Is my Childminder being unreasonable?

[Tulips99]

To ask for 50% of fees whilst closed to retain my child's place?

publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-01/0122/amend/coronavirus_daily_cwh_0320rev.14-18.html?fbclid=IwAR0EGv0OfvDRlmbygmYdAXjzWrVMs5ZwMGGk_N7gxgLEPzCYRuhrfoh9e9Q

I work with my husband, so we lost our entire income. Our clients signed our policy, which includes details about payment during government shut down. This policy was written well before Coronavirus. We cannot take key workers children, or get a job in a supermarket, as we have a vulnerable adult in the house (our daughter).

We have not enforced our policy and have invited our clients to pay a portion of their bill, if they are still getting paid. They can choose how much, from 0%-100%.

We have sent them activities and we are making story videos for the children.

I haven’t read all replies. But the person who assumes we will be there.

I do have key children to care for. If I didn’t u would have hit myself a job in care or shop work . Experience in both have no concerns I could get a job tomorrow . I would be very unlikely to go back to it.

My child is reaching the age I could leave him home

Why should she be the one to lose out 100%?

Because she’s 100% not doing the work? I like the ideas of pp to provide educational packs and games; that is a service worth paying for imo

I'm a childminder without any work at the moment and none have my families are paying me so currently job-hunting. I see some childminders looking at inventive and creative ways to keep in touch with families and justify charging a fee but honestly, I feel done with it and can't see me working as a childminder again . I can guarantee I won't be the only one to feel this way and I wonder how long some nurseries will survive too so childcare going forward could be interesting.

@mymadworld read the link above. Needs to be ratified but seems likely as in public domain.

Childminders are thin on the ground here and ones that work past 6 o’clock almost non existent
Mines is flexible, keeps my kids til 7pm if i need her to. Our contract is variable days and variable hours. She’s asked for £20 per child per week to keep their places. That’s slightly less than half my smallest week but a lot less than most weeks.
She has two small children of her own, a husband who is self employed and they have recently bought a new house.
I’m in full pay while not working and my husband is a key worker so we can afford it. I also know if I was still working she would be having my kids. She has one boy that has two key worker parents and a granny who works in a nursery so no alternative. She’s but shut she’d just rather not have multiple kids if she doesn’t need to.
It’s not unreasonable

The thing with the ‘but you’re still getting paid 100% so so should the Cm be’ argument is that if this thing has taught us anything, it’s that NOTHING is guaranteed.

How many companies will go bust over this? Probably thousands. Either in the immediate shit storm or at some time in the next year or so.

Even those of us lucky enough to be in salaried, ‘secure’ jobs now may not be in 6 or 12 months if the overall strain/economic apocalypse that’s coming is too much for the company in the long run.

I had a CM for 5 years, paying £600 a month. She was great, we still get on now. But we’re in incredibly unstable economic times now regardless of if you’re currently paid in full now or not.

There is no way in hell that i’d continue paying out £600 a month to keep a space open that there’s every chance will be gone anyway in 6 months and to ensure that someone else could pay their bills. I’m a fairly decent person but my charity doesn’t extend to propping up someone elses income ahead of my own families security.

Personally I’d be apologising, giving the months notice and paying it then putting that money aside for the heaving economic shit storm that the next 2 years will probably become. And I’d take my chances on finding a space in 3/6/9/12 months.

I completely agree with you Peridot.

My fantastic CM is charging a 50% retainer. BUT I’ve known for a while that she plans to go on maternity leave in July. So, I doubt she’ll be working again until sometime in 2021.

What would you do?

All government funds towards childcare are still being paid I think that's why you are being charged. Free school meals are being delivered to homes or converted into vouchers etc.

I disagree. As a parent you should only pay for services you receive. Although under a contractual arrangement, I’m not a childminder’s employer. I shouldn’t have to pay sick pay, or pay for services I’m not receiving because the setting is closed. It’s not making a profit from the situation, it’s what’s reasonable and fair. No one wants to be able of pocket but I think the expectation from some CMs and nurseries from parents in terms of fees is disgraceful. His can you expect full fees, when you gave no overhead costs of food etc, plus getting support from the government, incl. claiming statutory sick pay?

Hi so childminders can claim 80 per cent of normal wage from gov and still work ( so can take keyworkers children- max two households). Anyine think they should follow gov recommendations and do this instead of parents paying fees with no service? Mine is still charging me but I feel she should take gov help as they've advised should be done.

Scotslassie1 We're still paying our childminder full fees at the moment too - she has one key worker family's children but is trying to keep in touch with the rest once a week. This month we got a slight reduction for food etc. She has been amazing for our ds but I'm feeling a bit conflicted about the full fees (especially in the coming holidays when we will be paying without any funded hours) since my DH may not have a job by the end of the year. Mine should in theory last until this time next year - hopefully!! - since I earn nearly double DH's (key worker) salary. Not sure what to do either. The other parents are paying the same as us, but several of the other kids are (in theory right?) going to reception before long. I'm not sure what we'll do in September - we have no family etc who could help out if our childminder can't. Maybe we should look at nursery as an option but I'm loathe to do it, even if we could, because as I say she is lovely with ds. This is such an awful situation all round.