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I'm having problems with dd2's Nursery, Please help?

7 replies

LoveMyGirls · 06/10/2008 21:19

I am a childminder, pushchairs are not allowed in the nursery, they are saying I should leave my mindee's outside in the pushchair while I collect Dd2 I am refusing, what can I do? The nursery lady on the gate offered to watch them but they are my responsibility and parents would not be happy for me to do this. Nursery are insisting I join the queue rather than popping my head round the door, the other thing is I'm there first anyway I just let everyone walk infront of me while I wait with the pushchair then at the last min I pop my head round the door and get dd2, it's her third day and I've been "told off" again. I have explained but they don't see a problem, they say other cm's manage I don't know these others cm's well other than to know they are not a very nice bunch and haven't made me welcome at all so I don't feel comfortable asking favours and the fact my mindees are my responsibility still remains.

I'm going to have another word tomorrow and explain again.

I don't want to take dd2 out of nursery but I think they are being ridiculous!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
ohnowhatnext · 06/10/2008 21:26

Hello

I wonder if it is something health and safety related, maybe oif a few pushchairs were in the corridors etc it would get a bit hazardous for the children??
On the other hand i see your point, I would not be terribly keen on leaving mine or anyones child outside in a pushchair.
I think if this were me I would request that someone else bring your DD to the door, for you. Explain that alas you cxannot leave your mindees in someone elses charge but that you can see the necessity for no pushchairs also, just be really calm and reasonable but get them to do the hard work for you!!

monkeymonkeymonkey · 06/10/2008 21:26

Could you take your mindees in with you, and let the lady on the gate watch the pushchair?

LoveMyGirls · 06/10/2008 21:28

(just posted this on a different thread)

I have thought about taking mindees in with me and I did the first day as I only had 1 mindee but now I've got 6mth old mindee who sleeps on the nursery/ school run but I dont think I could carry him and 17mth old and handle dd2 who is tired and fractious at the end of the day when I'm collecting.

I can't see why they can't just let me pop my head round of bring dd out with the lady who watches the gate.

OP posts:
CarGirl · 06/10/2008 21:30

AT our pre-school the mindees are either left strapped into their pushchair, and the door person would always yell if any child left in pushchair got into difficulty (has happened to a sibing), or the CM take them inside with them.

pudding25 · 06/10/2008 22:29

I would be livid if a cm left my baby outside while picking up her kid. Well done on not doing so. I would ask to speak to the manager, explain the situation and ask for someone to bring your dd to the front door for you.

islandofsodor · 06/10/2008 22:43

I always took my pushchair into nursery especially if ds was asleep.

Had anyone attempted to stop me I would have definately changed the nursery and kicked up a stink. It was a nursery inside a school.

ayla99 · 07/10/2008 00:23

It is for health & safety - buggies can hinder safe exit in case of fire.

If you really can't manage to carry your mindees in, then I'd write to the nursery manager. I've found that telling schools/preschools isn't always enough - your opinions can easily be dismissed and forgotten. Twice I've put my concerns in writing to our school and, what was overlooked for weeks, was suddenly resolved in an afternoon.

Would explain that you take your responsibility as a Registered Childminder very seriously and you have to keep minded children within sight and sound at all times to meet the requirements of Ofsted and your insurance provider. As its not physically possible for you to carry 2 mindees and dd2s belongings you are seeking a compromise to resolve the situation. You have already offered to pop your head round the door, (is there anywhere inside you can stand and still have sight of your buggy outside?) but if thats not acceptable to the nursery, you would have no objections if they would prefer to bring dd and her belongings outside to you.

Childminders must not leave minded children unattended and can only leave mindees in the care of others in a real emergency situation. If you check with your public liability insurance provider, I think you'll find you're not covered while children are not actually with you. If you ask them to confirm in writing, you can enclose a copy with your letter to nursery.

Similarly, I expect Ofsted would take a dim view of the nursery's suggestion, can't imagine an outstanding grade going to a cm who leaves mindees unattended, can you? Although I've not spotted if it says in EYFS specifically that you can't do this, it goes against the view of every Inspector I've met.

Parents can legally choose to leave their children unattended if they want to. Childminders can't. We have a few more rules to follow than parents do. And rightly so - its a huge responsibility taking care of other people's children. Its not unreasonable for parents to expect the person they are paying to care for their child to keep their child close by the whole time.

Its unlikely that mindees would come to harm outside the nursery. But we cannot take chances with other people's children, however small that chance may be. If the child isn't within sight or sound they're not technically in your care at all. You can't possibly keep a child safe from harm if you can't see OR hear them. JMHO

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