IF private nurseries shut down?

[Undecided91]

So yet another Q about Corona! What IF private nurseries start closing? Are we supposed to still pay upftont fees? My son goes to nursery and if he cant go I cant work so potentially I wont be paid but then would I pay the nursery regardless? How would this supposed to work? i.e. it cost around 70% of my wage to pay the nursery but if we dont pay - we lose our place. I am so confused and scared tbh...

Unless the fees are reduced or government helps nurseries out, I believe, majority of parents at my son's nursery wont be able to pay. And I mean for the kids that go in full time. My toddler isnt even 3years old yet so we are not even getting any free childcare hours! Again, I agree with everyone saying that it all depends if the work pays the parents & then we can pay the nursery...

@PurpleFlower1983 - I’m not sure that teachers would get paid either.

I suppose they would for a short while in the public sector, but definitely not in the private sector.

If no fees are coming in, how could anyone get paid?

@EYProvider No I’m not sure either. I presume in the short term we would (public sector) but it depends how long. I think if they do close they might do it one or two weeks before the Easter break to give a longer time that was already accounted for.

The government will have to step in. Not all nurseries will be effected either. The ones where the majority of the parents continue to work and can pay will do so. The ones attached to private schools will be fine because everyone will continue to pay. The issue will come in lower income areas where people don't get paid if they don't work. The government will either have to pay those people (easiest solution) or pay the nurseries directly. My guess is they pay people who need to stay home because those people who can't make any money will have bigger issues than not being able to pay the nursery.

@ChristmasFlint - The nurseries will be plunged into chaos if some parents pay and some don’t.

In my experience, the vast majority will not pay - and who can blame them?

This is the fault of the insurance companies. I have paid thousands to them over the years and never once claimed. Now this?

I want my money back.

What is the point of insurance then after all?

Christmasflint what does being attached to a private school have to do with it? Private school nurseries charge a similar rate to other nurseries. I imagine the struggles are the same. I work in a private school and quite a lot of the parents are not affluent, they put everything they have spare into paying for the school fees, if they were in a position with no income, they will not be able to pay.

@Undecided91 - Apparently there is no point having insurance whatsoever.

When all’s said and done, they can simply refuse to pay out.

In London, full time nursery for a 2yo is £1700/month, we cannot possibly be expected to pay that for several months while also not having any childcare to be able to work.
Please post this question to www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/41160282/have-you-got-a-question-you-want-the-bbc-to-answer - if many of us post it there, there is a higher chance it gets media attention.

If our nursery closes on a short term basis e.g 1-2 months, we will pay. Any longer, and we will probably just ask for the place to be cancelled as DS starts school in September. I work from home 100% so worst case scenario, he would be with me during the summer as work is VERY quiet at that time of year.

I appreciate though that we are in a unique position and that our nursery would probably go under if there was a protracted closure :( It would be such a shame as they have been amazing and we will genuinely miss them once DS starts school.

Our nursery emailed us yesterday to say fees will still be charged if the nursery closes. I felt physically sick - we run our own small business that deals with the hospitality industry & things have taken a huge dive already. We could pull him out but we’d still loose our deposit which was huge as they wanted 2 months fees. Of course I can see that the nursery needs the feee to survive however the government should be doing more to help.

Can you now please sign this petition and share it? This may get govt involved and nurseries wont have to pay expendive taxes = wont have to charge paretns in case of a closure petition.parliament.uk/petitions/300210

No we have been told we have to come in and will be doing paperwork and observations also deep cleaning. They will set up a nursery hub online where parents can send in photos and their own observations and we will give ideas.
Definitely not free leave.
Some of us have booked annual leave over easter already aswell.
And some of us will probably start showing symptoms and be ill as it is impossible to stop young children from passing the virus on.

@FoxtrotSkarloey - I’ll be sending my staff out to do just that in the event we are shut down.

Each staff members will be able to look after 3 kids, so why not?

I would refuse to look after children in their homes unless I am insured and getting the wages of a nanny which would be £10ph in RBKC instead of the minimum wage I'm getting.
Plus if they are being shut it's for a reason.

@eyprovider what you're saying isnt true, there are insurers that will be paying out, as some insuring clauses do not specify a notifiable disease.

Unfortunately it looks like a large number or settings use a scheme underwritten by an insurer that won't be. It is awful for them but unforseeable unfortunately.

Incidentally my DC are out until further notice but intend to continue to pay, I may ask if we can deduct the cost of 'incidentals' if they are off for a long period but they will not lose out as will not be feeding them/providing equipment in that time

Is there a chance that if schools do close, nurseries won't necessarily close too? I just can't see how this is going to work. I'm a nursery worker and very, very worried

@anothernewone - That is incorrect.

Notifiable disease or not, no insurance company is paying out for business interruption in the event that nurseries are forced to close.

@Jobseeker19 - Presumably you still want to get paid? How on earth do you think your employer could keep on paying you if no fees were coming in? If no childcare whatsoever is offered, no parent will pay

Be reasonable.

Are you not scared that the parent will try and poach the nursery worker?
This has happened a few times in my nursery and babysitting got banned because of this.
The parent can probably pay less and get personal care in their home instead of paying more for a nursery.
The nursery assistant would probably be happier working for one family, I know I would.

If

@Jobseeker19 - My biggest concern is how I will manage to pay my staff. I don’t think the parents will pay if the nursery has to close, and the only money coming in is the fees. If the fees don’t get paid, the staff won’t get paid - it really is that simple.

I’m trying to think of a solution that will halfway work for everyone. I will come out of it with nothing because I won’t be able to afford to pay myself. I would like my little business which I have built up over 20 years to survive however.

@eyprovider I'm an insurance broker, what's your job again?

@anothernewone - I was told by Morton Michel that this was an industry decision.

Every nursery owner I have spoken to has been told the same thing.

Which insurance companies have changed their minds? I would be very interested to know in case Morton Michel can be persuaded to do likewise.