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

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.

Taken into account by whom? Who do you expect to subsidise feeding and occupying your child?

@BusyBeeMummy1 london as well, 2 kids (one only after school/holidays), so pay close to £2000.
I entrust my childminder with my children, the most precious things i have. I treat them right as they are not exchangeable. It always baffles me how people can value somebody they entrust their children to so little...
If I would consider my childminder to be worth so little, i would most certainly not send my children there!

Dh days nursery cant pay for a service they not offering as breaking contract. No idea if he right but similar re childminder. Can you still send your child. Are you a key worker. Do you want your child to return there afterwards which could be sept...are you being paid. Can you afford to pay...how much notice do you need to give. You decide what works for you as a family.

Says not days..brokes contact law but whole new world at moment

@rosepetal321

Nobody has an unlimited income!

Puzzledandpissed off most childare providers have a specific policy which covers th evarious elements they're supposed to be insured for. We run an ASC rather than CM, but in our case our loss of revenue cover (yes we have it) isn't covering it because it contains a pre-defined list of notifiable diseases in the T&Cs, rather than just covering notifiable diseses. So we'd be covered if it was plague...but not C19. I think most childminders are in the same boat. They didn't play fast and loose, they bought the policies which are recommended by industry bodies and in some cases sold by them.

Please don't assume people who are uncovered skimped. In some industries there are only a handful of providers available and people who had the so called award winning gold policies are currently screwed.

A childminder on another thread said insurance isn't paying out, I wouldn't be at all surprised if that's right. She will only get the 80% if she's been self-employed several years. If she's say only been doing it a year or so she will get nothing.

Wow...op...put yourself in her shoes for one minute. Have some empathy for those less fortunate and do the right thing!!

@stasticalychallened you all need to start FOS Complaints. Firstly go to the insurer and get a final response than fos.

I wouldn’t be paying

Feels somewhat unfair that I’m out of pocket for following guidelines.

Of course, looking at this another way - if you don't pay her then you are profiting from the entire situation. I know I don't feel comfortable profiting financially from a situation like this.

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

Many childminders and nurseries did take out income protection in the event of being closed for a notifiable disease. The insurance companies are wriggling out of it because, at the time of the insurance being taken out, Coronavirus was unknown.

Op maybe you should watch the news properly, Childminders do have insurance but they won't pay out. The 80% won't be paid until at least June. If you want childcare when we get to the other side then stop being a cock and actually put yourself in your childminders shoes and think for just a moment what you would do in her shoes ? How would you put food on the table ? How would you try and survive to ensure you had a business when things are relaxed ?

Already on it in our case ManchesterManchester but I think they are likely to win as the list is in the definitions. Also already contacting politicians.

I don’t know why everyone is telling you you’re choosing not to send your child OP. The Prime Minister has told eveyone to stay home if you can so the pandemic doesn’t get even worse. If you chose to send your child in because you’re paying her the same posters would be calling you irresponsible.

There is now a government scheme is place to support self-employed people who are struggling in the pandemic.

I would expect she is sadly your ex-childminder now OP.

Thankyou @sorka!!!!

Your lucky to get a reduction to 70% - my childminder wants FULL fees and basically said she didn't need me after 5 years because she's had plenty of enquiries from key worker parents. Both DH and I been furloughed but need childcare ready to go when we go back to work.

I don’t know why everyone is telling you you’re choosing not to send your child OP.

Because she is.

The real question is whether you want your child to go back when this is all over.

Feels somewhat unfair that I’m out of pocket for following guidelines

Except you’re not out of pocket, because in normal circumstances you would be paying 100% of childcare plus your commuting costs. You’re actually making a saving by WFH, and another one (30%) by electing to keep your child at home rather than send them to the childminder.

We're still paying our Childminder, we're actually paying her more than normal as the original plan was for her to have my oldest too when the schools shut. Then, when we were ordered to stay at home, we kept them both with us.

She had turned other families away to save our boys a space so it's only right we pay her. We're both earning normal salaries at the moment so we can afford it. Fees are half for April as she has 2 weeks leave.

BusyBeeMummy1 can I ask how your CM's proposing to safeguard any such "holding the place payments" which her clients make?

I'm thinking if she decided to fold her business completely she'd presumably expect to refund you, and just wondered how?

Do you not see that it's a bit ridiculous of you to expect her to keep a place for your child while also insisting you won't be paying?

Either pay and keep the place or don't pay and risk losing it.

If good childminders are usually abundant in your area you may find it's not worth paying this retainer. If you think you'll struggle to replace her once this has blown over then it makes sense to keep paying.