Do you pay for nursery when you’re on holiday?

Do you pay for a nursery when on holiday is a question frequently asked by parents trying to manage childcare and their finances. It may seem unfair to pay for a service you aren’t using, especially during the current cost of living crisis.

The answer is usually yes, nurseries have to charge you even if your child is on holiday because they are businesses that need to remain financially viable in order to provide their service.

Is it normal to pay for nursery while on holiday?

It is normal for nurseries to still charge if you go on holiday. This is the case even if you give them plenty of notice. Most nurseries charge in full.

Some nurseries offer discounted rates on days when you’re not using the place.

Some nurseries can allow flexibility. They may let you swap days or claim an extra session for each one you’ve paid for but not used. This depends on the nursery and how full they are.

The contract you sign with the nursery will explain their policy on holidays.

Why do nurseries charge for holidays?

Nurseries charge for holidays because their running costs are the same, whether your child misses some days or not.

A lot of planning goes into running a nursery. They need to calculate quantities needed in terms of staff, food, nappies, material for activities, plus the costs of those things. This is in addition to the costs of running the building (rent, heating, electricity etc.) and paying insurance.

They also need to calculate how many funded hours they are claiming from the Government for each child, depending on their age and how many days a week they attend. Funding is term-time only, so children who attend all year have this spread across the year.

Fees to maintain the nursery and service they provide, and take funding into account, are then calculated across the year and divided into a standard monthly fee.

What happens to my funded hours when my child is on holiday?

Funded hours are calculated into your nursery bill. They only cover 38 weeks of the year (term time). If your child attends nursery all year, not just term-time, the hours are spread evenly across the year.

If your child goes on holiday, you will likely still be charged as normal. This includes the use of some of your funded hours.

Do I still pay top-up fees when my child is on holiday?

If your nursery charges top-up fees, you will probably still have to pay them if your child goes on holiday. Your nursery may have a different policy though so it’s worth checking your contract.

Do I have to give nursery notice that my child is going on holiday?

You should always let the nursery know if your child won’t be attending. With illness, of course this may be a phone call that morning, With holidays, however, it’s good to give them some notice.