Childminder's holiday query

[Rebi]

Hi there

I was hoping that someone could give me some advice.

I have a brilliant childminder, who has looked after my ds for nearly 4 years. We pay her above what we need to (she told us what her hourly rate was and we calculated and rounded up by about £15 per week - we are not well off - we just value her) and always are very considerate (I hope and think!). We pick up my ds early and any school hols we take off as much as possible. We pay her by direct debit every month in advance. Last month she had a small op and had 2 days off - there was no question that she should not get paid by us.

Anyway sorry for going on but I am trying to build up a picture! We have excellent relationship, she gets lots of paid hols, etc.

FINALLY I get to my query - sorry! We are off for two weeks at Easter our cm will get fully paid for the period - I have no issue whatsoever with this. As soon as Easter hols are over my cm is taking a 3 week holiday. I am really stuck for childcare and she has asked her friend who is a childminder (who my ds also knows) if she can help us out and this lady has said yes ? very relieved as I didn?t know what I was going to do!

Now the crux of the problem (at last) - I cannot afford to pay two childminders while my cm is off ? how do I approach this. I know she is entitled to holidays and don't want to see her out of pocket but at the same time I cannot afford two lots of childcare - but don't want to create any bad feeling. But she does get at least 6 weeks (probably more) paid holiday through the year (I don?t check if she is available when organising holidays I just pay her so I don?t get into all that ? so she has all of Christmas off, etc which she would probably be taking anyway). HELP! Thank you in advance.

have a word with her explain about not being able to afford 2 cm and she what she says
for £15 per week i would let you off for the 3wks

Hi

I am a childminder myself,was wondering if you have a contract which sets out holiday pay. regardless of this, the fact that your holidays have not coincided and you are paying for when you are off, I certainly would not expect to be paid as you are going to be paying the cover childminder. I find that by giving my parents a list of one whole years holidays in January, allows my parents generally to take holidays around the same dates in order that cover is not required, perhaps you need a contract review. Just a point, if you collect early other times then the pay is still owed as it is your choice to not use the contracted hours. I hope that you feel that you are able to discuss this with her.

Thanks dmo - my worry is that it will cause bad feeling. I am very aware that childminding arrangements can go sour over issues like this so don't want to go there if the consensus of opinion here was that I was possibly going to cause bad feeling. But from what you have said it is possibly a reasonable enough request?

Hi blondloopy

I only mentioned about collecting early, etc to build up picture! Fully aware about contracted hours etc - just didn't want to come across as a parent who resents paying for my childcare - I don't - I value my childminder 100% and hope she feels valued. We are a team. I just have this issue which contractually probably she is entitled to but I am so lenient in other ways I want to get a sense of how my cm my react before I broach it. I really cannot afford an extra £80 per week childcare for 3 weeks. As I said I can't afford two lots of childcare and the time she is taking is in termtime so my kids are at school and I would not want to take time off when I couldn't spend all day with them. Sorry - hope I am making sense! Maybe I would be in the wrong asking her.

Have you checked what your contract says about holidays?

If it doesn't say its chargeable then you have no obligation to pay. I'd just say to her that while you value her tremendously and don't want to see her out of pocket you just wanted to check she wasn't expecting you to pay for this holiday as you clearly can't afford to pay 2 childminders for the same period.

If she was expecting you to pay/your contract does say this holiday is chargeable then I would suggest your overpayments over the 4 years ought to cover the cost easily.

I would check your contract - I wouldn't think you'd pay for holiday? Full pay for yours, and none for hers is usually the norm!

I think contract says something like 3 weeks hols. I havent been keeping track but she had 2 weeks off last summer and probably would have taken time at christmas if we hadn't been anyway and with other days for docs appointments, funerals probably would have been over 3 weeks by now and the hols we have taken as well would be way way way over. Oh dear - definitely getting vibe from your replies that I could be causing bad feeling by broaching it. it just seems a bit unfair that I am going to have to work next month just to pay double huge childcare bill. (and - whispers - I couldn't afford a 3 weeks hol in carribean - I know I know thats not the point - don't shout at me!)

Thanks for your feedback.

ps I give her loads of notice re what hols we are taking so she doesn't need to advise us that she won't be available over halloween, christmas, Easter, 4 weeks in summer etc. She already knows what we off over the summer this year.

Just ask her. Tell her you don't want to cause any trouble but that you will not be able to afford to pay 2 lots of childcare. It is the norm that either when your on holiday you pay in full and when cm you don't pay or, in my case, half pay both ways.

I am sure she will understand tbh. I would. If it does become an issue then see if you can arrange paying in installments?? I don't know what your contract says about holidays, but might need reviewing if not clear on payments.

i'd suggest you have a chat about it - i don't think you should be expected to pay two lots of childcare.

i charge full pay for my 4 weeks holiday a year , parents can take a further 4 weeks for which i charge half-rate , any other time off is charged at full rate. I try to take my holidays in school holidays and tell parents my intended holidays in January so that we can try and co-ordinate our holidays so that parents aren't ever having to pay 2 lots of childcare.

it sounds like you have a good relationship with your c/m i'm sure she'll understand your situation.

Me again,

As you have a good partnership with your childminder I cannot see that she would object to you discussing with her, the foundation of a good parent childminder relationship is being able to discuss issues with each other in what is a close relationship, I obviously do not know your childminder but as long as you explain that you cannot afford two childcare costs for the same period I am sure that she will understand this, if she has any problem then perhaps you could both agree to have a more clearly defined agreement in order that it doesn't happen again. Good luck

I think if I was in your situation I would also have a chat. I'm a childminder and I don't feel I could ask for pay when I'm not available to mind (thats just me though). I would probably say pay the cover childminder as she is minding for the 3 weeks, I'm sure she won't mind.

I try to be as flexible as possible when it comes to days off etc, I just give them hols dates and we work around them as the mindees Mum is at Uni and they don't have alot of money. I take 2 to 4 weeks a year and I'm not fussed if I'm not paid.

I had a lady come today with an 18 month old, I really hope she decides to use me as a cm, I really want to stay at home with my 5 yr old ds.

hi rebi when my childminder friends help me out i pay them.so i get paid by my mindees then i pay my friend.