childminders 'additional costs' am i being unreasonable here?

brians_daughter

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Just to put another point of view. Although it all adds up, is an extra 8.50 a week really too much to pay to keep your child where s/he's happy and with a childminder you like so much?

I'm sure that you're technically in the right about this but could you be cutting off your nose to spite your face?

Hi ONW,its not just £8.50 a week tho, as in original post she is also saying if i want my monday pm place i need to pay for an am place as well - making it an additional £28.50 per week. If if was just the £8.50 then i would have no issues. But, in all honestey i just cant stretch to an extra £120 pcm.

p-pincher

Good for you for standing your ground, i think shes being outrageous. Theres no way i'd let a childminder take 2 small children to a swimming pool on her own never mind the fact that shes actually charging you for it.

Trying to charge you for a full day on a monday in my opinion is daylight robbery and her reason for trying to do it is laughable, maybe when she realises that you and another parent are not prepared to put up with it she may back down but tbh if it was me i would feel like the relationship she has with both you and your child doesnt really mean anything and thats she basically trying to rip you off. Good luck x

julie03

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Just to put another point of view. Although it all adds up, is an extra 8.50 a week really too much to pay to keep your child where s/he's happy and with a childminder you like so much?

I'm sure that you're technically in the right about this but could you be cutting off your nose to spite your face?

not just 8.50 per week tho its an extra £120 per month as the childminder has said he needs to go all day monday as well

JabT_2

Isn't 11-2 an odd time for a playgroup? It'd be full of cranky kids wanting a nap or feeding!

anonymousie

Just watch out if you and the other mum do take the kids out and do some form of "childcare swap" .This can be construed as regular paid child care (the "payment " being that you are having your child cared for in return) and therefore fall under the realms of needing to be registered and Ofsted checked yourselves:eek:

Obviously this would only becme a problem if "someone" reported you, but if you leave the CM together and leave her in a bit of a sticky place, you can bet "someone" wOULD report you....

fawd1

just in response to previous poster. Whilst you do need to be Ofsted registered if you and this other mum were to look after each others children in your own home (it's considered to be payment in kind), it is worth noting that if this other mum were to come to YOUR house to look after your children, and vice versa, neither you nor she would have to register with ofsted, as it would then fall under the realms of babysitting, not childminding. Bizzare I know, but a possible way to work it? Just remember that if you look after someone elses children in their own home then there are very different rules (virtually none actually) regarding this.

dangers

Things have moved on in the last few months regarding reciprocal childcare.
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0183 explains it all. (Hope the link works!)

I am a bit out of the loop with regard to toddler group fees as I do no longer c/mind pre-schoolers, but imo £3 and £3.50 seem a bit steep per child. That would mean a mum with two kids would be paying £6/7 per session - don't think I would do that as a parent. Who's to say as well that she isn't putting these fees through her accounts.

Oldernotwiser

brians_daughter wrote: »

Hi ONW,its not just £8.50 a week tho, as in original post she is also saying if i want my monday pm place i need to pay for an am place as well - making it an additional £28.50 per week. If if was just the £8.50 then i would have no issues. But, in all honestey i just cant stretch to an extra £120 pcm.

I do appreciate that but at least you're actually getting something for the other money. Won't another child free morning be beneficial to your studies?

Sorry, can't rememnber whether you're studying full or part time; if the former, could you claim extra Childcare Grant to fund this?

Bitsy_Beans

I am a CM. Personally I think her approach to all this has been a bit harsh. She really should have consulted parents before a raft of new expenses was landed in your lap. At the end of the day we are supposed to work in partnership with parents and I don't feel this approach is going to do anything to strengthen that.
With regards to the Monday it's not in your contract then you really shouldn't be obliged to pay. However not sure where you will stand if she decides to review your contract. That does smack of money grabbing since she's now got a space to fill.

OK re the swimming she has an assistant but even so I'd never want to take someone elses children swimming. Too much stress for my liking.

I take one of my mindees to soft play centre along with my kids. His entrance fee alone is £3.55 but I am not obliged to take him. It suits me and MY children and at the end of the day I claim this back as an expense rather than ask parent for money (although she's offered to pay).

Hope you can speak to her and explain these charges are adding pressure to your finances. At the end of the day she'll lose a great deal more money if you take your business elsewhere........

G51shopaholic

I would check if she has additional insurance cover for these extra trips.
It would be worth asking her about this.
As other parents have said YOU EMPLOY HER - she isn't doing this out the goodness of her heart.
Personally I would NEVER allow anyone to take my young child swimming.