Childminder Vs Nursery

[Chicaescocesa]

Hi there just looking for thoughts on this. I am a teacher and use a childminder for one day per week. My child is 18 months and seems happy and settled with childminder. Recently I have been thinking of moving to a nursery, mainly because of holiday arrangements and holiday pay but also partly because I think it will help socialise my daughter better and also make the transition to nursery at 3 easier for her.

My CM charges for her holidays and also charges when we are away/don't use her. As I am off 13 weeks a year this can amount to 18 weeks per year when we are paying but not getting a service! She did offer a 50% retainer during school hols, but I said no as thought we would maybe still put the LO in. Turned out CM was away a fortnight of summer and so were we (different fortnight) so paid full and did not use.

I am just unsure what to do. There have also been a few instances of last minute call-offs and also only giving us a fortnight notice when she takes a holiday which is not a lot of time. How do other people find the nursery system for this? At first I liked the idea of the flexibility of a CM and the more homely environment, just not sure now.

You may find that a lot of nurseries charge for your holidays too - we are very lucky that ours doesn't but they are the exception rather than the rule. I belief it is because they are a university nursery so run as more of a service than for profit, and a lot of their customers are students they don't require holiday childcare.

Childminder didn't work out for us for two reasons. Firstly childminder did not take children to playgroups and left them parked in front of tv all morning, secondly, childminder was unfortunately taken ill so left us at very short notice with no care.
Then changed to a nursery. Nursery has been great, moved there at two and there was a lot more going on for the children. Just have to do homework to find good nursery. As working parent, needed care even if someone was ill. Plus you can get term time contracts only too.

If its only for one day a week and she's happy there, then I wouldn't move her. It'll take her a while to settle at a nursery if its only for a day a week. Some nurseries actually won't take them for less than 2 days.

I would not be keen on paying for her holiday though, especially with only 2 weeks notice - is there not a longer notice period in your contract? You could avoid paying for next summer holiday by giving notice before then anyway and then she would be ready to start her big nursery in the September.

Its easy to get a term time only place where we are now, but it was impossible in London.

Hi there
Thanks for those opinions. I was kind of thinking the same thing, keep her there til next summer then transfer to nursery. Do you mean term time at the nursery? We might be able to get that arrangement somewhere I think. I'm fine for paying for our hols or theirs, just feel it's a bit much paying both, especially if you're not given enough notice to match them up!
It's the face she's only there 1 day per week that's keeping us there, so it's not a fortune we're paying!

It's unusual that you have to pay while cm is on holiday. You should have a contract with cm stating both yours and hers rules on how much notice to give for holidays. We knew a year in advance when my ds was in a cm. I also had an agreement that because I could take ds with my in school hols I only had a term time contract.

It's good to know I'm not being ridiculous thinking this is quite a lot then. I keep thinking it's not worth upsetting the apple cart for £30 a week but then if you add up £30 over 18 weeks it's quite a lot!

Sorry, I think the contract states 2 weeks notice for hols but she did say she would always be way more in advance - then wasn't!

Our childminder didn't charge for her holidays and gave us dates 9 months in advance plus we got 5 days a year where we could DS out and didn't have to pay. When he got to about 2 though I would have moved him anyway as he was the oldest child there and felt he got a bit bored there (although she visited playgroups etc with him but again he was the oldest kid there)