Corona Child Care Rant

Here in Australia the government has just provided funding for childcare nurseries to stay open and childcare for key workers is now free. Maybe everyone should be lobbying their MP for a similar arrangement in the UK.

I have just checked that. It's actually free for all workers in the current crisis.

Hope a stiff solicitor’s letter will get these bullies off her back. They sound unhinged so perhaps not the best people to leave small children with. Sadly there will be people who will pay up because of the intimidation.

My single parent ds continues to pay his registered child minder at 50% as a retainer until the government days it's ok for her to operate again. This is because he wants and needs the place when all gets back to normal. she is a good child minder and lives conveniently in the next street. Fortunately he is working from home and doesn't need alternative care.

Ignore nursery 1. No contract was even available to agree to..

For them to demand continuing fees they would need a signed contract - like you would have for a private school. Reply to them saying that you are having to pay an alternative nursery as they are closed and cannot afford both.

Don’t worry about bailiffs they would need a court order first and I don’t give them much chance of getting one. It’s tough on all of us, they can apply for government help as we can.

DD 3 has had the same with child minder who needs to be paid even though DGS can’t attend, in addition her ex has cut the child support due to being furloughed and so she is even worse off!

I meant to say she is even worse off than she expected not that she is worse off than others! I can see child minders point of view and she has asked for 50% fees as retainer but it’s a real struggle for DD

V3ra, that was a really helpful post! Legalities will be useful.

Thank you Hithere. I am copying your post to my daughter. That sounds excellent

Give the first nursery the finger.

Nursery No 1 is not within its rights to charge fees for a service it isn't providing, and a quick call to one of the national newspapers would have this behaviour brought to the attention of the government daily briefing very quickly. Moreover, if this nursery wishes to keep afloat and retain its staff it has the government furlough scheme to help it, and let's face it, nurseries are money-making rackets for the owners as they pay their staff a pittance and charge exorbitant fees. Most of their owners are living luxurious lives. I have seen this for years as I know several.
Your DD is very courageous and altruistic returning to work after maternity leave. She's a frontline worker whom Nursery No 1 is trying to 'do over'. The owners/management need to be held to account for this. It's an issue that needs raising in public for quick answers and a call to a newspaper journalist would be the thing to do.
Frankly,

problem is she loves the nursery number 1 - the staff are fabulous - it is the owners who are doing all this. She has no desire to clobber the excellent employees - I think there is a groundswell against these b*****s locally and at the moment it is stand off time. No others are doing it and we do have a nursery owner in the wider family who immediately sent a round robin to his clients saying please don't pay if you cant. Obviously something would be helpful to keep us afloat but no way is it compulsory to keep your place when all this is over. He is taking a huge hit but as he says so is everyone. Its time to look after each other. He is one of the good guys.

I would recommend that she “tough it out” as well. I can’t imagine any establishment going to court over this, there would be so much bad press for them. Horrible situation to be put into though. I hope it all works out.

Our hospital has provided childcare to ensure staff able to work, have a word with hospital first. My daughters nursery have closed but have not asked for any fees.

Why doesn't Nursery No.1 take advantage of the Government's support for small companies?

I don’t know how this works as I work in a private nursery and if the child hasn’t started she couldn’t have been paying fees till she took up the place confused? If she is taking a child out of a nursery she would have to give a months notice but has the Child already started? Because if not she is just not taking up a place that actually isn’t there at the moment ash well so they can’t make her pay for something that isn’t being offered.

My DGD’s childminder has to be paid 50% fees although she’s unlikely to ever return as due to start school in September but it’s written in the contract they signed, as is paying if she’s ill or on holiday or over Christmas break etc. So has she signed Anything? If so she should have a copy of it and should refer to that. If it was verbal it’s a bit more difficult as technically still an agreement or contract of sorts but obviously she’s not fully aware of what she’s agreeing to. Personally I’d check for any paperwork that I might have, confirm I wasn’t contractually obligated to pay and if not then counter the threats with the local newspaper/Facebook groups publicity and threats of going to the police if they continue to threaten you with extortion

hondagirl in the UK the only government funding available is for the three and four year olds: 15 hours a week for all and 30 hours if parents work.
That is continuing to be paid regardless of whether the provider can open or not.

If a provider has to close eg because of illness or self-isolating themselves, and a keyworker has to use another provider, in that situation the government funding will be paid again so nobody loses out.

We are only allowed to care for keyworkers' children or vulnerable children at present, so without any of those on the register we have to close anyway.

V3ra that is correct and no one wanted to close I know I’m desperate to get back but these are unprecedented times and rules will still apply. The moment the doors open I’ll be there!

How awful for your DD Grananarchist as if she hasn't enough stress returning to work at such a time. She should get in touch with her local authority who are responsible for coordinating child care for key workers. There is a lot of guidance on this at www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures
I also think it might be possible that the nursery is going to try to claim the financial help available which really they shouldn't be able to do as they don't seem to have made much effort to stay open or offer other help. Hope she gets things sorted.

Yes my grand daughter is still paying Nursery that my Great Grand daughter goes (went) to altho its shut. The argument being is something about needing it after all this is over - I was shocked too. I suppose f they rent a hall or something they may need to still pay rent - I don't know the ins and outs and don't feel I should interfere. Justwonder if its the same one - Rottingdean??

I think she should email and ask if their staff have been furloughed. If not she could suggest they get advice on this!
Claiming twice seems to be a loophole here!
She should also tell them that she is seeking advice!
Also she has the option of not answering her door to anyone and as the nursery now appear to be employing bullying tactics she can get advice on that too!
Good luck to her and thank you to them both for their dedication.

The best thing your daughter could do is to pass the problem on to her solicitor. A letter from him or her should sort things out.

There will be plenty of people in the same situation, and I doubt anyone knows whether the nursery are entitled to expect payment.

It seems unreasonable that they demand payment for a service they are not able to render, but ignoring their demand is very likely to land your daughter in trouble.

It might be sufficient for her to write to the nursery withdrawing her child from it. After all if she had moved away, they couldn't expect her to pay their fees, but do get legal advice.

Whilst it seems at face value that the nursery is pushing their luck, I think it very much depends on the wording of the contract she has signed with the nursery - which of course is legally binding.

My daughter works in a nursery, and she has been furloughed although the nursery was going to continue to open for children of key workers.

However, they gave their parents the option of giving them one month's notice or paying 50% fees to retain the place for when thing return to normal.

However, my daughter has received an email yesterday saying they are considering the possibility of making redundancies, so who knows what's going on there.

I agree she needs to tell them she can't pay nursery 1 as shebis a key worker and needs to pay a nursery that will take her child. When this is over can she just stay with nursery 2 and leave nursery 1.
I doubt they would be able to take her to court. Also I doubt she would lose her place either.
I understand nurseries are struggling but if they have closed they can claim 80%of staff wages and get a grant. Its not easy but your daughter can't be expected to pay two lots of nursery fees