Do all childminders charge for hols?

[sheepgirl]

I just wanted to know if it is standrad practice for childminders to charge parents for when they go on holiday and for public holidays?

nooka, sounds like you really dont have a good relationship with your minder and if you really feel that ALL she does is pick them up, feed them and care for them, then do look for another minder. Either she actually is Naff and does Nothing but keep them safe and fed, or you do not appreciate the content of what she does actually do. You say kids do not need any more change, well I wonder if they need to feel that there mother is happy to leave them with someone who 'does piss me off' as kids usually pick up on underlying tensions( tho I may be wrong)

Hi,

Just wanted to add my little rant!

My childminder not only charges 4 WEEKS FULL PAY for holidays, but also takes Bank Holidays on top of that fully paid and expects me to pay her if she or her son is sick.

I got a text off her last night (she didn't even have the decency to call) to say she couldn't look after my son because her little angel had a shitty nappy.

I'm extremely pissed off because my boss is starting to lose his tether with all the odd days I have to take off.

Also, I'm not her employer, so why should I pay her when she decides to take time off? I can understand if I go on holiday - not her choice. My husband is also self employed and if he doesn't work, he doesn't get paid. In other words, if he is sick - no pay. If he wants a few days off for a hoilday - no pay. What makes childminders so special that they should get all this extra money???

The other thing that annoys me is that despite my son going to this childminder for over a year, I still haven't seen a contract. She keeps on harping on about it, and I keep on asking for one, but it never happens. Reason why? She has to pay £75 for insurance etc and get the templates for the contracts. She'd rather go out on the piss at the weekend than spend that money and make her business legitimate.

Sorry - rant over! I know not all childminders are the same, and I don't want to tar them all with the same brush but this one is starting to grate on my last nerve!

xx

Well mumatwork, if you haven't seen a contract, then leave now and find another CM. You don't need to give notice if you haven't signed for it. You don't seem to like this CM, so just find another, or a nursery would probably be better, because if another CM's "little angel" gets chicken pox, or diahorrea and sickness, or your child does, then they won't can go to the CM.
Or the nursery for that matter.

mumatwork, if you have no contract why do you keep paying for a service which isn't being used.... more importantly, if she is operating without insurance, is she actually a registered childminder? I didn't think insurance was optional.

Why don't you write a contract and stick it in her face? I'm sure there are some lovely childminders on here who could give you a word document which you could edit to suit and put under her nose.

I would never never never agree to paying her sick days. Even as an employee, if my child is sick and I stay home to look after him/her, that comes out of my holiday bank.

Better yet, since you have no contract, why don't you just get another childminder.

She is not allowed to work without Insuce, and you cannot be registered without Insurance. It is illegal not to have a contract!!! Leave now and find another CM.

Hey mumatwork, I suppose that technically, you don't have to pay her either since she is operating illegally. (just kidding)

But, I probably would leave and would only pay for services rendered. You have no contract. What is she going to do about it?

Thanks guys

Problem is I pay her 4 weekly in advance so she's already been paid for the next 3 weeks. I'm tempted to just cut my losses and leave straight away.

I'm going to see a nursery this afternoon, and another childminder later in the week, so hopefully it'll all get sorted.

I feel bad though - I don't want to leave her in the lurch....me just being a softie!

Sorry if I seemed a bit callous calling her child a 'little angel' - he's a lovely boy but can be such a brat and takes toys off my son when he's playing with them & if my son holds onto them he'll hit him until he gives it up! Seeing that is like someone stabbing me in the heart! (I'm not of course saying that my son is perfect, but he doesn't hit!)

xx

See, I'm not the only one who says she needs a contract. You are perfectly within your rights to leave now. On the last day you have paid her for just say "Oh by the way won't be back on Monday". She can't do anything as you ahven't signed to say you would give her notice
I wouldn't leave my children with another CM who didn't have insurance either, if anything happened then she wouldn't be covered

Let me get this straight. You pay her in cash four weeks in advance, and she's not even a registered childminder?

And she let's her son hit yours?

AND you took the day off work and paid her anyway cause er son had a "shitty nappy"?

Oh my...

Where are you? Maybe we can find you a new lovely childminder. One who operates within the law.

I live near to Buckingham..... anyone who knows of a CM with vacancies - do let me know!!!!

Somewhere on the chidminders section there is a vacancies thread, there might be someone on there.

mumatwork, have you tried www.childcarelink.gov.uk/index.asp

Thanks for your help guys

I went to the nursery which is literally 2 mins from where I work and its fantastic there - really nice people and they do so much with the children which he doesn't currently do with the CM (arts & crafts etc)

At least now the only time I'll be having off is if he's sick - not if someone else's kid is sick and I won't have to waste all my holiday allowance on someone else's schedule.

The whole thing stinks and it's sad because I'll have lost a friend out of the whole thing - we were really good friends even before I had my little boy, so its a shame, but never mind...

xx

Remember though mumatwork, most of us childmidners are decent hard working people, who care passionately about our jobs and the children we care for, we all have insurance - to protect ourselves and our mindees and we all have contracts for the same reason. Don't let a bad experience put you off

Oh God no I wouldn't let it put me off - I know that maybe I've been a bit foolish and naieve and should have spoken up ages ago - its just me not wanting to cause waves that's stopped me.

I know this is a bad experience and that most childminders are excellent and your hearts are totally into what you do - you're not just in to earn money. I think that in this case, she's been doing it for a couple of years, and her hearts not in it any more - its just become a way of being able to earn money while she can look after her son

I really hope I haven't made out that I think all childminders are like this because I know you aren't - mine is an exception to the rule!

I grew up going to childminders, some great, some not so great, but I have some fantastic memories of my childhood thanks to these ladies!

Hi everyone - Well I (with my dh for back up and basically be the one who has to be arsey as I am not very good at that kind of stuff) back to my CM today re: contract and tried to negogiate terms. CM point blank said that she would not move on her position and felt she deserved to have 4 wks hol and other stat hols made in full. CM does not charge when she is sick and charge 1/2 for when my baby is sick.

What got me the most about the conversation is she said at one point "I deserve a holiday that's why I have the whole of August off" When we explained that we would need to get childcare cover as it would not be possible to take 4 weeks off she explained that is why she gives so much notice to families and her hol never changes. My dh having met CM for the first time also liked her and the way she operates so we have decided to see how our baby settles in. If he loves it then we will just have to find away to cover August between us. If not we will look for alternative care and give notice before having to pay almost a grand for nothing.

nannynick you want me to believe that if you take 4 week holiday per year and my child is with you only for 2 months, the first of which is your holiday, you are entitled to have them all paid????? every contract says 4 (or whatever one choses) holiday per year. so in order for you to qualify to have them pay you need to work in this contract for the whole year. if you do not, the holiday are pro-rata.
I am not a lawyer but trust me I had my lawyer check all the contracts I was offered and explain the law to me.
If you charge all your holiday to every parent regardless how long the child has been with you, well well done to you for getting all this cash!

BTW, I am pro childminder getting holiday pay, BH pay and even sick pay.

I'm not a lawyer, and I am not a childminder. But my view is that where a contract states that holidays are to be paid, then they are to be paid... regardless of when those holidays start and regardless of how long a period of time has passed from that contract being signed.
As an employee, my holiday entitlement is built up over time... but I don't see why that system has to apply when it is a User/Service Provider relationship. I feel it is up to the User and Service Provider to agree on what the situation will be - so they could pro-rata it if that was what both sides wanted to agree.

I started another thread on this

Anyway, I've just started with my CM and she charges £2 for her 5 weeks holidays, our 5 weeks holidays and bank holidays. Frankly I am happy with this arrangement as I had already budgeted for the payment and a happy CM means a happy DS.

However in practice I am concerned at how we manage a potential 10 weeks between us. Clearly some of these would need to be at the same time (I get 6 weeks a year) and I feel I need to sit down and agree some dates with her in advance so that there aren't any nasty surprises at the end of the year.

I guess in the eyes of the taxman she is self-employed but I think from a principled point of view, any employment rights I enjoy as a permanent, full time employee should be shared by any worker. Traditionally childcare has attracted low pay, low security , few perks, long hours and is mostly undertaken by women. Now I'm certainly no expert in feminism but I think anything that helps secure more financial independence and security for these sorts of peripheral jobs is a good thing.

Some arguments for both sides here! I personally charge half fees for my holidays, which I believe is fair.
I do try to work out my holidays to match that of parents so that they are not forced to take holidays when they don't want to.
I only take three weeks holiday off per year. i only charge £2.50 an hour . i have been doing it now for 3 years and not had anyone question about money

I hate feeling like I am being swindled by my CM because of the paying for hols issue. I have decided to stop thinking about it and focus on settling in my baby. She really is a kind and warm CM and I am sure she expects a 4 wks full paid hol because that is what NCMA recommended. If my trade union said I was owed something I would want it to. I still don't think it is right though

loveheart77 I am guessing at that price you are not a CM in London?

your right sheepgirl i am not from london i live in lancs.

i give my parents my holidays the first week in January, (well slightly different next year as we have to move Army Quarters for refurb, but will give parents as much notice as I get, and they already know about it)

I take Christmas and BH paid and 2 weeks unpaid, parents get 4 weeks on top of Christmas and BH at half pay.

Most of my parents take the same holidays as me, (may and October half term), and save the rest for the summer holidays, most dont take all their holiday that they pay half for.

Well I have resigned myself to the fact that I will probably have to take most of August off.....the most expensive time of the year Let's see what happens as I still don't believe that mothers should have to pay for CMs hols.