Question about increaed childminding costs

[strawberry]

DS has been with lovely childminder for over a year now. He starts nursery soon and childminder will drop him off and pick him up with the other children. The childminder wants us to continue to pay her full daily rate even though ds will be out at nursery for 2.5 hours. The reason is that she wouldn't be able to fill the gap with another child which I do understand. But nursery isn't free so we are going to end up paying nearly £50 per day. Is this usual? Thanks

Anyone?

Yes it is usual

And actually if you think of it from her POV its fair too (sorry I know it doesn't feel it to you) .. because by taking your child she cannot take another child who would stay the whole day .. so if she wants her 'salary' to stay the same she would have to refuse to take your child any more rather than agree to do school drop offs

is your child over 3 .. why isn't the nursery free for the 2.5 hours a week?

Thanks Twiglett. DS is not quite 3 - not sure how charges work at nursery. Yes I do see that she would lose out just that we are paying twice.

strawberry - from the term after the child turns three then you can claim for 5 sessions at nursery a week I think.
My ds1 starts at nursery soon, and so we are in the same situation as you in that we will have to pay the childminder when he's not there, but as Twiglett said its only fair as she can't find someone to take the place. We have to pay for nursery for a term before we can claim the money, but we have chosen for him to start now. Could you delay his start until the funding is available?

Unfortunately, this is the way it works. If your ds is ill or the nursery have a day off (or half-terms, holidays) then presumably you will still need the childminder to have him at those times so there is no way that she can offer even a part-time place to another child. My ds2 is now at nursery for 5 sessions a week and my nanny therefore has a lot of free, paid time at home. However, with the funding for the nursery, this actually covers his sessions so the net result to me is the same. Perhaps as someone else suggested you could delay his start date until he turns 3?

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Nursery is an added activity for him with an associated added cost. I don't think you can expect your costs to stay the same.

it is usual around here

unfortunately

Also - how close are you to the nursery. If your DS was poorly would you collect from Nursery or are you too far away...if CM would have to then she should be paid.

eg whilst C/Ming my dd is at school - but I have to leave an 'empty' space for her in case she is sick.

So if C/M was to collect DS if he were poorly or the nursery closed (due to an accident, no heating or flood etc). If she had replaced him then she would be 'overminding' and could be closed down.

However if your just 5mins from nursery and could drop everything to collect - then maybe another C/M would be more ameniable. (but then again she might not)