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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

Seriously considering giving notice to a family

55 replies

glenthebattleostrich · 13/10/2017 07:07

I am so cross, possibly because I've been up most of the night and may need a little perspective.

I'm a childminder. I work with several families on a part time basis. Most accept my policies and follow the rules I set for my business.

I have one family of a 1 year old who I have 1 - 2 days per week, depending on the parents shifts. The child comes every Thursday and the occasional Friday. At drop off yesterday dad told me she'd been a bit out of sorts and it was probably just teething. No worries. Obviously I can deal with a teething baby. Gets my sling out, pops baby in that and we have an ok day.

Last night I woke at 2 and haven't been off the loo since then.

Messaged the parents to say I was going to have to close today and mum responds with, oh dear, she had a poorly tummy most of the week, hope you don't have that. FFS, I now have to let down 4 families of school age children because they choose not to follow procedures. It's the second time they've done this. They send their child having thrown up on a morning, that time we were sort of lucky that only DD caught that one and was only I'll on a day I had no littles so didn't loose as much.

So closing today, and possibly monday, depending on when I stop shitting, is going to cost between £180 and £400. So pissed off.

WIBU to give them notice?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

ArchchancellorsHat · 13/10/2017 08:05

Definitely give them notice, effective immediately f you can. The absolute cheek of demanding a refund after making you sick in the first place!

QueenofallIsee · 13/10/2017 08:06

I would 100% give notice, more trouble than it is worth. If your area is anything like ours, good childminders are in high demand so its not as though you will be short a space for long

FluffyWhiteTowels · 13/10/2017 08:08

Yup give notice. Entitled parents.

AuntLydia · 13/10/2017 08:08

Yes, give notice. I'm amazed they were so blatant about it but in doing so they have given you every reason to terminate their contract. The problem I have with the families I childmind for is they lie, so it's very difficult to confront. The other week I had a little one who had been sick 'because she'd eaten some e45 cream'. Hm. Her father was also sick the same week. I call bollocks.

Fionnbharr · 13/10/2017 08:10

Well I think you are justified in getting rid of them - your business.

But you do not have any proof that your condition was caught from their child who was presumably not showing any of these symptoms yesterday. So I am surprised you put it so bluntly in your text. It could be a virus picked up anywhere. If it came from the child are all your mindees also ill?

jannier · 13/10/2017 08:13

Dear parent....after having illness brought into my home and forcing closure for a second time I am now forced to amend my policies as it is unfair to every user of my setting to be forced to find alternative care due to sick children spreading their illnesses. Every parent has signed to say that they will follow my exclusion on illness including D & V.
If a child is brought to me with any signs of temperature, loose stools or vomiting I will no longer accept them into my care even if it is thought to be teething should I then be forced to close due to similar symptoms I will pass on the full cost of that closure to said parent.

To this parent I would say seeing as you have now told me on the xxxx that x was ill with a bad stomach for x days prior to attending and not just off on that day with teething I understand that if I had been open x would not be attending for the next 48 hours as they were still ill and should not have been in attendance yesterday as this was a breech of my policies that you signed...copy attached. Had x not attended yesterday I would not be closed for business. This highlights the need to stick to my policies including your obligation of full disclosure. Should x health have deteriorated and he needed urgent medical care I would have given the medical staff incorrect information which could have had very serious consequences.

whitehorsesdonotlie · 13/10/2017 08:15

Poor you! Yes, cheeky fuckers. Give them notice. I'd email them:

Because you sent in your child to me without waiting 48 hours after a tummy upset - breaking my terms and conditions - I have caught the bug. Today I have to close, letting down 4 families of school age children because you chose not to follow procedures.

Since this is the second time you have done this - the first time when you sent dc, despite them having thrown up that morning - I give you immediate notice that you are no longer clients of mine. Your actions have cost me between £180 and £400 (depending on how long this bug lasts and when I can go back to work).

II cannot have selfish clients who break my rules and put other children - and my livelihood - at risk.

I will not be issuing you a refund.

to you.

diddl · 13/10/2017 08:18

If they have broken Ts&Cs, are they entitled to a refund?

Can you give notice with immediate effect?

Would it be wrong to warn other CMs in the area?

430West · 13/10/2017 08:38

Loose stools/temperature and vomiting are not caused by teething.

It's an old wives tale.

Original poster

glenthebattleostrich · 13/10/2017 09:41

Yes Fionna, the other 2 little ones I had yesterday have it. I've checked in with their parents as it's good practice to let families know there had been exposure. And we were at the park and collecting autumn leaves and doing crafts at home (no play dates).

Thanks for that letter janier, I'll send that out later to my families. Most of them are wonderful and one is dropping DD off and picking up from school for me and taking her to the activities we had planned. Because she understands that the relationship works best with give and take. Another has offered to drop off some imodium from the chemist.

I've obviously been lucky because this is the first family who have done this. I've had one or 2 try their luck and ask if I could look after kids but never sent them if I've said no. Equally if I've not been working for whatever reason and a family have needed cover or an emergency pick up I'm always happy to step in and help because the kids are treated as part of my family.

I'm going to tweak my policies and state that if families send children to me sick and I get infected and have to close they will be responsible for the costs incurred. It's not just lost fees, there are meals I took out of the freezer for today that have to be thrown away, activities paid for and resources purchased. So frustrating.

OP posts:

Itsaninlawsone · 13/10/2017 10:07

I think the difficulty in amending your policy to state that if you catch a bug you'll charge costs back to the family of the infectee will be proving that you contracted the bug from x child.

As a parent, I wouldn't sign up to this as there's just no knowing where/how bugs are caught.

Completely agree with everything else though, and that they should be given notice immediately. Short, factual letter with no room for them to argue the points raised would be my approach.

Hope you feel better soon

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 13/10/2017 12:31

You don't need as much detail. You just need to update your sickness policy and make it clear when exclusion applies and how long each exclusion is. Then state in the policy that anyone who breaches the sickness policy will be given notice. Circulated amended policy as you would any other.

Be careful about sending out blanket letters to the people who are currently following the rules. Tightening up policies is good and does of course need to be communicated but sending a letter to all parents when you only have an issue with one is unnecessary and risks alienating or unsettling those who do follow the rules now.

Malaco · 13/10/2017 19:15

Did you decide whether to give them notice op?

MoreProseccoNow · 13/10/2017 19:34

Both my DC had loose stools & occasionally a temperature when teething. It was pretty consistent.

Original poster

glenthebattleostrich · 13/10/2017 19:50

I have given them notice. I told them that I felt the trust had gone from our relationship.

Mum replied that she was furious I'm doing this, that her child was happy and settled here and that we will discuss it next week. She said she wasn't aware of the exclusion period (despite it being clearly stated in my policies, in my welcome booklet and on the contract they signed.)

I replied that I'd made my decision and that as this was the second time they'd done this I couldn't risk the further loss of income or reputation. I also said I wouldn't be discussing the matter any further and she could find a list of alternative providers on the local council website.

4 of the 6 children I care for on a Thursday have come down with it, the other 2 (DD and her bestie) were playing in DDs room for most of the afternoon so fingers crossed it'll miss them.

Plus side I've not been to the loo for at least 2 hours so hopefully the worst has passed. Still not wanting any food and am sticking to herbal tea for the rest of the day.

OP posts:

Malaco · 13/10/2017 20:05

Thank goodness it's the weekend so you've only had one day of disruption. Not that it's nice to be ill at the weekend, but at least you'll be able to rest

Fluffycloudland77 · 13/10/2017 20:12

Surely everyone knows the exclusion period for sickness?.

Lindy2 · 13/10/2017 20:24

If you use MM childminding contracts there is a specific part in the small print saying immediate notice can be given if a parent knowingly brings an ill child to the setting.
For a child only coming 1 or 2 days a week and this being the second time they have knowingly spread illness to you or your family they really are not worth the trouble they have caused you.

Original poster

glenthebattleostrich · 13/10/2017 20:47

Yeah I use MM bit was being nice and giving them a couple of weeks to find alternative care.

OP posts:

VocalDuck · 13/10/2017 20:59

Surely everyone knows the exclusion period?! Glad you have them notice and I have to admit that if I was one of the other parents, I would be having second thoughts about a childminder who continued to allow a contagious child to attend and so I think you did the right thing for the sake of keeping you other customers and reputation.

ItsNachoCheese · 13/10/2017 21:08

Surely its basic common sense to know you keep your dc off if they have had a d and v bug?

WineGummyBear · 13/10/2017 21:12

Pleased you are mostly better now OP. I'm not a childminder myself, I'm a parent but how can anyone be that inconsiderate?

Maryann1975 · 13/10/2017 21:44

You’d think it was common knowledge to keep your child away from a setting with d and but... I had a parent (who had been given a copy of my policy) who was off work for 48hours with a sickness bug as per her companies policy and yet when her dd had the same bug, couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t have the child.
I’m glad you’ve given notice and I wouldn’t enter into any further discussion about it. I’m not sure how you stand about not giving a refund, but I think they are extremely rude to ask for one.

CourtneyLoveIsMySpiritAnimal · 13/10/2017 21:57

The worst person I know for doing this (sending her kids to the childminder and school with d & v) is a headteacher, who obviously knows the rules but chooses not to apply them to her kids.

People take the piss. Good for you for not putting up with it, OP.

leeloo1 · 13/10/2017 23:16

If they didn't know about your policies, then why didn't dad mention the dodgy tummy at drop off and just say 'bit out of sorts'?

Did you email them with sickness policy after the vomiting incident? If so, refer then back to that if they try to get nasty.

Hope you feel better soon.

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