Nursery dilemma....

di7868

Hi all
I hope you can help
My ten mth old son started nursery last month when i returned to work from maternity and he is settling in brillantly - in fact so well i have asked work if i can return full time and he has a full time place. We have got the routine going well - a few hiccups - nothing major.
Anyway today i was off work and popped into nursery to pick something up and all was fine at the nursery.
When i got home i picked up the free local paper that comes through the door and theres a big story on my nursery under threat of closure!!!
It appears, although I read it in a rush and state of panic, that it was set up for the local community to help people back to work (I live on a regenerated council estate) and the local council have waived 5 yrs rent on their seven year lease. From what I have read they are now asking for backdated rent totalling 12k/p.a. The nursery already makes a monthly loss (which is subsidised by the local communities budget). With the new debt it appears that budget cant cover it and may have to close the nursery.
I am gobsmacked and have no comprehension of whether this is commonplace with nurseries! I have a million questions and will try to be concise.... any advice before i speak to the nursery most welcome.

• Shouldnt the parents be notified first before it hits the paper (the nursery have just taken on new staff so may not have been aware)
• What sort of waiting list would there be for another OFSTED registered nursery ( I registered when I was 6 months pregnant and got the last baby place for a years time :eek: )
• What sort of notice will the nursery be given for an evicition order, as I will need to register with another
• Does this usually happen to nurseries and then the council does an about turn.
• It says to contact my local councillor if I oppose this debt, etc, how do I go about this.
• Does this sound like its at a late stage its being reported on or very early days i.e. a year or two away

I am really worried as I am a single parent, when I found out I was pregnant my partner ran off never to be seen again. I have worked so hard to be able to be self sufficient and bought a house on my own and kept down a demanding job. Now my mind is racing that if the nursery closed tomorrow (worst case scenario) I would need to take a career break for however long it took to get a new nursery. I have no family nearby to helpout on a long term basis and his family have no involvement. My career break would be unpaid, as would my bills, mortgage, etc. Then I will end up in arrears, bankrupt, lose the house, as you can see I am envisaging this as a life ruining moment(!) which I suppose it is really as all the above could happen. Ok I know its day one and hopefully a resolution will be found but I hate my future being in someone elses hands as I like to be in control of important decisions and I am really worried.
Can anyone advise me if they have any experience/knowledge. Also when I take my son into nursery tomorrow should I speak to someone? If so what do I ask/say?
PS This may be the wrong board so apologies if it is!

alwaysonthego_2

I think you are thinking too far ahead and need to take a breather. if the worse came to the worse and you had to take an unpaid break from work then you need to check whether you can take a payment break from your mortgage. You need to check with your mortgage company.

I would either ask at the nursery and see what is going on and maybe look for alternative childcare. Good luck!

di7868

Thanks for the response - I know im going into panic overdrive but i spose its just the worry that Ive worked so hard and now something out of my control could ruin it. I know what your saying and will try to breath lol!!
I know I cant take a mtg break as I asked when I was on unpaid maternity. Although having said that Im remortgaging in 2 - 3 months so maybe something I should look out for
Thank you

Gingham_Ribbon

Are nursery putting together a committee to fight this and what are they doing about it? Presumably the ball is already rolling if they've gone to the paper, but what about parents having their say/kids with banners outside the place etc? Have the council given a statement explaining their actions? Is it even legal?

It's hard to take on a local council but you may find that they can get the decision overturned with the right pressure - have staff been in touch with their local councillor?

whitewing

The newspaper story is likely to show a worse case scenario to try to horrify people into supporting a fight to keep it open.

Do a google search or look in the paper to find your local MP (they often have a column in the local paper). Email or visit their Saturday surgery to discuss the issue. Don't panic yet.

alwaysonthego_2

You sound like you're doing a good job and it is never easy worknig and caring for children. For peace of mind you should look for alternative child care which means you can look for something you are happy with rather than a rush decision.

Lunar_Eclipse

di7868 wrote: »

Hi all
I hope you can help

Well if it helps, I experienced something very similar when my girls started at a new nursery in 2003.

The nursery rented space in a building owned by somebody else and was supposed to be being rebuilt. I didn't know this at the time we started. There were a few planning applications submitted during our time there and I was sure I'd need to find a new nursery. Well nothing happened in the 3 years that 'we' went there! And still the status quo remains, 5 years on! So panic, not.

But I would ask the Manager about the article. And see if you get an idea of 'likely timeframe' should it happen. Then at least you know where you stand and how long you are likely to have to sort out an alternative. You may find that some of the helpers start up something new in a new location. Or one or two staff members might become childminders.

It will all be fine.

Gingham_Ribbon

alwaysonthego wrote: »

You sound like you're doing a good job and it is never easy worknig and caring for children. For peace of mind you should look for alternative child care which means you can look for something you are happy with rather than a rush decision.

You're right (especially the first bit!) I'd say though that one of the reasons they may have held back on talking to parents is that if too many people jump ship, they'll have to close whether or not it was going to happen otherwise. Though obviously, the OP must do what is best for her, NOT the nursery.

sooty&sweep

Hi

Why don't you contact your local councilor or the early years team at your local authority or county council ?

It is unlikely that a local authority would do anything deliberately to jeopardise a nursery in the position you describe as they would want to do all they could to help people return to work.

I hope it all works out OK

di7868

Thanks everybody for your replies - you have all reassured me. I did wonder whether this was going to be an ongoing saga until my son starts school - and for all i know this could have been going on for the 5 yrs they have been open.
I will think about looking into other back up nurserys and timescales to book but as Gingham says it may be that they are worried we will all jump ship.
Tbh as my sons happy I wouldnt move him on the 'what if' factor.
I will definately look into who my councillor is and state my case - although the only case I can plead really is it would cost the taxpayers more if all the parents at my nursery cant work because there are no childcare facilities.
Just had another thought but the nursery is Tiggywinkles, which I believe is a franchise, so i suppose there is no kind of contingency from the outright owners, as the franchisee is left to sink or swim, am i right?