Advice please when childminder's own child is ill...

[Oberon]

I'm a mum who sends child to childminder and unsure where I stand on this one, don't want to make a fuss for the sake of good relations, but a little confused: was informed by childminder evening before that her own child was ill (diarrhea). Therefore kept my child home. But was later informed that daily charge still stands as she was open for business as usual. Can that be right? Advice welcomed please.

[sarah707]

Diarrhoea and / or sickness means a 48 hour exclusion under normal circumstances - and that works both ways - childminder or parent.

If the childminding provision is closed because of diarrhoea and / or sickness then the childminder would not normally charge.

if the childminder is saying they are open for business then I am assuming it is an older child who is ill and old enough to be totally quarantined and that bathrooms, food times etc were not shared - as this would put other children and adults in the provision at risk of catching the illness which is unacceptable under the requirements of the EYFS - our statutory framework.

You need to go back to your contracts / fees policy. It should clearly state when you do and do not pay. If it doesn't then you need to do some research into what a contract should say and organise a meeting with your childminder to talk it through.

I hope that helps you.

[BucksCM]

When your cm told you of her child's illness did she say that she would be closed the following day?
How old is her child?
When did you advise her that you were not sending your chiild in and did you tell her it was because her child was ill?
Did she then tell you that she was open anyway?

[Oberon]

Thanks for your prompt response. Childminder's child normally goes to a nursery but had to be kept home for reasons you mentioned, and not sure that total quarantine would have been possible.
I did refer to contract which mentions only childminder's illness (no charge) and my child's illness (normal charge). Childminder's position is that it wast choice whether to risk infection or not...

[dette]

i have had this situation with one my older children being sick.informed parents ,told them they wouldnt be incontact with DD and gave them option of not coming ,i told them i would not be charging if they chose not to come,all came and nobody else was sick.
did you have the option to send LO in

[Chimps Childminding]

I would have thought that if she made a point of letting you know that her child was ill I would assume that she was closing due to the child's illness If that was the case I wouldn't expect to be charged! But as others have said it really depends on what is on the contract!

My children were older when I started minding and would have stayed upstairs/out of the way if they were ill, but I always gave the parents the option of whether to send their child if this was the case, and if they chose not to, I didn't charge!!

[The Juggler]

i think it depends whether she gave you a choice or not and whether she was able to contain the illness - i.e.. upstairs if it was an older child.

If she called and said her child was sick and you could choose to send or not send but didn't say your child would not be in contact with her child then I don't see how she can charge you. Rightly she should be closed and therefore cannot really charge.

[silvermist]

My dd was sick during the night last night, shes 15 and more than capable of looking after herself however, our bathroom is downstairs and she would need to use it so I rang parents and told them, all of them said they would keep their children off so I closed for the day, I have no mindees in tomorrow anyway. I wont be charging the parents for today. x

[Becci26]

If it were my child that was ill with diarrhea then I would be closing for business and definitely would not be charging parents.

Please speak to your childminder about it, I hope you sort it out

[mrs robbie williams]

im assuming when she informed you her child was ill she explained it was up to you if your still wanted lo to attend as she was still opening? in which case if you made the decision not to send lo then full fee would apply, however, if she said she was closing due to illness then no fee should apply

[Oberon]

When your cm told you of her child's illness did she say that she would be closed the following day?
How old is her child?
When did you advise her that you were not sending your chiild in and did you tell her it was because her child was ill?
Did she then tell you that she was open anyway?

Her child is 3. No she didn't say she was closed but said that she shouldn't have my child, but if I was willing to send child then child would run the risk of catching it (gastro enteritis). At that point I replied that would keep child home. It was only when I enquired about charges in this situation 2 days later ( when child returned) that I was told she had been open for business as usual...

[dette]

in those surcumstances she really shouldnt have opened or ...at the very least gave option or not attending with no charge or attend at own risk IMO

[blue bear]

Her child is 3. No she didn't say she was closed but said that she shouldn't have my child, but if I was willing to send child then child would run the risk of catching it (gastro enteritis). At that point I replied that would keep child home. It was only when I enquired about charges in this situation 2 days later ( when child returned) that I was told she had been open for business as usual...

Have you a copy of her sickness policy, what does it say on there about her own child being poorly?

[FussyElmo]

Lets be honest the cm shouldnt be saying my child is ill but its ok if you want to risk your child being ill!!!!! The child is 3 and will not be quarantined and able to look after itself and in all honestly will want their mum.

Yes its annoying that we lose pay in these circumstances.

If I was your cm you wouldnt have been given a choice of attending and you wouldnt be paying

[Oberon]

Have you a copy of her sickness policy, what does it say on there about her own child being poorly?

Only mention of sickness on contract is of her sickness in which case no charge. Should there be a separate sickness policy aside from contract?

[Oberon]

Lets be honest the cm shouldnt be saying my child is ill but its ok if you want to risk your child being ill!!!!! The child is 3 and will not be quarantined and able to look after itself and in all honestly will want their mum.

Yes its annoying that we lose pay in these circumstances.

If I was your cm you wouldnt have been given a choice of attending and you wouldnt be paying

Thanks for your response - yes that's kind of what I was thinking should have happened, and now she's told me that there is a charge as normal because she was open for business as normal, I'm a bit perplexed, and don't know how to proceed now without causing offense...

[BucksCM]

Her child is 3. No she didn't say she was closed but said that she shouldn't have my child, but if I was willing to send child then child would run the risk of catching it (gastro enteritis). At that point I replied that would keep child home. It was only when I enquired about charges in this situation 2 days later ( when child returned) that I was told she had been open for business as usual...

She's trying to cover herself, IMO, by not making it clear. That way she can still charge.
In the situation you have described, you should not have to pay.
BUT you do need to look at your contract and check what you have signed before any "dispute"

[margimum]

When your childminder said she was 'open' do you know if any children did attend?
A 3year old cannot be quarantined in this circumstance imo
so she couldn't reasonably expect to be able to keep your child safe. I don't think you should have been made to choose to send or not, so in your position I would be witholding payment for this day.

[blue bear]

Only mention of sickness on contract is of her sickness in which case no charge. Should there be a separate sickness policy aside from contract?

Childminders don't have to have a sickness policy, they do need to have regard for health and safety legislation though, try looking that up and the revised eyfs, Im sorry cant give you a definite answer as each childminder write their own contracts and policies.

[Cinderbella]

My contracts say that childminder illness no charge and I apply this to my children also! You shouldn't pay that... She shouldn't have opened! Mine had chicken pox once and I offered to work however anyone who kept their children off were not charged!