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Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

Childminder Revenge?

60 replies

MoonlitTeardrop · 09/07/2023 21:23

Hi everyone

Complete newbie here. Hoping you can help me figure out what is going on 😣

I have told my childminder on Friday that our little one will be going to nursery as of September giving her almost 2 months notice instead of the required one month to be nice and give her more time to find another child.

No reaction from her until 9pm that same night giving me notice that she will be closed Mondays and Fridays for August - we need full time childcare as both of us work full time and all this time my girl has been with her she has always been Mon to Fri.

I cannot fathom why she did this as this has put us into a very difficult situation. (Her excuse was to spend more time with her son as she has only taken time off with him when he was ill due to the other kids bringing illness into the setting making him ill which is not true.)She already knows that my OH and I have very little holiday left as we used up most of it to cover for her, she has taken 8 days in the last 2 months alone for holiday and moving house, and she knows that we have no one around us to help out with childcare. We have always been so understanding and supportive 😔 Even when we lost the tax free childcare as she had a beef with the ofsted inspector and meant she was no longer ofsted registered we stayed and paid the extra money.

I am going to be calling the nursery tomorrow with the hope that they can take my girl sooner.

Am I unreasonably worrying about this? I am worried if this is revenge she will also somehow take it out on my little girl.

Any advice? 😅

OP posts:
Eve171 · 10/07/2023 20:40

If my child minder causally mentioned that they'd lost their OFSTED, my kid would be OUT OF THERE. I'm baffled by anyone who wouldn't be bothered.

Fallenangelofthenorth · 10/07/2023 20:45

Eve171 · 10/07/2023 03:33

  1. You risked this when you gave her notice early.
  2. You don't lose your OFSTED for "falling out with the inspector". Confused as to why you left your child with someone unregistered??? Do you not like your kid?

That's a really unnecessary nasty comment. Of course OP loves her child. She just wasn't aware of the regulations around childminding. I would ask for your comment to be withdrawn if i were you.

Invisimamma · 10/07/2023 21:07

You're both wrong. You for using unregulated (illegal) childcare and her for operating without the correct registration. She won't be insured either if she's not registered.

If you really want to fuck her over then report her to Ofsted.

jannier · 10/07/2023 23:07

User68253 · 10/07/2023 19:43

I believe you don't have to register with Ofsted anymore as a childminder, you can register with a Childminders agency instead as an alternative. The place I work has a Childminders group, and they have told me about this. Apparently Ofsted is expensive and has longer wait times than inspections from private agencies. It is registering that is the legal requirement. I don't know the ins and outs of this or if this is really legit.

Just recently I heard Childminders speaking about when they know children in their care have places for nursery in September, but the parents haven't told them, and how frustrating this is for them. You may have given 2 months notice, but it is right at the end of term and hard to find new places then as most people have already secured them. When were you offered the nursery place, and did you tell your childminder straight away? The Childminders said they often know long in advance by hearing it from other people/mutual friends the parents don't know they have etc but they aren't told until much later than places are offered. Naturally this affects their income. I'm wondering if this is one of those situations.

Childminder agencies are much more expensive to be part of than Ofsted. For the biggest one there is a £200 joining fee and then a 12% levy on income...Ofsted is £35 a year and insurance around £100.
If you've had an unsatisfactory grading with Ofsted and then claim to be an Ofsted registered nanny you are not an agency childminder. With Agencies Ofsted regulate the Agency the agency then regulate the childminders that they rely on to earn the Agency money ....so it's self policing

Original poster
MoonlitTeardrop · 11/07/2023 08:14

That’s a big assumption you make there, I actually left her there because despite having to pay extra she took good care of my child and was looking out for my kids best interest. Not that I have to defend myself to you but you don’t know me nor how much I love my kid - think how you’d feel if someone made such comments about you 😅

OP posts:
MonsterCalling · 11/07/2023 08:20

I cannot believe you paid a premium for a non-Ofsted registered childminder. Thank God nothing happened - she is unlikely to be insured.

Your best option is to throw yourself on the mercy of the nursery and see if they can take your child sooner. They are often quiet in August due to term-time places and family holidays and may have capacity for you.

Original poster
MoonlitTeardrop · 11/07/2023 08:21

I don’t know you could be right - I told her the day her place was secured which was 2 months before she started. I guess I could have told her earlier we were looking but that would have given her an extra 2 weeks tops. This week is going to be the last week with my childminder (even though we’re paying until 2nd week of August) as we’re on holiday and then she is starting at her new nursery thankfully they were able to accommodate her.

I am not going to pull a fast one and not pay her till the notice period, void contract or no as she is a single mum who has a child to feed too and that would be just cruel 😞

OP posts:
Original poster
MoonlitTeardrop · 11/07/2023 08:22

Oh the last bit was in response to some other comments not yours

OP posts:
saffy2 · 04/02/2024 11:32

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Joleyne · 04/02/2024 12:05

Op hasn't said the childminder got a poor inspection result; she said that the childminder had a beef with the inspector.
Having seen the calibre of some Ofsted inspectors, I'm not surprised. Ofsted urgently needs a complete overhaul and proper training. Some inspectors are an incompetent, bullying disgrace!

The childminder may have decided to go to an agency instead, or the children are above the age that the law requires compulsory registration.

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