Childcare problems

LandOfGreenGinger

Hello everyone,
I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post but here goes...
I've a son who's mother I am now separated with and his childcare providers are his grandparents on her side as we both work (they are ofsted approved/registered).
The details are a little tricky, basically because she gets relevant benefits the child care is paid for, which I find odd because both her and her new boyfriend work (whom she is living with)
Things have gotten a little strained between us (me and my ex) over the past month or so, and now his childcare providers have said they will only have him when she needs them too. I have never seen or signed a single bit of paper work and everything to with this arrangement has been through my ex.
I'd just like some advice on this, should I dig a little deeper or shall I just let it go and seek other arrangements?

FBaby

I'm confused what the issue is and what advice you need. I assume if they are (or I assume one of them is) ofsted approved, they are official childminder. Are you saying that they used to care for your son more hours than your ex worked? If that is the case, she is entitled to claim for more childcare hours than the hours she works (don't agree with this, but that's another matter.

Why would you need to seek other arrangements?

balletshoes

i'm confused too - what other childcare arrangements does your child need, if they are living with mum and grandparents childmind for the child when mum needs them to?

whitewing

I believe it is possible for the grandparents to be paid, and a proportion of childcare costs claimed via tax credits as long as gp are ofsted registered and have non-related children too.

Are gp saying that they won't have him when it's your turn to have him? Very petty , or maybe they are fed up with bing caught in the middle but let it go and make other arrangements. Nothing lasts forever anyway so just roll with the changes as they happen. Forget about revenge and use your energy in ensuring your child is well cared for and happy when you have them.

FBaby

Maybe that's it, OP has the child also during the week and therefore uses the same childcare during these working days. If that is the case, you might need to look for other arrangements, but your ex should still claim these and pay for it as she claim child tax credits for the child. It would be really callous of her to only claim for the days the child is with her parents, leaving you to pay for amount for the other provider. Hope I got this wrong.

LandOfGreenGinger

Thanks for the replies, I'm sorry my post was a little obscure

Basically when we separated we agreed on having joint custody so he's spend an equal time with both of us, as well as this his grandparent who are registered child care providers agree'd to provide care on days where we both needed them, ie; after school for a couple of hours on a monday and friday for me, wednesday and thursday for her, as this was the days we agreed he would spend with each of us.
Now relations with her have become strained, her parents have said they would not provide care on the days they were doing for my benefit.
They are professional childcare providers and the days he is not with them are still paid for to keep his place.

pmlindyloo

FBaby wrote: »

Maybe that's it, OP has the child also during the week and therefore uses the same childcare during these working days. If that is the case, you might need to look for other arrangements, but your ex should still claim these and pay for it as she claim child tax credits for the child. It would be really callous of her to only claim for the days the child is with her parents, leaving you to pay for amount for the other provider. Hope I got this wrong.

If this is the case then I would call their bluff and start looking for other child care arrangements for your days. Does the school run an after school club? Is there another parent who would like some extra money for looking after your child for these extra hours?

I find this absolutely unbelievable that they would use a child like this. Plain nasty since they are being paid anyway. Hope this is all hot air.

Personally if I had a private arrangement as regards child support I would be deducting the child care fees from that. After all she is receiving both CB and CTC for the child.

GobbledyGook

Charging for the Monday and Friday to keep his space is only acceptable if the child is going to be attending on those days again. So if he was on holiday it would be ok. However if they are refusing to take him on those days then they are in the wrong billing for them. Just like they don't charge for the Wednesday because he doesn't go - they shouldn't be charging for Monday and Friday if they've withdrawn the care.

Does your employer do childcare vouchers? Double check. I'm sure only one person can claim the tax credits, but double check anyway. If they are all going to be funny then you'd be better off sorting your own independent childcare. You might find there are after school clubs or even another childminder who you can send him too. At least that way you'd have control over the situation and wouldn't be subject to the whims of your ex-inlaws.

jetplane

I am guessing that your son stays with you 3 nights or less per week to enable your ex to claim the child benefit and child tax credits unless there is another reason that she claims. Your maintenance payments should be adjusted to reflect this.

If they are osfted registered then they should be behaving as a professional childminder would. So for the purpose of this issue lets imagine they are not related and are independent childminders.

They do not have your son for your benefit they have them for their own as it is a business. Yes you have to pay a childminder to retain a place but only while that place is available, they are stating that the place is no longer available to you as a parent.

Do you pay for the childcare on the days that you have custody? If so then then effectively the childminder is saying that she is unavailable on your days and you will have to find childcare elsewhere. I would check notice agreements in your childcare agreement.

OR

Does your ex pay childcare and receive child care tax credits for 4 sessions per week? If it is the latter then the agreement is between your ex and the childminder and the only variable is that you collect them on two sessions.

If this is the case and the childminder is saying they will not have your son on two of those sessions then your ex must inform tax credits that her costs have reduced and the childminder must not be paid for these sessions otherwise it is fraud and you can report your ex to tax credits and the childminder to ofsted.

It is very unprofessional for any childminder to use a child in this way and I would be reporting them to ofsted for that reason. As a childcare provider how are their actions contributing towards the child's' well being and learning? I am sure they would not welcome a spot inspection.

Childminders have to jump through enough hoops as it is. It would be interesting to have a childminders view on this.

pinkladyof66

i am somewhat surprised that the grand parents would do this seems a bit petty as after all the child is their grand son... to say they will not look after him when it is your time is not right.. as others have said they are registered childminders so why are they doing this. i could totally understand if they were not childminders and were just looking after him free whilst you both work. as you have split i would say yes they could say they wont have him when you need them to. but to say that when they are getting paid is out of order. and it seems as if the childs wishes/needs are not being met here. to get another childminder and arrangement would break the routine and i do hope if you have to go down this route that your child settles in pretty soon. i think the g/p are being petty and can understand how you are feeling.

Mojisola

jetplane wrote: »

Does your ex pay childcare and receive child care tax credits for 4 sessions per week? If it is the latter then the agreement is between your ex and the childminder and the only variable is that you collect them on two sessions.

If this is the case and the childminder is saying they will not have your son on two of those sessions then your ex must inform tax credits that her costs have reduced and the childminder must not be paid for these sessions otherwise it is fraud and you can report your ex to tax credits and the childminder to ofsted.

This is what occurred to me - they can't take the money but refuse to have the child!