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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

Childminders own child ill

25 replies

moustachio · 14/10/2013 16:32

Does anyone know how much I have to pay if any?

I remember in the contract it says she gets half pay for holidays. I can't remember what it said about her being ill though, but she wasn't ill herself anyway. She said her DS (11) was sick so DS couldn't come today which was a massive pain and I had to take the day off work. It seems the major downfall of childminders is me having to be off work if my DS is ill, if i'm ill, if the chldminders ill and now if her kids are ill too? I lost a days pay so I would be annoyed to pay full rate if anything!

I don't have a copy of the contract so any advice would be appreciated! tia.

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MoaningMingeWhingesAgain · 14/10/2013 16:35

it will depend entirely on the contract AFAIK. Generally if she is not available I wouldn't expect to pay for a service you are not receiving but contract may say different.

Original poster

moustachio · 14/10/2013 16:36

Thanks Moaning, that's what I thought. I can't remember. He's only been there a week so if it was expected I pay, I wouldn't want to offend her by asking so wanted to know what most contracts said. I've already paid her so I may just knock a days pay for this week and see what she says!

OP posts:

ReetPetit · 14/10/2013 16:56

to put it from the other perspective though moustachio, although you say it's a 'massive pain' she could have not told your her ds was ill, then your ds would/could have caught whatever he has and you would have had to take time off and pay. It works both ways - a bit of understanding on both sides - she is a working mother too - something which many parents seem to forget

a lot of cms have backup cms who they use if they are unavailable - might be worth asking her at some point. Or arranging some sort of back up childcare yourself, eg, a family member.

HiccupHaddockHorrendous · 14/10/2013 16:57

I don't charge if I am not available but everyone is different.

My DS is 11 and if he was home ill, I would let parents know and let them choose whether to send mindees or not. If they choose not to send them then I don't charge.

Tanith · 14/10/2013 17:24

My policy is to allow parents to decide and not charge if they prefer not to risk it. With vomiting, though, I would probably close without charge.

It would be polite and considerate to check with your childminder first and not just withhold a day's payment.

MaryPoppinsBag · 14/10/2013 17:28

Just ask her. We are not strange scary unapproachable beings well I try not to be most if the time

She will be used to dealing with such issues/ enquiries. I expect there won't be a charge.

You may find that she will look after your DS when he is a little under the weather, therefore, meaning you don't have to take time off. I do, have done today actually.

I try my best not to let parents down.

MaryPoppinsBag · 14/10/2013 17:31

And personally I think the care a good CM provides little ones is worth the occasional day off work without pay!

Unfortunately days off without pay go with the territory of having children.

And I agree with Tanith, I let parents decide but do shut for D&V, chicken pox etc.

Original poster

moustachio · 14/10/2013 18:13

reetpetit she may also be a working parent, difference is, she doesn't lose a days pay if my child is ill. I lose a days pay if her child is ill though.
Also, if I had a family member or friend who could look after him then I sure as hell wouldn't be spending £55 a day paying someone too look after him!

It wasn't a vomitting bug and she didn't give me the option of sending him anyway, which I would of done as it was only for a few hours anyway so I was a bit miffed as we turned up at the door and she turned us away.

marypoppins that is my dilema. I'm glad he's in a nice environment, but if I have to take 4 times the amount of time off than most people, chances are I won't have a job soon enough. So it being a nice enviornment isn't the only factor I have to consider.

Thanks for your replies everyone.

OP posts:

MaryPoppinsBag · 14/10/2013 18:36

I think Reet meant just back up not full time child care from a friend or family member. Most of my parents are fortunate enough to have this. But because looking after other people's children is hard work lots of people don't volunteer to do child care for nothing! Which is why you pay what you do for it.

I would've let you know as soon as I possibly could though, preferably before you'd set off!

I am lucky that I do have back up child care myself, so don't let my parents down too often.

HSMMaCM · 14/10/2013 18:58

According to my contracts I wouldn't charge you, but could usually find you somewhere else. NB only one day off sick for DD illness in 14 yrs

busyDays · 14/10/2013 19:35

I find it a bit strange that she didn't call you to let you know and instead waited until you turned up at her door. My DS has been ill once or twice and I just ask to him to stay upstairs in bed while I carry on childminding downstairs. I nip up every now and then to make sure he is ok. I have been childminding for several years and have never closed due to illness (mine or my children's), but if I ever did then I would not expect to be paid.

Loopytiles · 14/10/2013 19:53

Stuff like this should be covered in the contract, and just part and parcel of this type of childcare.

With a nursery thia isn't a problem but likely that DC willbe Ililll more often, eg if parents send in dc with buga and because there are more DC in the setting.

Back-up care is a good plan.

Original poster

moustachio · 14/10/2013 20:13

Appreciate you all taking the time to reply. Thanks, I'll check with her tomorrow. I just didn't want to cause offence asking if I should pay her if it was the done thing to do so and she'd expect it!

OP posts:

minderjinx · 15/10/2013 06:51

If you have completed contracts (and I assume you have as you mention one) you should have been given your own copy before you started, or certainly within a week. If your CM has not yet given you one, I would ask at the same time as checking the position with regard to payment for the missed day.

I would not charge for the day if I were closed due to my own child being ill, but I also agree that most parents would be more pleased not to have their child exposed to infection than concerned about finding alternative chidcare, just as most chilminders in that situation would be more worried about letting others down than about losing a day's pay.

NomDeClavier · 15/10/2013 09:56

I find it very odd she didn't warn you. That have you no time to find alternative care and if you have the kind of job where you can't just call up half an hour before you're due in then that would be one fewer client for her. Even an hour warning gives you time to call a nanny agency in a panic and get someone if you desperately need to (cost etc aside).

It does sort of depend how old her DC are and what illness it was but I wouldn't be overly impressed as a service user and even if charging was the usual policy if I were a CM I'd recognise I'd cocked up in terms of communication and waive the fee or give a discont on this occasion.

tinyturtletim · 15/10/2013 10:05

It doesn't sound like you have much patience for your cm.

We are all self employed and have the leeway to make our own terms, most childminders don't charge when they are not working through their own fault.

MrsPotato · 15/10/2013 10:05

What are the current guidelines on exclusions for sickness? Is is 24 or 48 hours or early years? I had a quick google but couldn't find anything concrete and thought you lot would know!

Sorry a bit off topic.

tinyturtletim · 15/10/2013 10:26

48 hours clear of sickness and runs.

MoaningMingeWhingesAgain · 15/10/2013 11:12

I wouldn't have much patience either if she didn't notify the family she was closing, and let them turn up on the doorstep to find no childcare available and need to make alternative arrangements with no notice, tinyturtletim

tinyturtletim · 15/10/2013 11:58

I mean in general

minderjinx · 15/10/2013 12:37

It all depends what happened, doesn't it? For example, if the child was about to go to school and suddenly threw up, she might not have had any notice herself and it might have been too late to stop you travelling. But of course, if he had been unwell the night before, she could have given more warning.

ReetPetit · 15/10/2013 18:28

I agree with tinyturtletim, you don't sound very tolerant of her op at all. You may find you are better suited to a nursery. Your child will still get ill/catch things off other children/you will still have to take time off work (that is the nature of being a parent...) but you just don't sound like you appreciate her a self employed, working mother. At a nursery, the care is not so intimate and you find yourself less irritated. It will certainly be tolerated less though - nurseries generally have no hesitation in sending home ill children.

I am surprised you weren't told beforehand, seems very unusual so I can only assume her child became suddenly ill - do you know what was wrong with him?

And yes, when I suggested using a family member for childcare I didn't mean full time, I meant as a back up. There are also agencies you can register with I believe who can supply emergency nannies at short notice.

Original poster

moustachio · 15/10/2013 19:47

Thanks moaning like I said, it's a relatively new arrangement so I'm sure it will be a once every few months thing but still to be left like that when I'm in a new job is quite frustrating!

I think my posts always seem blunt on mumsnet, although in this occasion i was quite annoyed. Don't worry tinyturtle , me and DP really like her and respect her a lot - i wouln't leave the most precious thing in the world in her care if I didn't!! Hence why I didn't want to insult her by suggesting a lower amount/no pay!

OP posts:

tinyturtletim · 15/10/2013 19:59

Everything written often looks wrong to a different eye.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 15/10/2013 20:08

I wild have been annoyed if our CM had not told us that their dc was unwell before we arrived.

As for whether you have to pay her, that will depend entirely on the contract that you have signed (I assume you have signed something?). If you've not got a copy of that then you need to ask for one ASAP.

We have had contracts with 5 different childminders (it's a long story!!) and we've not had to pay at all if they or their dc were sick and they were unable to look after our ds's as a result.

When our ds's were of ore-school age we used a nursery and were never let down. Once they started school we used childminders. Being let down at short notice (several times by different childminders) was the trigger that made me change jobs so that we no longer needed one.

If you lose money every time you need a day off at short notice what other childcare options do you have? You don't say how old your ds is, but nurseries or out of school clubs are all good, and ime very reliable alternatives.

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