CM fees for hours we won't be using

[MangoBiscuit]

I'd like some advice and opinions on whether I'm being fair before I do anything.

We have recently started with a lovely childminder who has our DDs full days, part of the week. DD1 will be starting school soon, and I've booked the week off work, so I can do all her school runs for the first week. This was discussed with CM before DDs started with her. I'm fully aware that I will still need to pay for the standard hours that DD1 would have been with the CM as it's my decision to not use them, and I totally agree with that. My issue is that CM has also charged us for the additional hours that we would have needed to cover the staggered school days, if she was having her that week.

I discussed it briefly with her at pick up time, (so a little rushed) and she said that she required 4 weeks notice. Now I'm a bit baffled, she's had more than 4 weeks notice, and it was actually only notice that I didn't want to ask her for extra hours. I'm perfectly happy to pay for our contracted hours, but not for extra hours we haven't asked for and don't need. I also don't want to risk any fall outs as she's a good CM, and both girls are happy there.

You say the child minder has her for full days but not every day so I assume you work part time or have other child care for the days you don't need your child minder.
That being the case you would not need her to have your dc those days and wouldn't be in the contract with her?
If that's the case then I can't see how she would be looking to charge you for those days if they are days she would never have your dc anyway.

Bit confused about what you said. You are happy to pay for the standard contracted hours, but not for additional hours. Are these additional hours contracted? If the additional hours are not contracted, I don't see how she can charge you for them.

I work part time, DDs are at CM every day I work. During the holidays she has both DDs full days. Term time she'll have DD2 full days, but DD1 for 4 hours, before and after school. When she starts school initially, they are doing staggered hours, so if CM was having her, I'd have had to ask her for extra hours to cover the earlier pick ups. She's not trying to charge me for days she doesn't have them at all, just for the extra hours that I would have had to request if DD1 was with her that week. I hope that makes more sense.

Sorry Xpost. Contracted hours for DD1 are full days during the holidays, 4 hours a day term time. We have a week of half days for her first week, and on the days we DD1 would normally be at the CM, she's charged me 7 hours a day, to cover the normal 4 hours, and an extra 3 hours we would have needed if DD1 was with the CM those days.

So, your contracted to, say before and after school on a Monday and Tuesday, in term time.
If you want longer days in the school holidays, you ask to extend the contract to full days?
On the first few weeks of school, school are sending DD home at lunchtime, and you have the week off. The Childminder assumed you'd be needing her those afternoons, and has automatically added it to the bill?

I'd say shes overcharged. You didn't ask for the extra hours, but you will pay her before and after school, as per contract. However you will not need her those days.

You need to be carful when inset days etc occour - sounds like she may well just extend your hours, and you may decide to take the day off.

Ok I think I understand
she would charge for the 4 hours which is your contract hours
but you have not asked her to do the extra hours caused by the school having half days ?
If you haven't asked her go do those hours then I can't see how she thinks she would be able to charge for them.
I can only think that she's assumed that because she knows the school does half days that week and all her other charges have done the same in the last and their mums haven't had the time off work you would do the same.

The 4 weeks notice is a red herring as how can you give notice for additional hours you don't want to use ie that's no additional hours so no notice is needed as there is no change.

Unless of course she has written into the contract that she does all after school pick ups irrespective of times and all after school hours arising from an early pick up and therefor has first dibs on additional hours as a result of school closures or shorter days.

So, say it's 3 days a week she's charged you for an extra 9hrs?

At £4.50p/h you're looking at an extra £40 or so.

I wouldn't want to pay it and think she's being really cheeky. I don't think she can make you pay however, if I didn't want to ruffle the waters I might just cough up.

It's a heads up to you though to be ultra clear about what you DON'T want as well as what you want in the future as she's obviously in need of money and will charge you where she can.

If you've given her 4 weeks notice of not needing extra hours I don't think you should have to pay.

In future give notice by email so you can prove dates.

From the childminders point of view she can't take a child for a full day because your child is using up a good part if the day. I do understand. why she has charged you

I agree soon, but if the hours are not contracted the CM can take on another child for the full day and say she's unavailable.

I agree in part, Soon. With our contracted hours she would not be able to take another child for a full day anyway, but she would have been able to take one during school hours. If I had asked for extra hours to cover the half days and she was unavailable, I would have just had to suck it up and organise something else. I have given her plenty of notice that I won't require any extra hours that week, so she would have been able to take a booking if requested.

The before and after normal school hours are all that's contracted. Complaining about paying for those would be totally unreasonable, after all, it's not our CMs fault that she won't be having DD1 those days. I just begrudge paying for extra hours I didn't ask for, don't need, and won't use.

Most of the comments seem to suggest I'm not being unfair. As I said, our CM is lovely, so I will just have to get over my awkwardness and have a proper chat with her and let her know I'm not too happy about the extra charges, and see what she says. Thank you all.

Could it not just be a misunderstanding? I may be getting the wrong end of stick here, so please excuse me if I am, but perhaps she was just assuming that you wanted the extra hours as it's not officially start of term? If that's the case a simple conversation will solve that.

I must admit, and again may have wrong end of stick, but the way I work the contracts for families who need extra flexibility, I either charge normal rate for whole day, so that day is free whenever they need it, or extra per hour. I don't think she can take on another child during school hours, as what would happen if it was inset day or child was ill and you couldn't get out of work? The contracted hours you have, on the days you have, are reserved just for you, cm can't double book at the risk of going over ratios. Does that make sense?

Obviously some CM are more than happy to take on part time work, but don't assume she is charging too much, until you have a conversation...I think it's quite possible she isn't.

My contract would state full days being paid until full time school starts, but OP seems to have something different in her contract.

I too charge for full days until child starts school full time even though, to all intents & purposes, they are 'at school', I'm afraid Ofsted class a child as being pre-school (for the purposes of ratios) until they are full time and pre-school ratios are much tighter than school ratios so staggered school starts prevent me taking on a little one straight away in the new term.

That said, if you aren't charged for holiday & gave sufficient notice, I'd be expecting this week to be free.