Childminder query

[MissDuke]

Hi. I worked part time until last Sept and my mum did my childcare. Since Sept, I have been a full time student, so my mum has continued to do three days and I have a childminder for the other two. She was very good to me I felt, as I only need her term time and she has charged me just ten pounds retainer a week for the summer holidays, and nothing for the other holidays (She has my youngest for full days, and my eldest after school). I pay her from 8am to 5pm though they have never been there past 3.30pm, as it has worked out. This is fine, and I happily keep them off if I get an unexpected day off despite paying for it.

So anyway, she told me the other day that she can no longer do one of the days as one of her 'mums' is having a new baby. I was a bit taken aback to be honest, and really quite upset at first. Later, I realised she is trying to run a business and of course gets more income from this other family, who will then have two children attending three full days a week, all year round.

She assumed it wouldn't be a problem for my mum to change days so that mine would go to her on other days, however it isn't that easy as my mum has things on the other days.

I really like this childminder, as do the children, and don't want to 'cut off my nose to spite my face' by moving them, but also don't want to cause my mum hassle. Especially as I am now thinking this could happen again. So if mum managed to swap things around, I would feel awful then asking her to do it yet again in the future.

I suppose I just want to know if others would be a bit annoyed by this or on the childminders side, as I really cannot decide how to feel! Is it common for childminders to do this, and accepted as fine, given they are running a business? Would you be annoyed?

We're in Scotland, but here this would be a legitimate reason for a childminder to apply for a variation to allow increased numbers - maybe one of the CMs in England can confirm if it's the same down there?

It might be worth checking and mentioning this to her as she might be permitted a variation to take both kids and just not be aware of the rules.

Yes she should be cable to raise her numbers due to continuity of care. My CM has four because of this

I am in NI - thanks, I will suggest that to her.

But she might not want to raise her numbers so bare that in mind if she says no

Will do, thanks guys :-)

Apart from being harder work with extra numbers, she may not have space in her car for outings.

It's a difficult one. I'm sure she will have agonized over this, but there are times when it is just impossible to meet everyone's needs, and something has to give. She will obviously be thinking that if she turns down the new baby, she will probably lose the sibling too. I assume she/you have plenty of notice of this situation as babies are a long time cvoming! I think all you can do is put her right on her assumption that grandma has the sort of flexibility she assumed, and see whether there is a compromise which might suit everyone. I know rules about variations are different in NI, so that might not be an option.