Dh signed CM contract for extortionate fee- can we back out?

[IntentsAndPorpoises]

We are in a bit of a childcare crisis. Thought we'd found a CM, dh went to meet her today. He signed the contact and then called me to query the amount. Putting aside his idiocy of signing when he wasn't sure, and not questioning it, what can we do.

I sent her a message querying fee. The contract states £50 a day for 2 children wrap around care. From 7.45am until 8.45 (school) and 3.15 until 5.15, one day until 5. I work this out as therefore being £8.30 an hour PER child! The rate around here is £4.50 to £5. And she has stated her rate is £5.

Additionally she has put the hours as 7.45 to 9 (school starts at 8.45) and 3 (school finishes at 3.15) to 5.15.

I am going to call her (I'm currently on a train and signal is patchy) but what can we do if she won't change it? What are the implications of just saying no thanks and finding something else?

I also charge by the hr, its the norm but I do finish at 6 and parents pick up at 6.

And I provide a proper dinner, is she feeding them?

She could take it further but do you really think a CM would go to those lengths? I really don't think so.Just tell her you're really sorry but you won't be using her services.

No food. I don't want from 7.30 though, I want from 7.45. And I only want 3.15 to 5.15pm.

Is it normal to charge until 9am if school starts at 8.45 and from 3 if school ends at 3.15. I genuinely don't know as they have always gone to school childcare.

intents yes its normal to charge for full hours even if part is used, she or he can't offer the other 45 mins to anyone else because of ratios so why should they lose out??

Is it normal to charge until 9am if school starts at 8.45 and from 3 if school ends at 3.15.

For some, yes. Like I said, some don’t charge by the part hour. If you use 15 minutes of the hour you pay for all of it.

Also, I know you say you don’t want from 7:30, only 7:45 but from what I understand it would be a flat rate of £10 whether you used her from 7:30 or 8:30 or 8:45.

The "norm" varies a lot my location - you could call the other cms with spaces at your school and see how they charge, someone else might suit you better.

Argh, so basically I'm an idiot for not knowing how much it should be and for sending dh. It's not even ideal childcare.

Argh. I just started a new job, bloody ideal job. Gone from part time to full time. And now all that money will go on childcare. No wonder there is an issue with women in work.

I'm not blaming the childminder for that btw. They used to go to a childminder as babies and toddlers. £34 a day including food and nappies.

So we are financially screwed for less than ideal childcare.

We don't have much choice. There is a massive shortage of childcare in this area. So our choices are leave them in a school that fails dd hugely regarding her ASD. Or be financially screwed/stressed trying to get enough childcare. I could just cry.

Are you eligible for any help with childcare? Have a look at the childcare choices government website.

Well if you don't have any choice then it sounds like your dh wasn't wrong in signing up. Remember you can get 20% back through Tax free childcare too.

We have a local nursery that takes ages 0 - 12.

They pick DD up from school in their minibus and take her back to the nursery.

I pay £10 in total per day. (we only use them every few weeks)
Thats for 2.5 hours.
3.30pm - 18.00pm

Could you ring around?

She presumably needs to get to the school from her home and get back from school after drop off in the morning and has factored in the extra 15 minutes each end for this. I am not sure how you are getting £8.30. I make it £7.10 per child per hour. Also before 8am some charge a higher rate because of it being an earlier start time than 8 am.

The reality is by offering the wrap around care is is precluded from taking on two full time children and therefore her rate is higher to compensate for that.

OP is a nanny an option? Might be better for your Dd.

Dh pointed out that we don't get paid to travel to work, but she sets her own charges so she can if she wants.

The other option is one of cobbling something with work until we can find somewhere. It's all a mess. Not her fault at all, obviously our fault for not realising.

I'm stressed and I'm upset. Once I got the new job I told the kids we would be able to go on holiday. Because obviously I hadn't factored in our childcare bill being tripled.

A nanny would be ideal. But I haven't been able to find anyone. Most are looking for full time posts, or part time in whole days. Not just wrap around.

We don't have a spare room for an au pair, and don't think that would be suitable with dd anyway.

She’s not charging you for her travel to work time. She’s charging for the full hour of the part that you use.

Have you contacted any childcare or nanny agencies?

Well just because school finishes at 3.15 doesn't mean she only charges you from 3.15, she has to get to school.

In my experience CM's are good at making things more expensive than they need be but everyone pays it as they have to have childcare and all CM's do the same

Ours charges a flat fee for after school. My kids finish school at 3.30. She is open until 6. They are never there at 6 more often than not picked up before 5.30 often she doesn't have them at all (on average once per week) as DH works shifts so if he is home he has them. We still pay her the full amount and she has the bloody cheek to try and charge a late fee in the one occasion we were late in a year because of weather (15 mins)

Earlier in the year I couldn't drive (operation) and needed her to take the kids to school on two occasions in the morning. She lives round the corner, so wasn't going out of her way picked them up at 8.35 and drove them the 2 miles to school. Flat morning fee charged.

I don't really object to paying when they aren't there, it's a place like nursery.

Didn't mean to hijack but in my experience you either suck it up or find someone else cheaper but paying part hours for wrapmaround care doesn't happen - they charge for 3 hours even if you only use 45 minutes as it's a flat fee.

They all work like that around here. Quote hourly rates eg £4 per hour but the min charge for after school is 3 full hours. If you don't use it, up to you but they cannot sell those other hours

she has the bloody cheek to try and charge a late fee in the one occasion we were late in a year because of weather (15 mins)

Oh come on!! That’s not a cheek. That’s standard bloody practice and it will have been in the contract that you signed! What did you think a late fee was for?

so wasn't going out of her way picked them up at 8.35 and drove them the 2 miles to school. Flat morning fee charged.

Do you ask the bus driver to waive your fee because he’s going that way anyway? If you use a service you pay for it. Why do you expect favours from someone trying to run a business? This is How she makes her living, she doesn’t wake up in the morning hoping someone asks her to take their kids to school, it’s her income! Of course she charges for what she does.

That is a cheek. She doesn't discount me when she doesn't have them, or if she texts and says 'what time are you collecting tonight only i am going out and need to be off as early as possible'. A little bit of give and take is required. It was ONE occasion in a whole year.

As for the morning, I didn't expect it for free. I was pointing out that in my experience it's always a flat fee.

Yes I know it's her living. As I said, I was essentially saying they don't tailor things to you, they make flat charge rates for it all so either pay it or find someone cheaper but it's what they all do around here.

She doesn't discount me when she doesn't have them,

No, because you’ve booked the space. If you choose not to use it that’s your choice, you still have to pay as she’s held it open for you.

or if she texts and says 'what time are you collecting tonight only i am going out and need to be off as early as possible'

Is she asking you to collect them before 6? If so then yes she needs to refund you and actually in your shoes you need to address that with her and tell her you aren’t happy with not being provided with the full time slot you’ve booked.

A little bit of give and take is required. It was ONE occasion in a whole year.

On all of the new CMer threads I’ve seen on MN posters are always advised to charge the late fee the very first time a parent is late so they know from the off it will be charged. Too many CMers let them off the first few times because there is always a “valid” reason and then the parents start taking the piss and they don’t feel they can start charging as they didn’t do it from the start. Start as you mean to go on is a motto for a reason.

It's late now so I've sent an email and I'll call her tomorrow. I've said that I recognise that we've signed a contract, that it is essentially our error, but that we can't afford it and would she allow us to withdraw from the contract.

I hope she does OP. It won’t be pleasant for anyone involved if she refuses and you’ve no choice but to send your DC to her. Awkward!!