Nursery worker has tested positive for Covid. Thoughts on fees?

[IntoP20]

Hi all,

Our DS’ nursery key worker has (obviously inadvertently!) brought Covid into the nursery, meaning that he and others in his bubble now can’t attend and have to isolate for 14 days.

What are your thoughts on whether we should still be paying for the days he’s not able to attend because of this?

The nursery is a chain of four nurseries in our local area. I don’t know what to think really. We’ve been told to expect communication about payment today.

Thanks for your thoughts

Would you be prepared to cover everyone's fees and pay if it had been your ds that had brought cv to nursery?

Anyway, what do your terms and conditions say about this scenario? You should follow them, but I would expect that you'll have to pay at least something.

Honestly, I'd expect to pay perhaps 50% but no way full fee's. Saying that I know some expect you to pay in full (including ours... we will cross that bridge when we come to it)

I don’t think it’s fair to look at it based on what the source of the outbreak was. It could have equally as easily have been a child - even your child - who was the source of the outbreak.

I would expect to still have to pay at least part fees

We didn’t have pay when our child was off for 2 weeks due to a case in his nursery bubble. I think the nurseries still get the early years funding though even though the children aren’t in.

I would expect to pay as I would expect them to pay their staff when they isolate.

@Porcupineinwaiting Anyway, what do your terms and conditions say about this scenario?

We haven’t been given updated Covid specific terms and conditions re payment policy

Thanks all for your thoughts so far. Wildly varied responses so far...

Not full price no, you may have to take time off work or pay additional childcare. But they will have pay sick pay and other over heads even if their group isn’t in. It’s in parents and the community’s interest to keep facilities open in long term. It’s unlike nursery’s can fund this sort of thing on their own. Sympathies for both sides!

@Akire we have to take time off work yes.
I feel so conflicted. I think I’m falling on the side of paying part fees as being the most reasonable solution

How do you know she didn't get it from an asymptomatic child?

I think it’s reasonable for the nursery to expect a percentage of fees otherwise it would not be able to stay open if everybody that is self isolating does not pay. The member of staff may have caught it from a child not presenting symptoms. I work in a nursery and we are expecting this to be an ongoing issue throughout the winter. If parents were not prepared to pay a percentage of their fees there would not be a nursery open for them once this is all over.

@FannysSteadiedBuffs How do you know she didn't get it from an asymptomatic child?

I don’t. I’m just stating the facts as of situation as we know them

What do the general t&c say about nursery closure?

@steppingcarefully I agree, I think a percentage of fees sounds appropriate. It’ll be interesting to see what the communication we receive says

We have been told if the nursery asks us to isolate due to a positive case there then we pay 50%

well I would expect the staff to continue being paid and their overheads are not going to be any significantly lower.

Out of goodwill though I would expect nursery to come to some arrangement because this will keep happening and they need to keep parents happy.

At the very least I would expect discount for food not eaten.

I would expect to pay at least some of the fees. It's an unexpected closure not accounted for in the fee structure, and I would not want staff to go unpaid. My DC's after school care has been unavailable for most of the last half-term due to isolation requirements. I am waiting for our invoice but will pay full fees without complaint if that's what's charged.

@IntoP20

Our DS’ nursery key worker has (obviously inadvertently!) brought Covid into the nursery

Whilst I appreciate the difficulties associated with your child being asked to isolate & not attend nursery, this is grossly unfair as you have no idea where they contracted COVID - it could have been from a child, even your child.
They will be feeling bad enough, that lease consider how you phrase this in future.

Considering nursery fees are so much, I would have checked what the situation would be BEFORE it happened.

My childminder sent out her payment guidelines very soon after first lockdown.

I would expect to pay. If they couldn't supply someone to care for your child when your child could go in, then it would be fair to pay less. But your child can't go in because it is mandated by government that your child must isolate. It doesn't matter who the contact was, it is your child who needs to isolate.

We haven’t been given updated Covid specific terms and conditions re payment policy

I would have been chasing them for an updated contract. Issues like this should have been sorted ages ago. Most nurseries round here seem to be going down the paying half fees route, if the child has to isolate because of a case in the nursery.

And I agree with the above, "Our DS’ nursery key worker has (obviously inadvertently!) brought Covid into the nursery" is very much blaming an unwell person for catching a highly transmissible virus. Please consider more appropriate language.

@Musicalmistress her husband and sister in law have also tested positive, so the source of the outbreak isn’t really up for dispute. I’m not blaming anyone, it could just have easily been my son who tested positive, as you say, but facts are facts and I’m just stating them for the purpose of the thread

@MRex No, I’m not blaming anyone, merely stating facts for the purpose of the thread

Please adjust how you state your facts to avoid the issue that has been raised to you. You can say "DS's key worker unfortunately has tested positive, so DS has to isolate due to contact with her."; just remove the emotive victim-blaming element "brought Covid into" because it's inappropriate and insulting to the nursery worker.