What is your nursery's SICKNESS POLICY when it comes to needing to send a child home

[bloodsuckinglooney]

Hi there

I'm a childminder and I'm wondering if you can help me. Long story but I'm having to change my sickness procedures and I'm trying to get lots of different idea's to help me decide which way to go.

I found out today that a pre-school I collect from will charge parents if they don't collect their sick child within x amount of time. I can see why they do this.

Does your nursery have anything like this? Do they say you have to collect within a certain amount of time if child is poorly?

Many thanks in advance, hope you don't mind me asking

Looneytune

We only have a charging policy at going home time if the parents are late.

Otherwise we would just keep ringing and ringing until they turned up to collect their sick child. We make sure we have plenty of other contact numbers so we are not relying on just one person, in case they get caught up.

I think it sounds a bit harsh to charge, it may be at a time of day when the parent is at work and cannot get back quickly.

Thanks. She told me her reasons why she charged and said it made a huge difference once they did it as people made more of an effort to collect. If she's anything like me then it may be there in writing but only used when really necessary iyswim. I know I have a late collection charge in my contracts but I've not actually charged before as never had people take the mick with lateness but if they were (and believe me, a lot of people DO take the mick, I've heard MANY stories), I'd have no problem in charging.

I do agree about the charging being harsh in most circumstances but afraid I have one family that just don't pick up their children when they are really ill (I mean like a 9 month old baby with a temp of 39.9 with a TERRIBLE cough). I've waited 5 hours to have their au pair collect, the reason we have emergency contact details is in case they are unable to leave work etc.

ANyway, that's a whole other thread. I need to change my policy, just undecided about what to put.

Thanks for your help, the more replies the better as it will really help

The nursery my son is in doesn't charge if you aren't there within a certain amount of time if your child is poorly. I think they will ask if someone else can pick them up within the hour if the main carer can't.

They do charge £5.00 for every 30 minutes if parents are late in picking kids up to go home. Of course they don't charge you if it is beyond your control, i.e. stuck in traffic, etc. but if you are a 'repeat offender' then I reckon they will come down hard on you!

at your parents who didn't rush to pick 9month old up with very high temp!

at DS's nursery we aren't fined if we can't get him within a certain time, in fact they are wonderful with DS when he is ill
however we still have to pay when he is off sick (the full amount per day)
we also get fined £1 per minute if we are late picking up but as a PP said not for things out of your control but more to stop people taking the pee...

Thanks again

I don't want to put a charge in but I need something that will make someone collect when children are ill. I've always been very good and taken children when poorly if it doesn't affect others....this is the problem....they've got used to it and although I've explained other children could get ill and also are ignored whilst I sort baby screaming and they still had a go at me yesterday asking what an earth the problem is, all babies get like this!!! I admit my changing of policy is purely because of this one family who NEVER come and collect their children as they feel that I'm a big softie. Once baby had the cough sooooo bad when she was only about 5 months old and it resulted in her CONSTANTLY throwing up and I'd be late on school runs etc and parents wouldn't collect and got au pair to 5 hours later as she refused to leave college for them (too right!) and they still wouldn't take baby to the Dr until I refused care until she'd been. I hate confrontation. Monday night baby was BURNING hot, I was really upset as she was so poorly and crying. I told mum I didn't think she'd be well and unless she was well enough to do normal things, she shouldn't come the next day. So what happened.....turns up the second I have to leave for school the next day knowing I'd be in a rush and passed the kids and left. I did let her know as she left that I'd call if baby was too ill. I spoke to mum at 1ish and she was not at all happy. She started off by saying 'I can't get anyone to collect....what do you want me to do' and I said 'errr, well I don't know, she just needs collecting'. Anyway, she had a right go, I explained she'd signed policies etc etc that I've done newsletters and all that and then I said that a nursery would send home for MUCH LESS than I do and her response.....'yeah, that's why I won't use a nursery!'

Anyway, I could go on forever about these people. They run their own business so not like they are going to get the sack for leaving early. The au pair sneaked and left whilst they weren't there as they were so bad.

sorry about the rant, never intended that. Just fed up of being walked all over and I'm giving them one last chance after the new policy and then they're out.

Please don't think I'm a horrible childminder, I'm just fed up of being taking advantage of and it's time I got more assertive. I've had other parents complain about children with runny noses being here and the thing is, all parents are different so the only way round this is to have one policy, agree to it or don't sign up with me

Thanks again. Looneytune

You are definitely not a bad child minder - in fact you sound like a really good one! You're absolutely right to stand by what you have said - one policy fits all! You can't carry on letting one family ruin it for everyone! Tell them to sign up, shut up or get out!

Thanks!

This is it....they DID sign my bloomin policies but I'm updating them and making them re-sign if they agree and then that's it, no more messing me about!!!

You go girl!

Thanks, I will

Actually feel a lot better as when the mum collected her toddler dd last night (baby stayed at home), she said she knew baby wasn't well as not smiled once all day, bottom lip etc! Went to see her in the car and she looked AWFUL, poor love, but I got a HUGE big smile when she saw us so that warmed my heart. Mum very chatty and smiley and although no apology, I feel much better. See....how would that baby have been on lots of school runs? If she was that ill at home all day!!!!!

Anyway, thanks to my lovely CM friend Katymac in the Childminding section, I have some fab new wording for my policy which will re-enforce WHY it's very important for the child to be collected.

The only thing I need to think about is what to do if I call again and they try and delay collecting by 5 hours!!!

Right....back to my accounts (I really shouldn't be on MN, sooooooo much to do!!!)

Ds' nursery has a policy for late pick ups not sickness which is they try you then your other contacts (we have 3 down) every 5 mins up to 45 mins (by which time charge is about £45-60). If they have been unable to get hold of anyone/no one collects they will call social services!!!

I've no idea if they've ever done this and they are a wonderful nursery and really nice but definitely bears thinking about if you were going to mess them around.