Childminders Club; Let down at the last minute

[ssd]

I've been told by parents who's kids were supposed to be coming back next week that they don't need me now. They've found friends who'll cobble together to take their kids for free. I know parents can change their minds, but they;ve known for the whole summer and had "forgotten" to tell me! I'm really angry as I've turned down work thinking they were coming back, now I'll be left with almost nothing.

Why do some (not all thankfully!) parents think childminding doesn't count as income? They must surely realise I'll be short now and I think I'll tell them I had to let other work go as I thought I still had their kids. I don't have a contract with them, guess I'll learn from this.

You should tell them to make them feel bad!! How annoying .

I've learnt from seeing things on mumsnet and now don't consider a space filled until a contract has been signed.

Sorry this has happened to you

Thanks. What annoys me is that they've known for a while and not felt it necessary to tell me. It's like childcare is just an afterthought

It's horrrible when that happens, you just have to think of it as being their loss if they don't want their child looked after by a professional.

HellyBelly I don't relax until the child has actually started with me, I've had parents let me down the day before the child was due to start and was contracted too.

It's just not fair....I know just how you feel it happened to me too, d'you remember?

kcemum - If you had a contract did you get any money? I'm not sure how that would work but I thought once a contract was signed you could get legal help if they don't pay?!

Did you not ask for a deposit? If not, I'm sure you will next time - a non-refundable one if the parents give you less than a months notice.

HellyBelly Yes I did get a months deposit from them which is non refundable if the parents pull out, you can get legal help if the amount owing is in excess of £100.

Like SSD I had turned work down too which would have worth more than the original child was worth iyswim.

Yes, it's just maddening.

Losing the money is really panicking me. How are you coping KM?

Very very badly the £4100 I had counted on was for

New equipment (car seats as so many I have are on the which list - I need 4 I think....)
Our holiday at christmas(glad we hadn't booked now)
Our holiday in August (well we will just have to eat cheaper for the week)
Some money towards going out this summer (so we have gone to cheaper places)
Never mind paying off some debt (circumstances have put me in debt - "it's not my fault" as everyone cried - well it really isn't mine)

So losing money has bu&&ered up at that......

for you.

Thanks SSD, we're all in the same boat aren't we?
Little respect and no job security.

if you're all still there, sorry for hijacking the thread but could you tell me if you would hold a child's place on some sort of retainer for an unspecified time - e.g if a parent got made redundant or something?
Juts asking cos my SIL is in this position and I'd like to know if/how I could advise her. TIA

For me it would depend on how much of my income the child provided, if it was a small proportion I might be able to keep it open indefinatly for a retainer (maybe half) but if it is a large part of my income I would need to replace it asap.

She is best talking to her minder (maybe using some of the childcare time to register with job agn=encies and looking for work)

good luck

thanks Katymac - she has both her children there full time so that would represent a large proportion I guess.

I've been in the situation a couple of times where a parent has been made redundant and they've obviously been unable to afford to continue sending their child to me. The parents didn't want to lose their place, but also couldn't financially afford to pay a retainer either.

I was happy to keep the place open for them (without charging a retainer), on the proviso that if I had any enquiries, then the "redundant" parents would have to make a decision about what they wanted to do.

It worked well for me because the redundant parents found work within a few weeks, and I hadn't had to turn any work away.

I lost out financially for those few weeks, obviously but, in the long term, I had children from these families for many years (and am still minding from one of the families - nearly 10 years now!!!) Therefore, I think that I am the one who has done well out of it (and the parents were obviously very grateful!)

How do deposits on a position work?

Do you take it ahead as the first months earnings or similar, or is it like one for a rented house, where the parent will pay the deposit and the first months earnings, and the deposit is payable when the contract ends?