Asking parents for payment when setting is closed

[mymadworld]

Looking ahead, If I do have to close or are forced to close, my contract means parents are not obliged to pay. That said, I know most of my parents will continue to be paid and if I am more than three or four weeks without income, I'll be forced to find another job or source of income.

Can anyone think of a not too cheeky but to the point way of saying if you still want a childminder at the end of this please, keep paying me if you can afford to! Even half fees would be a help but I do t feel I can be too prescriptive
Does anyone have any thoughts on this approach?

For those suggesting we should have insurance we do they will not pay out. For those who think we're naive I have some savings but what you are failing to realise is that we're not talking about being closed for just two weeks this could be until September!! You are also failing to understand the pressure we are under trying to provide a service to parents who desperately need it. Aside from front line staff I have lone parents with zero family to be able to offer support I am effectively all they have got. Even Front line staff do not work a 9-3 so will schools supporting those extend there hours ? By closing registered childcare there will be an increase in unregistered childcare from people who are not trained and do not have the relevant qualifications this is disastrous. I've already had parents contacting me really upset because if I close they cannot work. Obviously under a lockdown we would all adhere but right now this is utterly crazy.

@glitterelf all valid points but irrelevant in the context of whether or not parents should be paying for a service you're not providing

What if they continue to pay you, even half.... and you still go under? They'll presumably have paid in good faith of having a setting to return to?

Are you sure your contract doesn't cover it? Ours does, and as all of us who use our CM will still be getting full pay, we are continuing to pay. She offered reduced fees, but financially nothing has changed for us, so it's not fair. I guess you know your parents circumstances a bit, it would be fair to maybe offer very reduced retainer rates for those who will be worse off, and waive for those who have lost all of their income; but for those getting paid in full still, I would ask for the full payment if they want to keep their space. It's not your fault you are being asked to close and cannot provide the service.

Also parents have to pay for nursery when it's shut, to those bleating on about how it's unfair on parents.

@Skeeter2020 The point is that my parents still need me open in order for them to work whether the are working from home or not. This is a completely new and crazy situation that no one has accounted for. From a childminders perspective we are not choosing to close and whilst closed we still have childminding overheads that we have to pay in order to stay registered. In an ideal world the insurance would pay out but that's not the case. So how do we survive ? I'm not trying to stiff my parents over I'm trying to work with them to come to a compromise. From a parents point of view they are worried about how long the closure will be and those working from home still need me so they can do their work. They are also unsure if I will still be here when things are brighter. I do have some parents who are key workers and those that are probably deemed to not be key workers do not understand why I cannot have their children if I'm open. We're getting it from every angle at the moment. I've already approached my sister who is a care home manager to a) ask if she has any jobs ( I do have qualifications in the field ) and b) to ask if she has staff members who require childcare. I'm juggling eggs but it's getting really difficult.

hello,

so are we able to stay open for teachers? therefore able to charge and work or charge and not be used as we are open to them.

The full list of key workers should come out today the Norwegian list is very broad including things like IT support so if it follows that model more people maybe able to access childcare.
I'm talking to all my families individually most are still saying they will pay as their incomes are currently unaffected and want to support me for thoes that cant do that we will chat and see what we can do. If I have enough once key workers and possibly the school siblings are accounted for ( they may choose to not use school but stick to a small setting) I will discuss with other families. I'm not out to make extra or even as much just to survive so parents will have the choice in childcare....in my borough childminders have fallen from 1100 8 years ago to just 250 now after this there may well be hardly any so parents wont have a choice but use institutionalized settings like the growing number of schools that now take babies.

I'm in the queue to the DFE to try and get some clarification as I've seen so much conflicting info I want to hear it from the horses mouth so to speak.

I thought I'd still be sending my children (PT teacher) as I'm a keyworker and assumed I could keep sending my kids to school.

But as both parents need to be keyworkers, so that's not happening now. I feel terrible for my childminder.

@FizzyBug where did you see that both parents need to be key workers ?

There is no point calling anyone until the government give full information nobody even if they knew would leak it.....and if someone says something it probably is just a guess....its a waiting game for all of us.

That's what my kids' school are telling parents. Not sure where it has came from though and not had any info from where I work yet.

I’m going to wait for the guidance to be published rather than guessing and speculating.

My husband’s school have also said that both parents need to be key workers.

Whilst some may find it pointless to call them it's actually quite helpful to speak to them and put your questions to them. What I was told was that all registered childminders will be closed as of Monday a part from those providing care to key workers and vulnerable children. However I raised questions about unregistered childcare as there will now be an influx of this happening and raised questions about what constitutes a vulnerable child. I also asked if I can now advertise my services to only key workers.
I was told that all those questions would be looked into and used to help make decisions going forward.
Key workers we have to wait for the announcement but as it stands right now NHS workers,
Vulnerable children are those with social services involvement and those with an EHCP.

I am continuing to pay my childminder as I am covered for childcare through WFH, our childminder is worth her weight in gold and it's not her fault she has to close

@glitterelf....
So you waited on hold to be told exactly what Boris, his advisors and Pacey told us yesterday.

@SuffolkNWhat....I think you have the right approach it's not a time to start spouting service not provided arguments as some have we all need to pull together to get through this

As a registered childminder, my aim is to be fair to parents and myself in this unprecedented event. In the event of closure, although they may qualify as 'key personnel', I will ask for half fee for the duration of closure. Of course any parent is free to withdraw their child with one months notice. Obviously their place in my setting will be permanently removed.

May sound harsh, but if they all turn around (which they won't) and say, 'we'll see you in a few months' aidos, I won't be in business. Such is life...

My job is safe, I am WFH. My DH is military so he's definitely going to keep working (doing god knows what though - dread to think). I already told my CM we will continue to pay her. It's only fair.

I've also told her my kids will be at home with me while the schools are shut, so she can give my places to children of key workers if needed, as long as I get them back when school reopens.

Are you going to keep paying her scattered mama?

@Marieo yes we will keep paying her.

It has been confirmed teachers and teaching staff are key workers, there is no mention of both parents needing to be working as key workers.

Therefore we can be open for them and can charge even if they don’t come.