Childminder holidays

[Liloosmum]

I know that all childminders are different, but wondered what you thought about my childminder changing the contract for our daughter. Our eldest daughter has only ever gone to the childminder during the school holidays and the CM has charged us for 2 weeks half pay for her holiday during the school summer holidays.

Our youngest daughter used to go full time and we have paid 2 weeks full pay for the CM's holiday. She has now started school and will only go during the school holidays the same as her sister.

Our CM now wants to charge us two weeks full pay for both of them. I queried it and she said it is because we now take our holiday at the same time as her.

I would have thought that a child attending full time would be charged more for holiday pay than a child attending during school holidays only. Attending 52 weeks per year and being charged 2 weeks full pay holiday vs attending 14 weeks per year and being charged 2 weeks half pay for holiday seems quite fair to me. Being charged for the same amount of holiday pay when they only attend for 14 weeks doesn't quite seem as fair.

Any comments?

All childminder work it differently and I suppose in response you could say you haven't decided on your holiday yet and may have to send then to a holiday club when she is away her fees shouldn't be affected by what you choose to do when she is away.

Our childminder used to charge half fees for our holiday max of 4weeks in a year n half fees for hers and yes I used to take time off when she was away although did pay for an extra nursery day on one occasion.

I think the choice you have is negotiate terms as she needs to give notice to change terms if you cannot agree you end contract as you don't have to agree and seek alternative care in the holidays

It's up to you to decide if you want to accept her new terms or not. She doesn't have to explain why she's changed them (although her explanation is strange). Ask her what happens if you decide to take holiday at a different time. Is it simply that she charges full fees for your holiday, so can charge you for the two weeks you're away, or is she charging full fees for hers and yours?

I never understand how CMs feel they can charge when their service is unavailable. I am a CM and don't charge for my hols but if parents holidays don't coinside with mine I charge as normal.

I know this doesn't help OP but it bugs me.