Paying your childminder when they are off sick

[BioMommy]

So I was wondering, how do you work it when your child minder is of sick?
My child minder regularly has days off for sickness or other reasons, but, I pay in advance, and there is nothing ever deducted from my bill the following month. There are also occasions when I am asked to pick up my DC early as she appointments etc.
How do you all work it? It's just, over the year it adds up to a lot of child care that I am paying for that I cannot use. I fully get if I don't send my DC it is on me. Any advice or your experiences would be great.
Thank you x

What does your contract say?

I refund/credit rhe next invoice for days off, rare as they are.

I wouldn't expect to pay when she's off sick or when she can't provide childcare.

Maybe check your contract and see what it says and question the childminder about it?

Depends what your contract says

Mine I paid for holidays, but not for sickness

Firstly how many days a month is she missing? If it's frequent then I'd be looking elsewhere. But I'm the meantime I would check the contract and if nothing is mentioned I'd start asking for the balance to be taken off the following month.

Depends on what your contract says, but I was a childminder until 2 years ago and never charged for my sick days. I either deducted from the next invoice or offered hrs back for free. But it all depends on what contract details you've both signed

A few years ago now, but I paid for four weeks holiday a year, two of which were in school summer holidays (all booked well in advance), but I didn't pay for sick leave.

My childminder worked with four others and they shared cover for each other if anyone was sick.

What does your contract state? If I have to close cor any reason, which other than holiday is super rare, I add to the next invoice.

if nothing is written in your contract then have a chat with the childminder.

Our childminders never charged for their sick leave and holidays. Obviously we paid the same if ours couldn't attend though one childminder would let us swap days if she had space which was very much appreciated.

It will come down to what's written into the contract though. Some childminders will "write in" a certain number of holiday or sick days etc. If she hasn't though, she isn't entitled to charge.

I will say though that if you challenge her on it, think carefully about how dispensible or not she is. If she's in demand with a long waiting list she might give you the heave ho in preference to someone she thinks will be a softer touch. We had a childminder turn us down because we worked in London and were quite honest that we'd be unlikely to pick up much before 5.45pm (she charged until 6). Apparently the other parents picked up by 5.30 and she liked being paid for providing no service for the last half hour. She was one of only two who picked up from our school so she had parents over a barrel really. Luckily the other one took us on, otherwise we'd have been a bit stuffed.

When I was a childminder parents paid for their holidays and sickness but didn't pay for mine.

It should state in your contract and they should have explained when you started. If it says unpaid you need to start asking for it but she should do that automatically.

I would be looking for a new childminder.

Years ago when I had a CM if she was available and I didn't use her I paid but if she wasn't available for any reason I didn't

As others said depends what contract says

usually don’t pay if cm is ill. But you do if your child is

she sounds unreliable

find another one

also theft if she doesn’t refund

Read your contract, normally taken off of the next invoice....but you don't get a monetary value for funded hours and some authorities allow some sick pay.

Our child minder used to have sudden migraines and she would never charge for any downtime but I insisted on paying her as my kids loved going to her & I really valued having great childcare on my doorstep and wanted to keep her. I paid her when she was on holiday and when we were too. She never asked to be paid for these times though, but I knew she was glad of it.