Creche charging for child's place during closure.

pc7 · 12-01-2021 6:10pm

Jasper79 wrote: »

Received the same letter. Unsure what to do. Based on the Original working from home means you're not an essential worker we kept our 2 home. But now looks we are good to send them in.

I’m stuck cause I really don’t want to send them back yet, know crèche need funds, but I feel it’s too risky atm.

baldbear · 12-01-2021 7:49pm

Appears crèches are in limbo regarding funds from the government for parents who are non essential and keep their kids at home. We don't know if we are getting a refund or a credit yet but will be keeping them out till February anyway.

It's going to be a long month.

tfeldi · 13-01-2021 9:36am

We are only requested a letter from employer if we are essential, not on the reverse situation. For non essential workers they indicated a refund.

AtomicHorror · 13-01-2021 2:51pm

As of today, Cocoon haven't refunded fees taken for January and haven't confirmed they will do so. What's the general state of refunds? Looking back, it seems like a similar story from Giraffe?

Trying to get a sense of how we should handle February- the evasiveness suggests Cocoon could take fees again even if restrictions continue.

Dravokivich · 14-01-2021 12:00am

AtomicHorror wrote: »

As of today, Cocoon haven't refunded fees taken for January and haven't confirmed they will do so. What's the general state of refunds? Looking back, it seems like a similar story from Giraffe?

Trying to get a sense of how we should handle February- the evasiveness suggests Cocoon could take fees again even if restrictions continue.

Is it possible your creche are offering the fee paid for January would be used for the month services resume?

kennethsmyth · 14-01-2021 1:06am

AtomicHorror wrote: »

As of today, Cocoon haven't refunded fees taken for January and haven't confirmed they will do so. What's the general state of refunds? Looking back, it seems like a similar story from Giraffe?

Trying to get a sense of how we should handle February- the evasiveness suggests Cocoon could take fees again even if restrictions continue.

Bit late now but I would always advise setting up a standing order for childcare as opposed to direct debit. You get to keep control.

pc7 · 14-01-2021 8:10am

kennethsmyth wrote: »

Bit late now but I would always advise setting up a standing order for childcare as opposed to direct debit. You get to keep control.

Most of them especially large chains DD is part of the agreement

Minier81 · 14-01-2021 9:09am

kennethsmyth wrote: »

Bit late now but I would always advise setting up a standing order for childcare as opposed to direct debit. You get to keep control.

Wow never knew some creches did dd instead of so. It might not have helped this month though so presumably the so would have come out on dec31/Jan1 field January.

Our creche was refunding people by cheque for families that were keeping kids at home from jan 11-31.

sphinxicus · 14-01-2021 12:35pm

Minier81 wrote: »

It might not have helped this month though so presumably the so would have come out on dec31/Jan1 field January.

yup, it was too late for us. Ours comes out on 1st of the month.

Minier81 wrote: »

Our creche was refunding people by cheque for families that were keeping kids at home from jan 11-31.

Our creche told people to cancel their standing order for Feb and Jan payment would be used for that month or if required could ask for a refund and they would send a cheque. Can't ask for more than that kind of response.

What will happen if creches stay closed longer is all up in the air right now.

faceman · 14-01-2021 4:56pm

I’ve had a crèche manager tell me over the phone that they are taking kids in of non essential workers. Told them I’ll be reporting the crèche accordingly

Jasper79 · 14-01-2021 5:20pm

faceman wrote: »

I’ve had a crèche manager tell me over the phone that they are taking kids in of non essential workers. Told them I’ll be reporting the crèche accordingly

Going by the guidelines though all workers are essential. I think the Govt messed up by saying essential rather than frontline staff

salmocab · 14-01-2021 5:31pm

faceman wrote: »

I’ve had a crèche manager tell me over the phone that they are taking kids in of non essential workers. Told them I’ll be reporting the crèche accordingly

You’re absolutely wasting your time, the information they were given was far too broad and the lists far too easy to claim your essential. The dept made a sack of this as ultimately they wanted them open and pretended there were rules just to make it look like they cared about the people in that sector.

Jasper79 · 14-01-2021 5:47pm

salmocab wrote: »

You’re absolutely wasting your time, the information they were given was far too broad and the lists far too easy to claim your essential. The dept made a sack of this as ultimately they wanted them open and pretended there were rules just to make it look like they cared about the people in that sector.

Exactly, the essential services pretty much covers every possible job. And then from the Gov.ie :

Essential workers
5. Who is an essential worker?
An essential worker is someone who works in an essential service. The full list of essential services is
available here. For the purposes of accessing ELC/SAC, an essential worker may be working from
home.

So they're saying everyone is an essential worker per this.

Sarn · 14-01-2021 6:42pm

Jasper79 wrote: »

Essential workers
5. Who is an essential worker?
An essential worker is someone who works in an essential service. The full list of essential services is
available here. For the purposes of accessing ELC/SAC, an essential worker may be working from
home.

So they're saying everyone is an essential worker per this.

Not quite, what they mean is that an essential worker can be working from home. Not that WFH makes you an essential worker.

Jasper79 · 14-01-2021 6:44pm

Sarn wrote: »

Not quite, what they mean is that an essential worker can be working from home. Not that WFH makes you an essential worker.

yes, but look at the list of Essential Services(workers) it covers 99% of jobs. And then if you can work from home doing these, that's everybody covered .

youcancallmeal · 14-01-2021 7:33pm

It would've been easier for them to say who is not an essential worker

baldbear · 15-01-2021 11:29am

youcancallmeal wrote: »

It would've been easier for them to say who is not an essential worker

I think priests are the only ones not on the list.

QRaq · 15-01-2021 9:16pm

Has anyone’s crèche said they are reopening for all this Monday? We’ve just received an email after they initially said it would only be essential workers for Jan and that fees paid for January would just go towards February fees. Has there been a government communication that I’ve missed?

AnswerIs42 · 15-01-2021 10:10pm

Creche told us they would refund 3/4 of Jan fees if both parents were non essential.

As has been pointed out, the vast majority of jobs seem to be essential so no refund for me.

Seems like more of a token from the creche knowing full well the majority of families won't qualify and so the creche keeps the money.

But they have us over a barrel and they know it. It'll suck to pay monthly fees and not have the kid in creche but I see no other options.

It'll really suck if its the same situation in Feb, March

faceman · 16-01-2021 4:49pm

People seem to be misinterpreting the guidance on what's considered essential work, either intentionally or accidentally. Clearly there are people interpreting the wording intentionally incorrectly. Just because you are working from home, that doesn't make you an essential worker. The guidelines state that you can be an essential worker who works from home. It doesn't say that everyone who works from home is essential

Be honest, is your work essential? Do you carry out work that is front line, essential retail or providing support to these services?

It would seem employers need to step up to the plate too.

dubrov · 16-01-2021 5:33pm

I don't think anyone on this thread is looking for advice on how to interpret the rules (see previous mod warning)

There are plenty of other threads available to pontificate about Covid

youcancallmeal · 16-01-2021 5:41pm

faceman wrote: »

People seem to be misinterpreting the guidance on what's considered essential work, either intentionally or accidentally. Clearly there are people interpreting the wording intentionally incorrectly. Just because you are working from home, that doesn't make you an essential worker. The guidelines state that you can be an essential worker who works from home. It doesn't say that everyone who works from home is essential

Be honest, is your work essential? Do you carry out work that is front line, essential retail or providing support to these services?

It would seem employers need to step up to the plate too.

The parents FAQ is very clear:

2. What is an essential worker?
An essential worker is someone who works in an essential service. The full list of essential services is available here. For the purposes of accessing childcare, an essential worker may be working from home

Not sure what there is to misinterpret here?

pc7 · 16-01-2021 6:58pm

faceman wrote: »

Be honest, is your work essential? Do you carry out work that is front line, essential retail or providing support to these services?

It would seem employers need to step up to the plate too.

My employer wouldn’t give me a letter to say I’m non essential, I’ve emailed crèche saying I don’t agree, but can’t see me getting credit or refund.

Dravokivich · 17-01-2021 9:07pm

pc7 wrote: »

My employer wouldn’t give me a letter to say I’m non essential, I’ve emailed crèche saying I don’t agree, but can’t see me getting credit or refund.

They only need to confirm your status as an essential worker. Surely the absence of that, should mean you aren't classed as an essential worker?

pc7 · 18-01-2021 9:03am

Dravokivich wrote: »

They only need to confirm your status as an essential worker. Surely the absence of that, should mean you aren't classed as an essential worker?

My crèche (large chain) asked for a letter from employer saying you are ‘not’ essential’ and my employer said they wouldn’t distinguish between employees as field mentioned on list.
I’ve emailed crèche my case we’ll see what they say.

Piehead · 18-01-2021 9:13am

pc7 wrote: »

My crèche (large chain) asked for a letter from employer saying you are ‘not’ essential’ and my employer said they wouldn’t distinguish between employees as field mentioned on list.
I’ve emailed crèche my case we’ll see what they say.

It’s a crazy request. If you aren’t using the Creche as you are working from home you are obviously non-essential as you are working from home !

salmocab · 18-01-2021 9:24am

Piehead wrote: »

It’s a crazy request. If you aren’t using the Creche as you are working from home you are obviously non-essential as you are working from home !

Well it’s a bit grey, you can be essential but not need to physically in the office. Really though the government had months to have contingency plans in place for this but ended up doing everything on the hump. The communication has been terrible. It seems to me that the plan is keep crèches open but pretend we did something.

pc7 · 18-01-2021 9:25am

Piehead wrote: »

It’s a crazy request. If you aren’t using the Creche as you are working from home you are obviously non-essential as you are working from home !

I see the crèche point in that they are open and need funds, but feel it’s wrong (governments fault, list way too vague). I just can’t in good conscience send the kids in with numbers as they are. It’s not easy with them home but we are working it between us. Just sucks to lose the fee on top of it.

baldbear · 18-01-2021 10:53am

pc7 wrote: »

I see the crèche point in that they are open and need funds, but feel it’s wrong (governments fault, list way too vague). I just can’t in good conscience send the kids in with numbers as they are. It’s not easy with them home but we are working it between us. Just sucks to lose the fee on top of it.

This is disappointing. The list says of its not possoble for you to work remotely then you aren't essential.
The government seem to have left this to the discretion of the crèche.

We are with Giraffe and keeping them out this month. No confirmation from them of refund/credit just an indication and to.contact them again nearer end of the month.

shesty · 18-01-2021 11:45am

That may have been intentionally done though - the Irish way. They don't seem to have any intention of funding creches through this, so they won't commit to a specific list of essential workers, thereby leaving a creche open to take as many kids as they feel they need to (probably for financial reasons).ie..."we have done something but it is at the discretion of the creche to decide."

Getting a bit sick of this Irish approach to everything, the schools are at the same thing. The Department issues a myriad of guidelines but it is all "at the discretion of a school to do XYZ". It is a very annoying way of washing their hands of any responsibility while pointing to the fact that they have "done" something. It isn't good enough anymore.

Creche charging for child's place during closure.

Comments