Nursery Fees being charged when child asked to self isolate

[dadof3smallboys]

Hi All,

Anybody have an experience of being charged full days at a private day nursery when your child cant attend due to a member of staff having COVID? I've queried it and sent them the DFE guidance and the letter from the CMA. waiting to get a response.

Hi @dadof3smallboys we are currently having same issue DC having to isolate for two weeks as staff member positive. No word on fees so I have emailed awaiting reply. Hope you get sorted

Had a response back today saying they can't refund fees but willing to bank extra hours to take at another time. Stating they will be in financial hardship. But from what I understand other children who weren't in contact still attending staff member will only get stat sick pay which employed will claim back and they are eligible for business grants through council. I know it's tough for lots of people but wondering if this happens again and again how is that fair? In the mean time we are back to trying to work from home with toddler, plenty in this situation will have no choice but to take unpaid leave and still have to pay full fees in top

Only a small proportion of your fees will pay the staff member. There will be lots of fixed costs, like rent, heating, cleaning etc. If you pay £50 a day and they have sent 4 children home, they are definitely not paying that staff member £200 a day!

I understand you aren't getting a service and want compensation, but equally many of these nurseries are genuinely on the brink of going bust. They have been closed, lost lots of families etc. If you are being offered to bank the hours and aren't in genuine financial hardship yourself, I think that is fair. If you have to take unpaid leave, it is trickier. Good luck for a tough 2 weeks!

We have been charged in full for isolating - and received no reply to my email questioning this.

If you want somewhere for you child to go after isolating, I don't understand why you would query paying?! Only a small proportion of your fees will pay the staff member, and if your hours are kept for you that's income they lose. Lose too much and the nursery closes. They are closing so quickly in our area its devastating! In March our nursery closed but I was happy to pay full fees so that the place would survive and my children could return at some point. I think its a shitty thing to do to try and wriggle out of paying.