Childminder wanting to still be paid 70%!!!!

[BusyBeeMummy1]

Hi all,

I am a keyworker and so is my husband. My Childminder has remained open for Keyworkers children but I am lucky enough I am able to wfh until things go back to normal.

I told my childminder that DS won’t be going back For April atleast. She told me she was advised by PACEY (A childminder body) that she can charge on a child by child basis and as she’s open for keyworkers its our choice to keep him home and she wants 70% of her usual monthly pay.

I pointed out to her that as she charges monthly she has also been paid in full for the week coming and that the childcare vouchers I pay her with had already automatically been paid to her (inadvertently) and FURTHERMORE the govt are meant to be paying self employed 80% aren’t they!

Please can any childminders or other parents using a childminder advise me on this because I don’t think it’s right.

Thankyouuuu

basically you want to make a profit from the situation. Lovely If you would have lost your job etc, reasonable.since you haven’t, you ate greedy

She’s not greedy; she has to provide care for her children whilst working, which takes time and effort on her part. Does her time mean nothing?

Her CM is not providing a service and 70% is high for a retainer fee. Honestly, I’d just give notice and be prepared to find someone once things get back to normal.

You’ll have no shortage of CM to chose from when the time comes.

You are choosing not to send your child. You have to pay!
I’m a key worker but will be at home due to pregnancy and will be keeping my son at home, I’m still paying full nursery fees.

OP is not choosing not to send him, she is following government rules to only send your keyworker child if you have NO OTHER OPTION. Why don’t people get this

Why wasn't she properly insured? (Obviously she wouldn't get cover now, but I mean originally?)

Round here there's row going on between those who covered themselves fully and others who skimped on it rather than pay the cost; needless to say the first group have little sympathy for the second

Yes it's right.

Yes you should pay as normal as she is doing the right thing by staying open.

Is it OK to steal from someone because they have an insurance policy that would reimburse them?

You have a contractual arrangement with her. She is fulfilling her obligations under that contract and you should fulfil yours. In fact I think it would be wrong to pay her 70% as her costs will not drop. You should offer to pay her full fees.

I've been very clear on here that if you can't provide a service you can't charge for it.

But if she's open and you are choosing not to send your child, that is very different and I think her suggestion is fair enough - she could actually charge full fees.

I’m a teacher - I’m working and could send my child to school/childminder but I’m not and the first thing I did was tell my childminder I’d pay her full regardless as she deserves it - not to have to worry about her family. One of whom just found out she won’t be taking her GCSEs. She’s an essential service to our family and well loved by us. Good childminders are like gold dust where I live and I want to keep mine. It’s just being kind to another human - something we all need to do to get through this. 💜

she is following government rules to only send your keyworker child if you have NO OTHER OPTION. Why don’t people get this

I thought that was for schools.

Hi OP

It's difficult, but I think your childminder is totally correct to want some payment for your child- to keep his place open, once things go back to normal.

Her setting is open your child as well, as you are a key worker, if you choose to keep DS at home, then that is your choice.

Maybe let DS go for a few days at least? it will make working from home much easier I suspect.

Again I think the majority of posters her haven’t switched on the news recently.. were being ORDERED to stay at home, it’s not me suddenly deciding that I WANT to. That’s not my choice... that’s me putting my sons and families health and hers also and the other kids first. If anything I think she is profiting off of me purely because she should have insurance and the government have agreed to pay her any loss in her income. Surely this is exactly that! I’m actually incurring extra costs, such as food and paying for supplies for activities to keep him occupied with so that should also be taken into account.
With regards to ‘keeping my place’... everyone’s staying at home so it’s not like there’s a huge demand for childcare rn so why should my place be hindered because I’m following health guidelines

If it was going to be just a few weeks, then I would pay, but the government are talking about 12 weeks or more, so in your shoes I would just cancel and then find one once everything gets back to normal. I’m WFH now and getting paid, but I know that could change and I could lose my job at some stage, so even if you’re safe now, you shouldn’t be spending money unnecessarily and maybe put some money to the side in case. It’s unfortunate that someone else may suffer because of your choice, but your number 1 priority should be your own family.

Pay her what she wants, just as you are being paid. For the record, she’s being generous giving you a discount. If you employ other people that comes with responsibilities as well as rights.

Trying to profit from the current crisis when so many people are going to die is despicable. Ffs you even have childcare vouchers!

I understand not wanting to pay if your income has been affected.

It hasn't.

Why are you trying to profit from this situation? You would normally pay her the money, you're not going to miss it, it's normally accounted for.

In fact you're benefiting because it's only 70%.

I'm still paying my daughter's gymnastic fees - over £130 a month. The gym is closed. We HAVE lost our income - husband has lost his job and I'm self employed and lost income too. I fully understand that if parents don't pay, we won't have a gymnastics centre to go back to.

Pay or don't pay. But if you don't, I would fully expect to have to find a new childminder. Your call!

She is a cf. typical child minder expecting to get paid for not working. If you can get a better child minder, I would.

Also I’m going to add here that my childcare is well over £1000 as I live in London.... it’s not cheap

Also child minders are self employed. Op is not an employer.

If you are working from home who is minding your child if not the child minder.
How can you do both?

If you're not going to pay let her know now so she can give your space to a key worker asap.

You can end contract and then re start that's what we have done obvs if they have a place x

Yes but you are being paid to be at home. Therefore you should pay her. I spent 2 hours cleaning my bathroom today but I am still going to pay my cleaners a 50% retention fee and I'm still playing towards after school care as they need the wages. I am working and still getting paid. If I am no longer getting paid then I cant pay but in the meantime I am doing my bit.

You sound a bit of a twat tbh.

Ultimately it’s your choice. If you have a Pacey contract, dig it out and look at clause 43, you actually don’t have to pay.

I am choosing to pay for April, as I am still being paid. I haven’t pointed out to my childminder that I know about clause 43. I will do that at a later stage. I appreciate everything she does but cannot continue to pay until September.

Perhaps a 30% retainer would be fair, as she will have fixed business overheads.

Like you say, it isn’t our business if they can get the 80% from the government BUT equally it isn’t my fault if she has no savings or financial provisions for emergencies.

I currently have a job, but that could change!

Can in I just point out that none of the early years settings who had insurance that covered loss of income are going to recieve a penny from these policies. All the insurers are refusing to pay out as Covid-19 was not listed as a notifiable disease.... Even though it didn't exist yet.
I am lucky enough to recieve the 80% grant. However I earned £200 in my first year as in started up towards the end and earned much more last year. It isn't going to make much of a dent in my income to be honest.
I wish people would realise that not all childminders are money grabbers. I'm not charging my families anything for the foreseeable future as I'm not open. Two of the eight have approached me to pay a small retainer and I'm very grateful for that.

What I am getting from this thread is:

Look after/home school your children
Work a full time job around the children. Early mornings, evenings and weekends.
Still pay someone else huge chunk of your salary while you do this.

This is not sustainable for the long term, mentally, physically or financially. And we are most likely in this for a while.

"If you are working from home who is minding your child if not the child minder.
How can you do both?"

You'd be amazed how many of us are having to do this right now!

My childcare vouchers are salary sacrifice! Also she has been paid over £200 for the week coming As it was paid in Feb, and an additional £243 already which was paid yesterday. It’s not like I haven’t paid her anything. I do have to also consider that just because my jobs safe NOW it may not always be the case. I appreciate EVERYONES responses.. apart from the person that called me a ‘twat’... so unnecessary’, and to the person who said I’m trying to profit from Corona... I’m certainly not. I’m just trying to understand her perspective and see what others are saying