Childminder taking days off and organising childcare on our behalf - advice?

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We have a fantastic childminder who looks after our lo 2 days a week. Occasionally in the past she has had days off and either offered us another day or my husband has taken time off as my job is not very flexible.

More recently she has offered us alternative care with another childminder who our lo is familiar with. Usually this is done in discussion with us and we organise it and this is going to happen one day next month. Then we got a letter to say she is taking another 2 days off and has already sorted out alternative care with yet another childminder.

Although we are aware of this lady I am not happy that it has been done behind our backs and also not happy for our lo to be passed from pillar to post. Obviously we take childcare very seriously and not happy for our child to be going to different houses whilst childminder takes time off.

Am I being unreasonable? What would you do?

I think you're lucky to have a childminder who proactively tries to find cover when she can't do it herself.

personally I think you should be grateful that your cm has managed to find childcare with someone she knows and trusts and that you lo is familiar with

rather than leaving you to sort it out/take time off etc

yes the contract is with you and her, so maybe just say to your cm that anytime she is on holiday/needs time off etc that you will not pay her and the cm doesnt need to find other childcare to cover herself

Is she taking a lot of time off? Over and above what you would think a normal amount of holiday is in one year?

I don't think we can judge her for this, she may for all we know be having some hospital treatment, solicitor appointment etc and like someone has said just trying to be considerate and prevent you from having do do the childcare search.
You are not forced to agree to anything.
If it doesn't suit just tell her.

Thanks for your input everyone. I know that it is nice that she has tried to find cover. She does seem to be taking more and more time off which is not for holidays, I don't know what it is for this time.

My real issue with it is that I'm not all that happy with the person she has agreed will cover and I don't think it is fair on our child to have to be carted off somewhere else yet again.

We did a lot of research into childminders and chose our one because she is so good, so to then consider having to put or lo with someone else is a bit difficult for me. I can't keep taking time off to look after lo. Childminder only works 2 days a week so it's starting to feel a bit tough that CM is taking these days off.

You're right I don't have to accept it and our contract is with our CM and no-one else but we all know how hard it can be.

If you don't want her to arrange alternative care say so, and ask her to give you extra notice for taking time off. She may have a good reason to take time off, ill health or training. I suppose she doesn't have to explain but it would be good manners.When I have asked for a day off, I ask in advance if a parent could find alternative care before I commit myself to having a day off for training.Perhaps she is considering giving up,and has alternative work that clashes. I would ask her outright if she is planning on continuing.

Do you mean that your childminder just went ahead and arranged care without asking you first?

I needed to take time off once and knew parent was not able to provide alternative care. I gave them the option of contacting a childminder that I knew from playgroup but suggested that they go to her house to meet and vett her as they did me.

I can recommend another childminder but by no means would I want to be held 'responsible' for anything going wrong so do feel that your childminder should have discussed with you first, isn't that partly what working in partnership with parents is all about?