Nursery Fees

Howells

My little girl is just about to go off to Nursery for the first time :-(. I've just discovered that although the Nursery will be shut for a week over Christmas, our monthly fees don't take this into account. They can't charge me for a service that's not there....can they?

Has anyone else experienced this?

littlemissfrugal

common practice I'm afraid same as with Bank Holidays best to book them out as holiday allowance if you can

carol_a_3

Probably, it's called a retainer and will ensure your place is kept open. They still have to pay their rates, loans/rent, water bills, insurance, electricity for security lights etc etc and the staff will most likely be on paid holiday. I think you will find it's normal practise. When I was a registered childminder I used to charge half fees as a retainer.

Lady_E

Both of the nurseries that my sons have attended automatically charged for bank holidays as a retainer. They also do not give refunds for the days that the boys did not attend either, due to sickness or holidays . hth x

june1970_2

i am the same i charge full fee for bank holidays and if the child is not with me.

Older_but_not_wiser_2

Our two are going into nursery 2 days a week from March '06 , and we don't even get our two week summer holiday free. Have to pay all year round to keep the place - and it's not cheap either.

It's the price you have to pay for private nursery care in this country unfortunately.

Katinkka

Our nursery doesn't charge for bank holidays and is open most of the time through christmas too. Its not the norm but its a good nursery and this is just one of the benefits.

Woby_Tide

ours doesn't charge for any holidays they impose i.e. 1 week at xmas and easter, any self imposed holidays are still charged but we expected that

carpool72

We're not charged for imposed holidays ie Christmas week & BHs and are allowed up to 4 weeks 1/2 price over the rest of the year for our holidays. My sister's childminder charges her for the weeks she (the childminder) is on holiday which is apparently not unusual (I thought it was outrageous!)

katglasgow

My sons nursery calculate a "session fee" - this is £15 per half day for a 2 year old. He attends for 3 1/2 days a week so we pay for 7 sessions per week.
They are closed for 2 weeks over Christmas and our monthly direct debits are calculate evenly over the course of the year as: 7 sessions x £15 = £105 pw x 50 weeks = £5,250 pa / 12 months = £437.50 per month
It means I need to take a few of my own personal days holiday over CHristmas to get exactly the right no days off but I dint really mind. You still have to pay fees when you are on summer holidays etc... as they still have to pay the nursery nurse's salaries.

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi

When DD was younger and we were both working (pre-illness..lol) we had to pay ten weeks upfront and there were no concessions for bank holiday/holidays/illnesses etc. Having to find £1250 every 10 weeks was a pain in the bum but necessary to enable us to work. This is going back 6/7 years ago, so dread to think what costs are now :eek:

PP
xx