giving notice for another contract.

[ja-lula-belli]

Hi all I am after some reassurance I suppose.
I am still very new to childninding and am building up my mindees.
I have one child on a Tuesday but have only had her for 2 weeks (still within settling in) I have just now had an enquiry for 3 days including the Tuesday.
Really it's a no brainer to take on the 3 dayer and lose the one than to lose the opportunity for all the extra income.
I feel really bad even thinking it tho.
Is this something we all need to do from time to time ?.I suppose I need my business head on not my friendly head on.
At the end of the day I'm supposed to be making money am I not??

[chris goodyear]

I'm afraid I think it is really unprofessional to give notice for this reason but I suppose it depends on how much you need the income. What reason would you give to the parent unless it is because you really need the extra money which may soften the blow a bit. You will get more enquiries and be able to fill your spaces without letting anyone down. Probably some people will say you don't have to give a reason but I would find that very hard to do and the parent would be left wondering why it didn't work out. I try not to give notice unless the placement has really broken down even if I'm put out for a while but everyone's circumstances are different so only you will know what you are comfortable with.

[AliceK]

Personally it is not something I would do. I have taken on lots of part-timers / 1 day contracts over the years and then someone else has enquired wanting more hours but morally I wouldn't do it. If I had told mum at the beginning that I needed more days and that if someone else came along I may have to terminate that would be different but otherwise No I wouldn't I would wait for someone who wanted the spaces I had available. All of my EY's children at the moment are shift-workers and non of them are on FT hours with me but that is what I agreed to when I took them on. I always have enquiries for children needing more hours and I know I could double my income if I took them on and gave my others notice but my loyalty is to the children so unless there is a breakdown in my working relationship with the parents I wont give notice. It's the same reason why I wont take on a funded 2 yr old.
Sorry that's probably not the answer you wanted

xxxx

[Glitter]

I had to give notice to a family recently. I felt so guilty for letting them down, but I also felt I was doing the right thing.

The father of the child summed it up perfectly when he said although they were upset that I wouldn't be able to care for their child any more, I had to do what was right for my family, not theirs.

He made me feel so much better about what I was doing. But be careful and make sure the new family don't change their mind and decide not to use you (this has happened to me a couple of times).

Good luck with your decision.

[LG2014]

Hi,

I have to say I think it unprofessional too. As your new it all about reputation too and word of mouth is way of getting recommendations. Turning a child away when you originally agreed the one day was enough, will confuse parents and may tarnish your reputation as being someone who signs up children then breaks contract.

I would ring back family who enquired about 3 days and say Tues you cant do but can do other days or can just do the 2 days and they find alternative care for Tuesdays.

I a parent who training to be a Childminder and use a Childminder at moment and I feel that this would upset me if childminder said it was ok and then changes mind x

[loocyloo]

Could either child move to another day? You don't know if you don't ask.

I personally wouldn't but you do need to do what is best for you and your family.

[specks4]

Can you not have both of them, how old are children?

[Mouse]

It's not something I have ever done, nor it is something I would ever do.

Not only would I feel unprofessional, but I would also think of the child. They have come to you, albeit for only a short while, but I feel it is unfair to make them settle somewhere else because a better offer has come along for you.

I know the usual arguments are "you're running a business, so should put money first" or "parents wouldn't think twice about dropping us if they needed to", but I'm afraid I don't go with either of those. Yes, we are running businesses, but that doesn't mean we can treat people shoddily and justify it be saying we need the money. And yes, parents may drop us easily when we're no longer needed, but doesn't that make us just as bad if we do the same thing to them?

As someone else has suggested, can you see if the Tuesday child can come another day? If not, I would hold out until another enquiry comes along that fits round them.

[shortstuff]

maybe sit down and have a really good think about it. Are you looking at this from all sides? what if you dont gel with the child who would like 3 days a week or you cant work in partnership with the parents.

I wouldnt ever give notice to a family for the reason of money, i think, but ive never been in the situation where i need to make that decision either. If i get a new enquiry asking for a day im full I say im sorry but I am unable to help. If the new parent wants you to be their CM they will make adjustments to their requirements.

I am currently full on wednesdays and I have had 2 new families work around that. So i know it is possible.

[karen m]

I really could not give notice, I often have enquiries for full time hours but I took on a ad hoc family so sorry I will honour that. The fact ad hoc is leaving in the summer for school I will not take on another family till he has left , I was happy to sign contracts in the beginning .

[VeggieSausage]

I wouldn't do this, you only took them on 2 weeks ago saying you had space, I have lots of one day a weekers and I always find people to fit in around.....

[tulip0803]

I wouldn't either. When I agree something I stick to it unless it really isn't working out. I have a parent who is flexible and if a problem has occurred then they are happy to change days to help.

I have children that come one day a week - one has just turned into 2 days within the settling period

As you are so new you do not yet have a reputation that people can look at and giving notice to your first one so quickly will not help that.

Only you can decide what to do - but when you fill in the data collection for your CSSIW inspection you need to tell CSSIW how many children started with you and how many left in the last year

[rickysmiths]

I had to give notice to a family recently. I felt so guilty for letting them down, but I also felt I was doing the right thing.

The father of the child summed it up perfectly when he said although they were upset that I wouldn't be able to care for their child any more, I had to do what was right for my family, not theirs.

He made me feel so much better about what I was doing. But be careful and make sure the new family don't change their mind and decide not to use you (this has happened to me a couple of times).

Good luck with your decision.

That is so true and if you reverse the situation most parents won't think twice about giving us notice if it suited them so why do we feel so guilty?

[Koala]

This is a really difficult one because I can see what everyone is saying about professionalism, however, who wouldn't change jobs to earn 3 times more money? Not everyone has the luxury of not having to look at the financial aspects and being able to have high 'professional' principles. So whichever way you decide, I would not think badly of you at all. You must do what is best for YOU! and your business, like has been said - if the shoe was on the other foot and parents could reduce their childcare cost by a third - they would and without any guilty feelings - they would be doing cartwheels

Do what is best for you and I wouldn't worry about what other people say.

[VeggieSausage]

The difference about parents giving us notice is that they are paying for a service and if they don't need it or want it anymore it is fair enough to stop. But if we are offering a service to parents and children which is unlike any other because the lives of children are affected and to agree to offer the service and 2 weeks later then ditch them seems very unfair. A family that I looked after the little boy of for nearly 3 years went to another minder when I could not offer the nursery school pickups he needed and she ditched them after 3 weeks as another family with more hours came along, it was very disruptive, they were very hurt and angry and mum said 'lucky we had a good experience of using a childminder with you otherwise we would never use one again'.....

[ja-lula-belli]

Hi all just come back and seen all your replys. I am delighted to say that I did say I was full Tuesday and they arranging their days around for my free ones.
I'm so chuffed u do not need to terminate any contracts and now I'm full.

I would of hated to terminate a contract.

[tulip0803]

Hi all just come back and seen all your replys. I am delighted to say that I did say I was full Tuesday and they arranging their days around for my free ones.
I'm so chuffed u do not need to terminate any contracts and now I'm full.

I would of hated to terminate a contract.

Well done

[Mrs Scrubbit]

That's good xx

[AliceK]

Brilliant result

xxx

[smurfette]

Great! It's easy to get panicked isn't it and sometimes parents are ready to work around us!