Help about retainer for CM whilst I'm on ML please?

[carrielou2007]

I've just started ML and my dd who is 3 tomorrow starts playgroup for 4 afternoons a week. I would like her to go to my CM for maybe a morning to keep continuity/routine/rules of the house etc as 6 months is a long time for her before I go back to work.

My CM had said we need to talk about a retainer and I'm clueless and don't want to insult or offend. I sugested dd go for a morning a week as another child when she turned 3 does not go to playgroup on a mon so goes to CM but not at all now on the other days. She used to be with dd 3 days a week (both us mum's worked the same 3 days).

My CM is lovely but just sort of said 'ok' and I don't know if she is being polite by saying 'actually it needs to work like this' or am I just worrying too much??

It really depends if you want the same sessions back when to back to work after the ML

If you don't then not paying is fine

If you do then you need to pay for those sessions (a retainer) otherwise the CM will need to 'sell' them to someone else & they won't be available when you need them

I think she is asking for you to pay to keep your dd's place open for the 3 days. ie she wants you to pay some sort of fee to stop her offering that place to someone else.

I would be asking you to pay half fees to keep whatever place you wanted after your ML, that would be full fees for whenever you wanted her to attend, if that makes sense. hth

Cripes!! I'm on my own so there's no possible way I can still pay her fees plus playgroup whilst on mat pay of 123 per week!!

She has said she is not taking on anymore pre-school children only doing before and afterschool so I thought doing similar to what the other mum has done (who is 20 weeks pregnant) would be ok.

When I go back to work it would be the same three days but obs with 2LO.

I'm really panicking now, I can't pay her and playgroup when I'm not earning anything myself, my whole ML is funded from the last of my savings. I'd better give her a ring then, I don't want it to cause bad feeling so if I have to say I'll have to risk losing the places then I have no choice I guess

Thank you.

carrielou dont give up yet this may not be the case with your CM, just chat with her I am sure you can sort it out, I have to have my allocated 3 preschool children to be able to earn the money i need, she may not need/want to do that. Is there a reason you are sending your lo to playgroup? I presumed that it was the government funded nursery you were talking about? Why not leave that until government fundng kicks in?

yes do something like 2 playgroup sessions 2 CM sessions or something?

I've also assumed I will have to give up ds' before and after school place at his CM whilst I'm on mat leave, as like you Carrielou2007, there is no way I can afford to pay her even half fees on mat leave pay and she can't be expected to hold that place open, especially if she can find another parent to pay the full fee. Just hope she'll have space in a year's time or find another CM (not many round here) for ds and also dd.

you can still claim for help with childcare costs through tax credits while on ML upto 39weeks.
you may also get more working tax credit as your income is reduced i am sure you can disregard an amount of your SMP as well so looks like you have no money coming in during your ML.
CHeck the Directgov website it is very informative if you can navigate to the right page.

Dd won't get the funding for playgroup until after easter. I want her to go to playgroup now, next step now she is a bit bigger rather than a home environment as she will have that now with me whilst I'm on ML.

The other mum as I say has dropped 2 full days and squashes her playgroup sessions into those 2 days (they let her do that mine don't) and this was agreed with my CM she would only go one day.

I'm not sure how she is managing but she did have 3 full time under 5's, I then went part time, shortly after the other mum and the third mum had not paid her for 5 weeks so made an 'allegation' to get out of paying which was not only totally untrue, made my poor CM question whether she would carry on at all. She did say she had been overpaid (credits???) so did not want to take on any more children to keep her salary below a certain amount.

I'm very very happy with my CM and dd loves it there, has been since she was 5 months old but I guess if it comes to it we may have to go elsewhere .

I'm confused. Surely if she isn't taking on any more pre-school children, and is only taking on school aged ones she won't be taking your new baby and your 3 year old when you go back to work?

If she is however prepared to take both the children on then if you are reserving a place for baby when born then she may want a retainer for that place too.

Am I right in understanding that you are a single parent & your only income is £123 pw ?

You can claim the childcare element of Tax credits for 39 weeks of ML.

HTH