Childminder closed, asking for £ and I still need childcare

[Zariyah]

I love the childminder. She provides a lovely setting for my daughter. I understand her position, I am not criticising her but I’m worried. The setting is closed, even to children of key workers.

I am a single parent, frontline worker and I need childcare. I have nobody else to look after my baby. My job cannot be done from home.

She is requesting 80% pay whilst closed but I cannot afford to pay her that and an alternative childcare provider.

What on earth do I do?

[insancerre]

Ask your local council about childcare
They have a list of who is open and they will probably have space
But I wouldn’t be paying your cm

[HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend]

and wouldn't pay her the 4 weeks notice, as her CHOICE should not enforce you to pay for a service you are not rec..

[Tanith]

We've been asked by the Government to be flexible and most are doing just that. Try calling her and coming to an agreement. No decent childminder will want her clients worrying like this.

The 80% for self employed hasn't actually been rolled out yet and the details aren't clear. We won't see anything until June, that's why she's asking you.

[sorrelli]

@WhatTiggersDoBest

If you’d actually read what I’ve said you’d see I agree it’s too much for the OP to pay 😊 especially whilst having to pay someone else.

[moochppocj]

As you need to pay for alternative childcare I would just leave the original one.

We are paying 40% retainer (normally £70 a day) & she is still claiming the 30 hours & we pay 52 weeks of the yr. Youngest starts nursery school in Sept so will give notice in the Summer.

[KoalasandRabbit]

I think in this situation she shouldn't be charging but a lot of self-employed will get no help from the government - I've been self-employed since October 2018, no other income and don't meet criteria for the 80% or for UC but expected to have 2 kids at home, one with autism who needs full-time input. If she does qualify for the 80% you only get it in June. But as you need another childminder and she's been forced to shut think it's reasonable not to pay in those circumstances though would try and help out if I was able to.

[Zariyah]

I’m going to give her a call and chat it through again when the little one is asleep.

I doubt CM is a high earner and she must be worried about the future. I am too though so we need to find an arrangement that works.

I don’t want to alienate her because I’d love for my daughter to return if/when she re-opens.

I know it’s a really crap time for many people. :(

[QuestionMarkNow]

I get that she doesnt trust the 80% from the government. As a SE I dont. PLus she may well not have funds to survive until June wo any money coming in.

However, I think it's wrong to ask for 80% for a service she could and should be providing (like schools do) and still ask to be paid.
I would be interested to know what the contract says about her CLOSING (holdidays, unforseen illness etc...).
If she still insists, I would look for someone else. She might be great but there are many other CM that are great too.

[QuestionMarkNow]

Btw I also think that if having the money coming in is essential, then I htink she should be open for people like you.

[lentenwonder]

It’s sad she has asthma, she should’ve dealt with this better though, you’re a key worker, you need childcare and you can’t afford to pay near twice the fees, who could?

[malovitt]

I am a childminder and have chosen not to open for my parents who are key workers so I am not charging them as I understand that they will need to pay another minder who is working to look after their children. Childminders who are eligible will not get anything from HMRC until June so I understand why childminders are worried about how they will pay their bills - I am too but I feel I can't morally charge if I am not providing the service.

[Whathewhatnow]

She is asthmatic. She is in an at-risk group, and so I can understand her unwillingness to work, especially if you are a key worker and are in contact with lots of other people, and your child is also, by proxy.

Does your employer offer any additional contribution or can they help arrange childcare? What key work do you?

I think anyone who can continue paying should, but that isn't your position and you cant be protecting her income at the expense of your own. ..

[Escapeistheonlyoption]

What on earth do I do?

Contact your LA. they have seen the lack of provision for under 5s and many are putting emergency provision in place for critical workers. For example schools with 2 year old provision are taking additional 2 year olds, nurseries are taking 3 and 4 year olds.

[Mysocalledlifexx]

I would look into this more as its her choice she has closed, be different if it was u taking your child out, but i doubt u should have to pay when its been her choice to close.

[OnTheEdgeOfTheNight]

She has chosen to close, you don't need to pay anything. You could end up paying a retainer indefinitely. Look for another childminder and hope your daughter settles well. You may end up with someone else that suits just as well.

[R2519]

OP. Take a look at the PACEY site in the following link:

www.pacey.org.uk/working-in-childcare/spotlight-on/coronavirus/faqs-coronavirus/#finally

Look at the question which says 'What about the contracts I already have with parents'.....it clearly states childminders are not to charge parents but can ask for a voluntary payment / retainer.

We are having issues with our childminder at the moment over this issue and PACEY is what most / all CMs use for guidance etc.

[Patchworkpatty]

I think she has to claim the 80% and Universal Credit until June if there is no other income into the household.

What she has earned over the last 3 years is pretty irrelevant. She has earned x and has lived on that without asking the OP for more. The fact that she will now receive 80% of x means that she will only be 20% worse off .. unless she has not declared her correct income - which quite frankly isn't your problem to deal with OP.

... and you don't need to have been self employed for 3 years. The chancellor said very clearly that they would pay based on last tax return if that's all you have..

[Ideasplease123]

I posted a thread on this the other day! Childminder closed hut expecting full fees. I don't see how the government taking ages to pay should be for me to pay when she can't even have the kids.

[KoalasandRabbit]

They are considering tax returns up to 18-19 so if you started after that you get nothing, if you started in 2018-19 you will also get nothing if you earned more from employment than self-employment that year. Nothing to do with not declaring fully though obviously if people never declared their income they won't get anything but loads of people who have declared everything are getting nothing too.

You have to have over half your income from self-employment to claim the 80%.

[Tanith]

It isn't up to PACEY: they are not our employers. They're a small charity run mostly by volunteers.
They can advise, but no-one is obliged to follow their advice.

[R2519]

@Tanith.
I understand that they are there to provide guidance. I suppose my outlook is a lot of childminders 'go by what PACEY advise' and look to them for guidance on the way to do things. I know my childminder references them a lot. If that's the case you surely shouldn't pick and choose which bits of their advise to take. Besides their response states that the government is concerned that some CMs are still charging and ask them to be balanced and fair with parents. That's not PACEY advising that, that's the government.

[Tanith]

@R2519

Not all childminders are with PACEY - far from it! - and of course we can pick and choose what advice to take, as we do with all information coming to us.

PACEY can only advise; they cannot dictate, just as the Early Years Alliance, Childminders UK and Childcare.co.uk etc. can advise.

I'm receiving information from the Government, too. I've seen the request that we should be balanced and fair with parents, and I reference it in my earlier reply.
I've seen nothing that singles out childminders - PACEY support all Early Years settings and nannies now, not just childminders - or mentions concerns about our charging policies. To my knowledge none of the other organisations have said this.

If you are trying to negotiate with your childminder, you need to be aware of this.

[LucieLucie]

How did you get on talking with your Cm @Zariyah?

From a Cm pov I think it's wholly unreasonable for CMs to close to critical workers AND expect any form of payment/retainer.

It completely wrong.

Critical workers NEED to be able to go to work to help us get through all this. I think it's fine if she doesn't want to open and take risks with her own children, but if that's the case she can't have her cake and eat it by charging them for a service they need which she's chosen not to provide.
It's wrong wrong wrong!

For anyone in this position as a critical worker, please phone your local council and ask for early years co-ordinator to help find you care.

There's absolutely no way you should be paying for care twice and as the business is closed you shouldn't be held liable for notice payment either. If it went to court she wouldn't have a leg to stand on in the current circumstances.

Regarding the 80% magical money everyone is latching onto thinking we get in June, it's not all CMs only those in business for 3+ tax years. It may come in June and is 80% of profits which as CMs are heavy on expenses probably equates to half, but better than nothing.

[CaryStoppins]

I'm a childminder and know nothing about Pacey and their contracts or guidance. Just never been something that's come up for me.