y in but we will be having a lazy day in or you can choose to keep him home.

The option to take in should be there unless on deaths door. I know many would be grateful to an ill childcarer being able to cover if needed and a tv day had by all . If your child has been with them all week the chances are they have already picked up sickness

Stoney666 · 31/07/2012 21:12

Have you never done a contract? What a out her policies and procedures ? Have u checked she is even registered? All sounds rather strange

emsyj · 31/07/2012 21:16

Sounds like she might just be a bit unreliable tbh - my CM has never let me down and DD has been going there regularly for over a year. Once she asked if I would swap DD's days that week (she knows I work from home for myself and so not having to go into an office etc) but with no expectation that I would say yes (I did say yes, it was no problem) - she would have been fine if I had said no.

Booh · 01/08/2012 13:59

I'd say that you have been unlucky in finding an unreliable childminder.

In 15 years of the profession I have had 5 days of work sick, that includes two days when my children had a sickness bug.

Please check your childminders paperwork, its ringing alarm bells that you have no contract etc, are you sure she is registered ?

Original poster

PrincessOfSnails · 01/08/2012 22:04

Yes she's registered with ofsted and has all the certificates. My DD clearly adores her and she seems very good with the children in her care but her admin is absolutely appalling (to the point that when I asked her to give me her bank numbers to transfer her fees over it took her over a week to give me them, and this was for money she was owed!). We are going to give it til Xmas and then reassess.

OP posts:

Flisspaps · 01/08/2012 22:36

Well it is worth bearing in mind that her insurance is completely useless without a contract in place, however good she is with the children. None of us think we'll have cause to use it, but I'd not invalidate mine just the same. It also means you've no redress if she suddenly withdraws care with no notice period - nor does she if you do the same!

Dozer · 01/08/2012 23:07

Xmas is a long time away, might be worth exploring other options. She doesn't sound great, and it doesn't take long to draft a contract, you can do it if she can't / won't! I would confirm registration with ofsted directly.

Where we live there are CMs with ad-hoc spaces, depends on the local situation. A lot of people also pay cash to SAHMs for ad-hoc care like this, isn't legal or insurable etc, but been done forever!

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