Key Workers Nursery Fees

[Raella50]

I just wanted to find out what the norm is around nursery fees. I’ve just received an email from nursery stating that all children of key workers will be liable for 100% fees as of tomorrow whether or not they’re in nursery. Other parents are not liable and will continue to pay the retainer fee. Is this right? Just for context: we aren’t using the nursery at all and have payed the retainer fee since mid-March to reserve place. Husband has been furloughed until Oct now and we won’t be using nursery until thenateast. Would you just give notice to cancel and find somewhere new once we go back to work? Unsure what is normal. Thank you!

I don’t think you can expect them to hold a place until October if you really don’t need one until then. There will probably be lots of places available given how high the unemployment rate will be by then, unfortunately.

If they're offering your child a space then yes, of course you need to pay for it.

But how has your husband been furloughed if he's a key worker?

I’m the key worker not my husband

If they are open to have your child and you want to keep the place, then you need to pay.

Ok, in my area nurseries are only allowed to offer places if both parents are key workers.
If they're offering you the service though you need to pay for it or give notice.

But the OP is saying only key workers have to pay 100% fees despite not using the service, not the other parents.

Hugely unfair!

It seems to vary from nursery to nursery. Mine has closed entirely but is holding places and no one is paying.

It does seem bizarre that you should have to pay while non key worker parents don't, but their places are presumably retained. I wonder if it's to do with government funding?

@Lumene the nursery can't charge parents that they're not offering their services to. Presumably children with non key worker parents aren't being offered places?

@Lumene that’s exactly what I’m wondering, it really doesn’t seem right?! Maybe I just need to serve notice for now. A shame!

It is quite simple op. As i understand it your child is being offered a place as you're a key worker? If you're choosing not to send your child in then that's your choice but they can charge you as they're offering the service.
Other parents aren't being offered a place therefore the nursery cannot charge them.

How can your husbands company know he will definitely be furloughed until October? If that was the case for us then yea I'd give notice to cease but what will happen if your husband is requested back to work in July?

@burritofan I wonder if that’s the case. Also it’s strange to only give 24 hours notice as well!!

If I've misunderstood and your child is not currently allowed to attend then they cannot charge you.

But the OP is saying only key workers have to pay 100% fees despite not using the service, not the other parents.

Hugely unfair!

Because they aren't offering a place to the other parents, OP's child has a place that they aren't using so, like in normal times, you pay or lose the place.

I can see both sides, I wouldn't want to pay if I was OP (I'm lucky that DD's nursery isn't charging anything while they're shut due to lockdown), but equally the nursery is a business probably struggling to stay afloat.

@AndMyHairWillShineLikeTheSea I obviously do understand what they’ve said, thank you for putting it like that for me though I’m just questioning if that is unfair for key workers

I can’t actually send my children in at the moment though that isn’t the nursery’s fault. I have a vulnerable person in the house and can’t risk it. They will only accept that as an excuse if they’re in the official shielding list though which they aren’t.

No, it's not unfair because you're being offered the service and the other parents aren't.

@AndMyHairWillShineLikeTheSea but we all don’t want the service and some of us are being “offered” it and made liable for paying if we turn it down. Others are being relieved of that decision.

I obviously do understand what they’ve said

Btw i didn't mean to patronise you or anything but I genuinely didn't think you understood that they can't charge people for a service they're not offering but contractually they can charge you.

Some nurseries are not offering families with only one key worker parent a place though.

Whether the nursery can do this I don’t know but I think it’s really unfair and penalises people already taking a risk by working so the rest of us can have essential services.

AndMyHairWillShineLikeTheSea but we all don’t want the service and some of us are being “offered” it and made liable for paying if we turn it down. Others are being relieved of that decision.

That's because you have a contract with them to pay them while they're offering you the service. The others that are relieved of that decision as you say is purely down to legality. Fairness doesn't come into it.
It would be like if one parent was off on maternity leave for 9 months and decided not to send their older child to nursery. They would either have to pay or give their notice.

@AndMyHairWillShineLikeTheSea no offence taken at all, I’m genuinely interested in a variety of opinions because obviously I agree with my own line of thinking and can easily get stuck in my own little bubble assuming I’m right! I just see it as being unfair on key workers to put them in the position of paying for a space they don’t want, simply because their job role is key for our society to function

In my situation I'm a key worker and desperate for a nursery place but can't get one as DH isn't a key worker 😫 So I'm jealous of your current problem.

@AndMyHairWillShineLikeTheSea I sympathise, I really do think if they opened up an offer to see who would want a space on June 1st then plenty of people would offer to take them up. I just don’t see how it’s fair to put key workers in a position of paying extra to reserve their space. I feel singled our by the nursery as a group of workers. As a key worker, I have a tough enough job at the moment already without being charged full fees when others aren’t being.