CM Club: who of you are able to offer back up service for when you are not available?

[NumberFour]

If you've read Thurs and Fri staffroom thread you will see that I am having difficulty with one mum about me being off yesterday (and I should be off today too) because I was not able to provide back up cover for her when I was not available.

If you do have cover, how do you arrange it when it is last minute D&V for instance??

(Begs the question whether D&V ever give adequate warning to anyone!!!)

I have a couple of CM friends in the same group, who may be able to cover, if they have space, but it is not guaranteed.

It is not up to us tho to provide back up.

I dont have back up either. Im the only childminder in the town.

I always discuss this when I take new kids on and ask if the parents have back up as I dont

Nope.

I discuss this when parents read my illness policy.

I ask if they have people who can help them, and mention other cms, and also the childcare site to parents who don't have a support network locally.

Shoshe is right tho, it is not your responsibility, this parent knows you are human and tha no one she can call on, so needs an emergency back up plan in place!

Please don't feel bad about this, you can't help being ill and this mum has been very rude and disrespectful to you.

I have a couple of good friends that are also childminders but they are only available to offer cover if they have a space themselves - which I explain to parents.

I also offer back up to them, but again this only works if my shift mindee is not here!

One of my old parents reported me to ofsted because I couldn't cover a hospital appointment that I had! I asked for time off, she said no (also said that she didn't want her child to come to the hospital), tried 'friends', other network childminders and minders from local group and couldn't find anyone to cover that day!! She put in the letter that I belonged to a network of childminders that should be able to cover things like this!

You can ask me!!! Thats one reason I went into childminding, to be a back up as I only care for my daughter and another little boy one day per week.

If anyone is local to me, Sunbury, Middlesex, let me know and I can send you my details x

I do not book alternative care for parents, its not my place to make that sort of decision. Its the parent's responsibility to make alternative arrangements, or take time off work as they will also have to do when their own child is ill. If no-one else is available, its not my fault or my responsibility to find someone else. I do not provide a 52 week service. I take regular holidays (not necessarily going away, but time when I am closed) and I can't do anything to ensure my family and I never get sick.

When I close for holidays and if I have to close for unforeseen circumstances I do phone round my colleagues (if I can, if I end up in hospital or am really really sick I won't be able to do this!) to see who, if anyone has a space. I then give the appropriate contact details to the parents when I tell them I'm going to be closed. Its then entirely up to them if they use the contacts I've given them or make their own arrangements.

From my handbook:
Substitute Childcare
I have very good relationships with local Registered Childminders and so I may be able to help you to find alternative care during my absence, if required. Please note that this should not be seen as a personal recommendation ? being self-employed, childminders do operate differently and you must be aware that policies and procedures of other Childminders may be different to mine. It is your responsibility to satisfy yourself that any substitute child-carer can meet your requirements and there is no obligation to send your child to any Childminder I may put you in touch with. It is your responsibility to make payments to any substitute Childminder and these costs are separate to, and may not be deducted from, my fees.

I give the parents phone numbers of cm's in my local group that are known to the mindees but it is up to them to phone to see if they have a space that day.

Ayla, just one bit of your policy which is confusing. I thought that if a CM was ill then the parent would not have to pay.
But at the end of your policy you state "Costs are seperate to, and may not be deducted from my fees" I get the part where the parent pays the substitute CM, but if the parent has paid you in full then you should refund the parent?
Just want to get it clear in my head.

I'll have a think about rewording it, thanks Ripeberry. I would not charge if I closed for sickness, funeral etc. As parents pay in advance, I would either refund by way of a cheque to the parent or deduct from next bill, whichever parent prefers.

I refund to parent, the parent pays the substitute, I do not pay any substitute carer. Any arrangement a parent makes with another childminder is separate to any arrangement they've made with me.

Some childminders are happy to book a place with another carer for the child and then pay the substitute from the fees they've taken from the parent (sometimes making a profit in doing so). I think there are a lot of potential problems with that, so its not the way I work.

It's just that i was thinking of using wording like that in my own policies as i like it

ayla99..... i am about to use your wording for Substitute Childcare: You okay with that??

I had a few days in hospital in Nov and parents had to sort out their own cover - we as CMs are not obliged to arrange this. I have given them numbers of a local childminder who has spaces... but it is up to them to arrange. I could barely talk (was being nebulised all the time) in hospital, and hubby managed to call all my parents to tell them what had happened. As parents had paid in advance, I discounted them my sick days on their December invoice.

I am amazed that some parents think we have to arrange alternate care - and gob smacked she complained to OFSTED! They must have laughed when they got her letter. Seriously.

I don't at the moment (newbie). I plan to get to know a few CM at toddler groups etc and be able to pass on their details etc but not actually arrange it iyswim?