Giving notice to minded child for business reasons

[Mymadworld]

One of my EYFS children only comes for 5.5 hours a day during school hours - when I took her on 18 months ago it fitted with another child and mum is a friend but since losing that other child it's been niggling every time i either turn away a full day enquiry or when I do my invoices and it's clear how much less I'm earning from her days as opposed to my other early years children.

From a purely business POV i realise I just can't afford to have 1 of my 3 spaces taken up with so few hours and not sure how best to approach this without offending friend, putting a black mark on my reputation (money grabber as opposed to caring childcarer) and realise whatever I do is likely to mean losing the child ( increasing hours isn't likely to be an option) which is a shame after 18 months care.

In any other business you wouldn't think twice about amending or ending a contract that wasn't financially viable but when it's people's children and in your home home it's so much harder.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

You just have to talk to your friend and give her notice. I think it's pretty common knowledge that childminders try and fit their ratios to try and maximise their earnings and surely not seen as money grabbing! I know it's different when it's people's childcare but you really can't be missing out on cash every month for this. Does your friend know about you losing the other dc? If she does she could be expecting this, I expect she knows 5.5 hours a day is low to take a cms place.

How old is DC and how long do you expect them to stay? I'm just thinking that when my DC reached nursery age, we had them in school nursery mornings and then CM picked up and had them afternoons, rather than the full day. This dovetailed with a family doing the opposite - nursery in afternoons - so it worked out. Any chance your friend will be thinking of similar when her DC is at the right age?

Can you apply for an exception with Ofsted to your ratios, as DC is not with you full-time? That would enable you to accept another FT child?

@NoSquirrels that's actually a good idea re ofsted but not sure if that's how continuity of care works? Be great if so as I'd happily keep her on shorter hours if I could take on an extra.

I'm not sure it's how it works either But worth a try if you can come up with something ... could you work with the mum? e.g. I think our childminder got an exception for continuity of care when I needed a particular day to change to (short term contract, I couldn't negotiate the days worked) and she was otherwise at capacity on that day. So perhaps there's a way to spin it?

Otherwise advertise for a part-time mindee or spread the word that you could do ad-hoc care on the times/days you need to fill? Would that work? As a freelancer/WFH when my DC were young I quite often needed flex which was very hard to come by, so I'd have bit your hand off!

Hmm, continuity of care doesn’t really work like that, unless it’s an existing family wanting to extend their hours. However, I’ve recently seen on the childcare registration Facebook site, that ofsted are being quite accommodating to minders who have 4 small children, having taken on the forth as new business. This didn’t used to be the case, but it seems, if the minder can cope (or proves she can cope on the day of inspection), has a robust risk assessment and enough space and equipment they are saying it’s fine.

(This grates on me somewhat, when the majority of childminders were against them increasing the ratios a few years ago. I was definitely in the minority thinking it should be increased and now I am definitely in the minority for only having three dc each day- how has that happened!)

I’ve been really wary about taking on short hour children and have held out for full days instead, so I feel your predicament. Can you speak to the mum and let her know what you are thinking. She may rather up her fees and pay more rather than loose you as her cm.

I have the same problem, I have a child that takes up a full time space but most months I get the equivalent to a 2 day a week child in pay. It niggles away at me aswell but ultimately I just don't have it in me to give notice so will just wait it out.

I met a childminder and assistant who had 10 under 5 (full time). They said that this was ok as long as it was risk assessed, and they could have even more if they wanted (and sometimes did!). I didn't place my child with them as it didn't feel safe personally, but clearly there were a lot of parents who were happy with the arrangement.

I queried this, and yes, apparently childminders can have as many under 5s as they like now, as long as risk assessed. Maybe you could just take on another child rather than giving this one notice?

I would have a chat with your friend and explain that the short day is stopping you taking on a child at full day rate. See if you can both compromise a bit to come up with a fee that you are happy with.

hibbledibble..................no that is not right....
Normally it would be 3 under 5 for the cm but exceptionally she can go up to 6 under 5 (but then no 5 to 8's or whatever combination make 6 children) the assistant can never have more than 3.
On top of this they must have the appropriate amount of space per child as laid out in the EYFS, have risk assessed and be able to meet the needs of all the under 5s. It should be for a set reason and not on going practice and the variation ends when a child leaves.

jannier I queried this and was advised both here, and by the council, that this was in fact permitted.

It was on an ongoing basis and the childminder explicitly said that she could have over 10 under 5s. She also had school age children (but I think this was not disclosed to Ofsted). As for space: it was tiny, and I had no idea how it was approved for that many children in the amount of space they had.

She was definitely Ofsted registered. In fact, I got her details from the council.

The problem with exceptions to ratios is they’re an unquantifiable risk.

You used to be able to apply to Ofsted in advance for written approval, but that system was scrapped because it led to unmanageable delays.

Now, if you’re claiming a ratio exception, you just have to go ahea£and do it. But it’s a huge risk, because everything then depends on the whim of your next inspector...... and they can make some very arbitrary decisions. You can have every resource, precaution and consent in place, but if the inspector personally doesn’t hold with exceptions you can end up being graded inadequate, with all the consequences that entails.

Would your client accept that a higher hourly rate is now necessary for part time care?

Around here, many CMs and most nurseries base their charges on full sessions, rather than variable times. Nurseries than offer halfdays do so at 75% of the full day price.

Working with another registered childminder, she would be able to have up to 12 under 8s by using the exceptions rule to a maximum and providing she had the space and equipment. That's for twins, siblings, continuity of care etc., not new children.
She may be counting any 3 or 4 year old child in full time education as "rising" into the school-age ratio - also permissible since the 30 hours funding came into place, when the Government suddenly realised that there would be no wrap around care if they didn't allow it.

She absolutely may NOT exceed that 12 under 8s for any reason whatsoever. If she were working alone, it would be 6 under 8s.

In normal circumstances, however, a single childminder must adhere to the current rules: six under 8s, of whom three may be under 5 and, of those 3, one may be a baby under 1.

Ratios are an absolute minefield at the moment with childminders expected to interpret the rules and pray that their inspector interprets them in the same way. I foresee an overhaul, or even scrapping the ratios for all settings - after all, it's 13 per adult in school-based settings.

Rather than giving this child notice, how about changing your fees policy so you charge per day rather than per hour?
So instead of charging £4 an hour, charge £40 per day regardless of how many hours are used.
Either this family will give you notice and you can find a full time child, or they will stay and pay for a full time place.