Feeling let down

[Grala18]

Looking for other perspectives please.

I'm on maternity leave with baby. Started older child with childminder before baby arrived to ensure childcare set up for return to work. Childcare spaces are tricky at best of times so i knew it was more sensible to pay for childcare eventhough im off work short term as its important to secure the spaces etc.

During settling in last year I asked the childminder if they could put baby down for a space for when I go back to work and was assured she would 'do her best ' to keep siblings together.

Roll on a few months later and sorted return to work days and times with manager and checked in with childminder to keep up to date re return to work date and plan settling in options etc. Turns out she's taking older children all of a sudden ahead of babies and won't have enough space . To say I'm shocked and very upset is an understatement.

Never once were new children spoken about over the last few months.
Childminder never once updated me to tell me there wouldn't be a space despite our conversations. Now I don't see any point sending older child as I'll be forced to take a career break for not having any childcare and I see it as complete waste sending older child when I was only doing so this year while I was off to secure the spaces for returning to work.

I honestly am shocked and can't understand why someone who said they would have space but would let me know if something changes only tells me at point of confirming my return to work days/ times etc.

My head is scrambled as I try to be organised to best of my ability but it just seems very poor communication and a complete disregard and disloyalty toward previous discussions .

Precious childminder who lives over 45 minutes away has offered to help a little and provide 1 or 2 days cover but I really don't want driving to separate drop off and pick ups so far apart splitting up the children and adding lengthy commutes to their day. I just don't see it as an option as my commute would end up being 1.5 hours both ways.

I love my job but can't coordinate multiple different sources of wrap around childcare to cover my work and so i feel I'm left with no option but to take a career break( or quit if manager doesn't agree to a career break as hard to get temporary contracts filled).

I appreciate any opinions and other perspectives on the matter

Could you not find a different childminder or a nursery to take them both?

No, no nurseries in area who do pick up or drop off for school aged child unfortunately hence needed to be a childminder and they are scarce

I’d feel the same, although I suppose a deposit and registration would have been best but I’m not sure childminders all offer this. I think this can be one of the downsides to childminders as I’ve seen similar sorts of posts on here over the years. We had our baby registered at the nursery her brother attends when she was born as I didn’t want to be doing two drop offs and I just wanted it sorted for peace of mind.

Oh sorry - didn’t realise your eldest was school age. That does seem like a really rotten trick actually.

She said she’d “do her best”. I don’t think you can expect a childminder to keep a spot for a year for a baby without paying for that spot. It’s not like a nursery and they will have kids moving up to the next room and so a spot will definitely become available.

There are nurseries in your area, they just aren’t doing school drop off is that right? I can’t think of any nursery that does school drop off and pick up and most people with multiple children have to do multiple pick ups and drop offs. Why can’t your work accommodate multiple wrap around solutions?

Is there another childcare option (nursery/childminder) nearer your oldest's school? Can your eldest do breakfast club/after school clubs?

The childminder said she would try her best but sometimes it’s just not possible. She has to fill her spaces to stay viable as a business. Did you broach the subject of your return to work before you sorted out which hours and days you would be doing at work? Did the childminder know what date you would be going back to work when you asked her last year?

Sorry do you mean she is only now taking school age children and no early years children, or taken on an extra older child so now full in the numbers she is allowed? I thought childminders were allowed to go slightly over numbers for a sibling so long as she does not have 2 under 1. I know a lot of childminders are re thinking the age groups they offer now due the governments new childcare policy and not being able to live off the money they will get for the funded children, lots of even living the profession sadly