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.

No good Nursery would allow you to do this op as it.would.affect their adult/child ratios. YABU

Very unreasonable to ask. We paid full price through holidays. There are no ifs and buts about it. I've used three nurseries and they all have the same policies.

I highly doubt also they can fill the spaces in summer. Nurseries are very quiet over the summer holidays. A combination of children having holidays, and also those heading for year R leaving in late July/August. We are planning the same for DC2 and she'll leave nursery at the start of the school holidays. You are more likely to be able to buy extra sessions over summer!

One of the reasons we chose our nursery is because they are very flexible and will allow us to book holidays with no penalty as long as they have 6 weeks' notice. But that is very unusual. Also, DC is usually there full-time so it's not a case of changing days.

Nursery wont let you take dayz off then expect to have them at a later date.
You are paying for the place your child takes up in the numbers. They canno fill the space just for the length of time you want and then tell the parent 'sorry your kid has to leave now X is coming back'. You either need to pay to keep the place open for your kids return or give notice and try again when you need them (of course its possibly that they will have filled the place by then and you wont get a place)

Also there is no guarentee that they can take your child on the different days you want as they will have other kids on that day that may take them up to their limits for ratios.

Sorry but the nursery isnt there to accomodate your changing dates and days whenever it suits you, they run a business and need to keep numbers up and stick to ratios to pay their way. Most childcare will charge you for when your kid is on holiday to keep the place, its probably in your contract.

dayz??? days

This is normal nursery policy, or they'd go out of business. We're going on holiday next week but still paying for nursery that week even though won't be there.

Completely normal from a nursery. Its frustrating I know - I too have been on the receiving end - but you have to think of it from their point of view. If everyone got 'swap' days they would be all over the place, all the time with staff numbers/accommodating requests. Just not realistic.

This is generally normal practise.

However, our ds nursery works on flexi-care system, which is brilliant for us as dp is a shift worker. We just book and pay for the days we need a month in advance. Although we do run the risk of days becoming full with regular bookings (currently can't get a Thursday before 1pm).

DC's nursery is really flexible over a lot of things but we still have to pay when we go away for hols etc. They have a business to run and staff to pay. The cost of lost nursery fees is much less than the cost increase of holidaying in school holidays so we just take the hit!

The staff will still need paying, the building paid for, the utilities etc.

Also by adding your child in on days you can make you may affect their staffing ratios especially if you want him to use the "saved" days in Autumn when it is likely to be at capacity.

Have never heard of a nursery offering this.

Thank you all. This is very comprehensive. I realise that given the general experience that I was being unreasonable to expect date switching. I actually hadn't thought about child to staff ratio and so on so yes it makes sense now.

Can't say I'm overly happy about it but I see they're running a business and that's how it is.

Could I ask if I give them a month's notice to reduce DC hours and then add more hours in the autumn, if that's strictly cricket on my part?

Apologies for spamming. I've been dim and not realised that you only have to post in one forum for people to see thread. Mea culpa.

They might refuse you the extra hours in
The autumn and then you'd be stuffed.

You could definitely reduce hours now and try to increase them in the autumn, but they might not have places by then.

You will probably loose your place. Good luck

That's normal. We pay all year round even though we take dd out for at least 3 weeks of it.
They do refund the food, though, if you give notice.

You may not be able to increase hours later if you decrease them now. They have to plan ahead and get the correct ratios.

Last year we were lucky and could get extra sessions for a few weeks while I was recovering from an operation. I had another operation this year and they couldn't do extra days, only half days which were no good as I couldn't drove during recovery.

Childminders are more flexible but I think deliberately reducing then increasing sessions at short notice is messing them around tbh.

My nursery allow some swaps if it suits them. Trying to swap so far in advance wouldn't be possible. But if I said, can I swap next Tuesday for Thursday, they would check staff/child numbers that day and say whether or not it was possible. I think you were being unreasonable with your request. Most of the nurseries I looked at only allowed parents two weeks 'holiday' where they didn't pay and some none at all.

I doubt if they would agree to that in advance. If you decrease your childs hours they will probably fill the rest with another child who will be permanent, with set hours and will not stop needing them when you want to increase your hours again.

You could do what many place do and pay a retainer fee to keep the place open. Some charge a set amount, some half fees and some full fees. They cannot keep hours free just in case you decide to increase them later in the year.

All childcare settings have been stung by parents messing them around and most are pretty hot at making sure it doesnt happen again. Your circumstances could change between now and then and you may not need the space/want different hours and they have lost income if they kept the place open for free, for nothing.

Talk to the nursery manager, only she can tell you what she is prepared to offer you. Good communication with your childcare provider is crucial for a good relationship. Good relationships lead to a bit of give and take sometimes.

If you reduce your hours then ask to increase them again after the summer you will store up bad feeing because it's an underhanded way to get round their (very reasonable, and necessary to survive as a business) policies. Plus they may give your hours to another child leaving you screwed.
There really isn't any option but to suck it up.