childminder being paid from parent's grant

[AUBINA]

I have been approached by a parent who is going to university, childcare is to be paid as part of her grant.

I phoned NCMA for advice and they said my contract should be with university, as they are paying me.

Has anyone had experience of this?

A contract is about more than payment, do I need a contract with parents regarding hours etc? I'm going to phone NCMA again but I would appreciate your input.

Thanks, I don't want to miss anything.

I totally disagree and I doubt very much that they university will want to get involved. The childcare grant it basically the same as childcare tax credits but paid to students rather than working families. Would you have a contract with HMRC if they were paying for childcare?!

Sorry if that sounded a bit stroppy, I'm shocked at NCMA's advice, not you.

When I was at university my childcare grant was paid to me and then I paid my childcare provider. This was from Student Finance Direct (who deal with student loans and grants). When I received some extra help from the University Access to Learning Fund this was also paid directly to me. I had to budget accordingly in both cases.

I don't think what NCMA have told you is correct?

Thanks, will talk with NCMA tomorrow. It didn't seem right somehow. I'm usually confident with the advice they give me but I think I got one of the less experienced members of staff!

Definitely is not done through the university.
I get my grant into my bank account then pay childcare provider.
Then I have a couple of childcare cost confirmation forms a year for the provider to fill out.
All between myself and the provider, nothing to do with the university.

And the grant covered 85% of the costs, the rest paid myself.

I can't understand why they are advising that. There is no way that the university will sign a contract agreeing to pay you - what if the student drops out and continues to use you? They would be liable. As others have said, this is not what has happened in my experience.

I have 2 uni student parents, neither get 100% funding and both my contracts are with the parents. They both get forms with details of childcare expenses that I sign.

Quite simple: you have a contract with the parent which acknowledges in the recitals that the NCMA is paying but as a term of the contract the parent agrees to be liable to pay in the event that the NCMA doesn't.

I'd be more inclined to ring Ofsted than the NCMA.

I agree with the others, no contract with university & only with the student parent. Their childcare grant is paid direct to them & they pay us. I have two parents at university & that is how they do it, no suggestion of a contract with the university at all.

Thanks so much everyone for your advice and experience. I've spoken to NCMA again. This time the person I spoke to went and checked her facts, then in addition she advised me to speak to their legal team.

The upshot is that the University gives the grant to the parent, who then pays the childminder. So the grant is irrelevant, I just have a normal contract with parents. The woman on the legal line did say not to let fees mount up, as people can get their grant in a lump and then not budget. So I shall ask to be paid weekly I think.

Thanks again everyone.

One of my parents gets hers trembly and so she can budget think she moves it to another account and pays me monthly in advance, the other gets hers monthly but mid month so she pays me for the month that day, neither has been a problem but think I've been lucky.

Termly not trembly!

I know a lot of CMs who have had problems with uni/college stopping childcare payments because the student had poor attendance or had not completed assignments or other issues about coursework (and others who've had trouble getting paid because the parent claimed - untruthfully - that the uni was dragging its feet on paying the grant). If your parent is getting her childcare fees for the term upfront, I'd be tempted to ask her to pay you a term upfront too.

I get my grant paid three times a year.
But it is not paid to me by the university, it is from Student Loans.

DO NOT DO IT DO NOT DO IT DO NOT DO IT DO NOT DO IT

Sorry to be so loud, when i first started childminding i took on 2 children who's mum was going to college and the college were paying her childcare fees, they messed me around so much it was unreal.

paid, but not enough then they refused it as there was immigration issues with the family. Then they said they wanted the full time child in a nursery as they dont like childminders (WTF!!!!) all along i was trying to figure out what was happening it became complete hell.

In the end i had to threaten the parent with small claims as she owed me £500 in fees by the time they finished messing me about. I will NEVER take on a student that relys on college to pay again it was awful. I have learnt some lessons along the way but my experience was that the college really does not give a shite about the childminder that needs to be paid so she can pay her bills.