Dicked off with DD's nursery - long sorry

[Pennies]

Apologies for the title but it just sums up how I feel.

DD (22 months) goes to small local nursery - she was signed up to go for 4 terms and she started in September. I discovered via word of mouth that the nursery was due to close in July - the staff had not mentioned a word and I only learnt this once she had started.

Then one of the staff there had an injury and because she couldn't work they had to keep closing it (another thread - v. annoyed). Then I pitch up after half term to learn that in fact the place is closing at the end of this term. This means that I can't get her into any other similar local places like it because they're all full.

It turns out the the people currently running the nursery are starting up a new venture making jewellery. Fine, we all need to earn a living, but they are really plugging this and have now got a big display in one area of the nursery where you come in and out, so it's not in a place where the children are all the time but it's where they get their coats on so they do pass through it. Older children in the nursery could probably reach it. Quite frankly though I don't want to see this stuff and I'm paying them to look after my DD, not to advertsie their new project which is the very reason why I'm having to sort out alternative childcare, just when she's beginning to get settled there.

I have also noticed a couple of things that have made me wonder where their minds are right now:

1. DD had drawn with a felt pen ALL over her eye the other day - made me question how well they were supervising her art session

2. on another occcasion a pale pink top that she wore was so covered in dark brown paint that despite several washes I ended up having to bin it (why no overall?)

3. today I picked her up and she totally reeked. The kind of smell that tells everyone even remotely close to her that she'd done a poo. I changed her immediately on the floor (because the area for the changing mat was being used to display jewellery mentioned above) and she had quite a sore bum which made me think she'd had it for a while. I can't imagine that they hadn't realised she'd got a full nappy because she just stank, so to me that says they couldn't be bothere to change her because it meant taking her out of the room, down the corridor and doing it on the baby changer in the ladies.

I'm not sure what to do about this, if anything. She's only got 8 more sessions there before it closes. I can't help but feel that they just don't care now they're closing it and couldn't give a toss about any possible complaints. They seem more focused on the new venture than on looking after the children and to me that stinks.

Any advice

Pennies have you paid for these last 8 sessions?

I would withold payment if not as complaining to OFSTED will not make a jot of difference.

You are between a rock & a hard place & t
hey have treated you shabbily.

Unfortunately I can't withold payment as have already paid for the sessions this term, so I have zero ability to sanction them. They know that and that's why they're being like this I think.

It's so sad because it was such a lovely caring little place and my older DD just loved it there.

Either be frank with them - no point holding your tongue as it's not as if you are jeopardising your future relationship with them - or do not send your daughter to nursery.

Pennies, the same thing happened to us although our DD's new nursery told us it was closing down on her FIRST DAY, after we'd moved her from another. They gave us the obligatory term's notice and shut last Christmas. Like you, we had to scramble about during her first week there to try and get her old place back. Other parents did withhold payment but I'm sure they have something in their contract that will put you in the wrong if you do so. I know it got quite nasty in some cases and courts were threatened. But we also found the care went really rapidly down hill. All the staff started looking for other jobs or interviewing, which is understandable. But at times, the two-year-olds were being rolled in with the four year-olds, which just wasn't right. I think there were quite a lot of times when the staffing ratio just wasn't maintained.

I do sympathise. It's so frustrating when it happens.

Interestingly the jewellery display is nowhere to be seen this week. Another comment made me think that someone there's seen this! Ooooops!