Nursery won't change dates. What to do?

[Nikitasol]

A nursery based query. I'm trying to change a few nursery dates over the summer with a fair bit of notice (switching for some dates in the autumn) but have been told this isn't allowed. Has anyone else had this?

It means paying for 6 days that won't then be used so will be fairly costly as a result. I'm pretty cross about it but not sure if that's a policy in nurseries in general. Although they did let me make a couple of changes last year with notice.

Can anyone advise before I go back to them again about it? I thought they'd at least let me switch some dates.

They've been so crummy I'm almost feeling like looking for another nursery.

I'm a freelance single parent so it almost means no break away with DC if it can't be changed.

What do you mean by change some dates? Like, take a week off but use extra days in autumn?

I think you're pretty lucky if you found a nursery that offer ad hoc sessions at all. All the ones I've seen you have to book a particular day/session, and pay for that thoughout the period the nursery's open, even in weeks you're not using it.

Is this nursery very under capacity or something? If I've understood your post, you can book just a particular day? However do they stay full enough to cover costs like that?

Sorry that wasn't clear. I mean normally we'd book say Tuedays, Wednesdays and Thursdays mornings, and then we have to pay for all such days. But you sound like you could just book Tuesday 18th July (it probably isn't but...)? That's very unusual.

DD's nursery has no flexibility at all. She does Tuesday and Wednesday there-we pay for every Tuesday and Wednesday regardless of whether she is there, including any bank holidays when they are shut. If I want a Friday, for example, I pay extra, even if she wasn't there on the Wednesday of that week. This is clear in the terms and conditions and I think is the norm.

This is pretty standard really. My nursery will do it very occasionally in exceptional circumstances, but normally you have to just pay if you want extra/different days.

I'm losing about 12 full days at £42 each over the summer holidays, with days out, bank holiday, etc, but that's just how it is.

Thanks. DC goes Tuesdays and Wednesdays every week but he'll miss 6 days over the summer for various reasons. I'd hoped with enough notice we could switch for dates in the autumn and winter.

They did let me switch a few dates last year but not now.

I just wasn't sure if that was the norm or no.

So you are taking holidays from nursery and want to 'bank' them and use them to get free days later in the year?

I don't know anywhere that would allow that!!

Good luck anyway and enjoy the time off.

So what I've done is neigotiate. I explained that I didn't want to give up the place during a period of unemployment only to need it again when back to work plus I didn't want DC going through the disruption. I got a 25% discount.

Thanks. Am I being unreasonable to ask them then do you think?

My nursery doesn't allow this as they are still "holding" the place the days your DC isn't there.

As posted on your other thread:

Ours would reduce attendance patterns with the same notice period as for leaving.

They would then refill those hours with a new family and you'd need to go back on to the waiting list to increase hours. Just dipping the number over the summer wasn't an option.

And free sessions because you chose to miss some would never happen.

You have been exceptionally and unusually lucky that it has happened in the past. But if you really do feel like changing nurseries because if this, so make sure you establish exactly what the policy of any new nursery is.

Totally unreasonable to ask them as they have to hold the place for your child when you do need it. Totally normal practice not to allow you to change. You don't need the days, you still have to pay, that's how it works.

The private nursery I worked for didn't allow parents to change for other dates! We had a parent who was annoyed we were closed on her day as it was Christmas Day! If there was space they would allow you to book extra days. But not change because you weren't using your days due to holiday or sickness.

My old childminder would allow me to change my days because she was flexible. But if my child was off sick I still had to pay.

They're not being crummy at all. You're unreasonable in your expectations here.

I think the issue is that it is very unlikely they will find somebody who needs a Tues and Wed just for the days you don't want your space. Also it if they agreed to a Thurs in autumn and someone wants to start on Thursdays from next month they have a random day in the autumn when they have too many children.

We are allowed one week off a year with notice.

YABU. No nursery allows this as policy, otherwise everyone would be chopping and changing, pulling their DC out for a week or two over the summer, then wanting to make up the days later - it would be chaos! They have to provide their service every day, regardless of your work or social plans. If you need your DC to be in nursery then you'll have to suck it up when they can't go, just the same as everyone else. You're acting like you should get special treatment.

We pay for holiday dates we don't use. I also sometimes pay fir extra sessions (also freelance). I've never asked to swap one for the other as I don't think it's "done". They won't be able to fill it.
My nursery does offer a flexible shift workers deal but they have special arrangements and I think a set price.

It does exist as ours has a policy where you are allowed three swap days a year. Very handy! Ask them for a copy of the terms and conditions?

Most places would just expect you to lose those days as they are still available to you. It would be a very rare occurrence if you could keep the days for a later week. It will all be in your contract but it's definitely standard practice.

My nursery is super flexible so for example we are going on hols next week and so we are "missing" 6 nursery days in total. But as long as I tell them in advance they let me use 6 days elsewhere.

I don't know any other nurseries that do this though. I think it's partly because it's near a hospital and they make a big deal about being flexible to shift workers.

Also they are big so it's fairly easy to spread resources around.

It's general procedure sadly! The fact that your child isn't there will have no impact on staffing and in all likelihood would not be able to fill the slots. In addition for the extra dates they will already have children who use the nursery on those days so may not have room. I suspect if they have allowed it write it was a gesture of goodwill. With summer hols and other days we pay for about 4 weeks a year we don't use.

Our nursery allow you to book additional sessions if they have room but as a rule always charge for days you aren't there!

Some nurseries do allow you to swap days if they have space on the days you want. Some also let you do different days each week, depending if there is space. The one in my town also doesn't charge for days you're child isn't in so it is possible.

In my experience that would be unusual unless they have someone else who wants those days over the summer. And even then they usually charge you both.

It's numbers.

They can't go over their child:staff ratio.

If you are asking to book a day where the ratios are full, what to you expect them to do? Ask another child to take the day off? Also fire regs will state how many children are allowed in the building.

Some nurseries may allow ad hoc if they have an undersubscribed day. But good nurseries tend to be full, so it just isn't possible.

Normal policy with child care is you pay for your days, sickness and holiday included. If they disn't charge, or kept spaces so you could do make ups, they'd rapidly go out of business.

It's the norm. Most of the nurseries I've used offer term time only contracts if you won't need most holidays and then allow you to prebook ad hoc days (if available) so it might be worth asking if you could swap to that?