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

[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!

[Oberon]

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.

Apparently other children did attend, I only found this out retrospectively. Which puts me in a difficult position in as much as she was clearly open (I now know), but her text to me had implied that I really shouldn't be sending lo to her (and why would I if lo might catch gastro enteritis)...

[Oberon]

thanks to everyone who posted advice. think I need to take a deep breath and brace myself for a bit of a discussion...

[BucksCM]

If you put it all across clearly hopefully she'll see that not being clear to you has caused this situation and if it was me, I would just mark it up to experience and not charge this time. If your contract doesn't make things clear, maybe you could both agree to a review and make it clearer? Ask to see her sickness policy too
Good luck
Do let us know what she says?

[BuggsieMoo]

I wonder though, if you had sent LO to her (as she was open but advised you not to send your own little one) and your LO got ill, would she then refuse to have your LO until they were well again to reduce the risk of cross infection. Lets be fair now, if you would not be able to send your child with this illness, should she really have opened?

My own LO had this some time back and is now dairy intolerant because of it. She was very ill with it, she couldnt be contained in a room and like another poster said, needed mummy. I wouldnt have dreamed of opening, let alone charging for it!

As for sickness - if it is something that is a choice i.e.e chickenpox, some parents want theirs to get it, some dont - I offer them to come at normal fee or stay home at no fee. If there is a reason someone cannot attend the setting due to me or my children (particularly illness) then I think it is immoral to charge when a parent keeps their child at home for safeguarding against illness, particulary if it is something I have suggested they do!

I hope you get this sorted out.

[Oberon]

Thanks to BuggsieMoo and Bucks CM, it's reassuring to hear your p.o.v. - and that they are similar to what I was thinking too.
In my head I've written off the money for the sake of not making an argument (she's made it quite clear the fee stands) but will suggest that some clarity is brought to the contract for future situations.
BucksCm - will let you know what's said!
Thanks again.