How to deal with childminder claiming children are sick

[BernardButlersBra]

Started with a childminder a while back, children have not done a full month in this time as she keeps on messaging asking for us to pick them up as they are "ill". This isn't their first childcare provider and are toddlers now, so it isn't the "we've just started going to childcare and we catch everything going" phase. Plus we have a clear understanding of whether they are sick or not e.g. today it was because they were coughing and another child had an upset stomach the other day.

Husband and l have used up all of our emergency leave and annual leave, yesterday she decided she wasn't having them back for the rest of the week. So we have had to take unpaid leave. Currently tempted to take them to the doctors but obviously that is a waste of NHS resources as they are fine or turn out with a thermometer every time we get summoned.

You could enquire with the local authority early years funding team, but many allow settings to keep funding if they need to close for illness.
You aren't going to get the funding handed to you either way.

Mine used to have my children when they weren’t 100% & needed a dose of calpol. I can’t recall them ever having a sick bug but sometimes they might have a temperature from teething. DD would often get a high temp & runny nose when teething & she was able to go. In fact I can’t recall them ever having to be picked up. So I think she is being a bit OTT tbh.

Ok, l might give then a whirl. But our contract says no payment if she closes due to her sickness and this is basically what this is. It doesn’t feel very fair as my husband or l will lose 100’s next time she pulls this stunt and we have to take an unpaid days leave. But she still gets partly paid despite not fulfilling the contract or hours

But she isn’t having our part of it i.e. what we pay, ideally l would it in my hand but l will suggest knocking it off next months invoice

No payment if she closes is for the bit you pay.
You're not going to get the funding back.

Luckily my dc will be starting school next term. CM has let us down so much with weak excuses. She also seems to make rules up as she goes along. Not ideal. At least with a nursery there are policies for everything. I also don't feel comfortable leaving dc with her now, she doesn't seem to care about us so how do we know she cares for the dc.

That’s through your local authority. What does it say about funding in your contract? Every LA has different rules on sickness. They may claim ir back or she may be obliged to offer the hours at a different time. It sounds kike you’re past that point though. Have you had any luck finding a different setting?

Just as a heads up re nurseries. They can be over zealous with the calling you to collect too. I'd sometimes get DD home and she'd be fine.
The nursery my dsis used had problems with staffing levels and she'd often get calls to say her ds was ill.

Still, I personally preferred nurseries as I wanted to pick when I used my annual leave, rather than have to work around the annual leave of someone else (or illness).

I was just thinking exactly this, but you have put it much better than I could @SummerHouse!