Overreacting?

[k8bailey]

Hello all, I need some opinions - as some of you know, I have an 11 month old daughter. She goes to a nursery on a Mon & Fri so that I can go to work.

Last Monday, when I went to collect her, she was outside with all the other children. She had her hands in a drain and a mouthful of twigs, bits of string and dead grass!
I know that she'll put anything in her mouth at this age, but was a bit concerned that she'd been left to play with a drain.

Then on Friday when I went to collect her at 4pm, I was told that she had, had diarrhea earlier. When I got her home and changed her, her vest had diarrhea on it, she also had sick all over her jeans. I always provide clean clothes, so it really upset me that they just left her in dirty ones.

She normally has a bottle of milk at 3.30 but on a number of occasions - including Monday, the nursery have not given her this before she is collected, between 4 - 4.30.

Am I right to be upset by this, especially when I pay �34 a day and have to provide all her food?

What if anything should I do about this?

[pinktwink]

speak to staff, report them , change childcare arrangements

[BeatySwalls]

yes report them immediately this is disgraceful!

[Velvetee]

You are definitely calm natured K8. I think I would have completely flown off the handle. I think you should report them to the authorities, as it would appear your daughter is not being cared for properly, which is very worrying.

[k8bailey]

Thanks pink, Beaty & Velvetee, I've spent all weekend thinking about this and worrying about leaving her there yesterday that in the end I didn't know if they were in the wrong or I was just an over protective mum. I'm writting an email to the manager, detailing everything that happened, or didn't.
Then I'll give them till the summer holidays, (about 6wks) if there's no improvement .....well I'll have a bit of time off to think of something! Maybe I should just quit my job, I love working there but after paying child-care costs I'm earning less than �1500 a year, its so ridiculous.

I feel so sorry for my daughter, she's very easy going, quiet and smiley, so I think that maybe, the other kids are more demanding, and that's why this happened - that's not an excuse though.

[amy.1981]

i worked in a nursery, up until fri, i agree that you should sent the manager a letter i would also inform ofsted of what has been happening! the nursery sounds disgracful

[4getmenot]

�34.00 a day!! my lord yes go in and complain you @ss for that ammount of money

[warpig3]

Hi K8, absolutely right, confront them. You leave your daughter in their care and they should be caring for her. If this had happened to my daughter I would be furious and I would want answers, especially as you daughter is so young and cannot tell you what is wrong.

I know they put all sorts into their mouth at that age but it would appear that she was not being supervised at all. Also with regard to the missed bottle, your daughter cannot tell them when she wants a drink, poor little mite could be thirsty and if she has had diarrhea she would be dehydrated as well.

Totally unacceptable.

[ailie]

Why not ask some awkward questions of the Manager first? Ask questions that will make her tell you about the systems they have in place to ensure Quality assurance so standards are the same every day & with whatever staff are working..
E.g. - how do staff know when each child is due a feed & how is that recorded so a child is not missed or fed twice. - do staff have certain children to moniter during playtimes & how many do they have each to keep an eye on during free play.
Then decide whether to tell her that her systems aren't in place &/or aren't working or to tell the local authority.
That way it's not a personal criticism of her staff.......even although they sound as if they deserve it.

[ailie]

K8... 6wks is TOO long to wait when little ones are concerned.

[lollyone]

Hi k8
I deffinately don't think you're overreacting. I'd be pretty upset if I found that my daughter had been needlessly left in sicky clothes, bless her.
I don't have any experience yet with nurseries but I think that at �34 a day you have a right to expect better practice than this. Perhaps there is an issue with staff to child ratio.
Hope it improves when you confront them hun x x

[tigwig]

You are right to be very concerned. I until today worked in a nursery (now I'm a childminder) There is no way this would happen to any of the babies I cared for. Occasionally you may forget to give a baby a bottle but rarely.
The drains should really be covered or if not cleaned at least! Clothes should always be changed and the nursery sounds very expensive!

[tigwig]

Sorry forgot to add report this to Ofsted they will do an unannounced inspection and hopefully the manager will address the concerns. My personal opinion would be to find somewhere else.

[IWillRule]

Don't waste your cash, report them (as said above) and look online for another one. :)

[Velvetee]

Hi K8 any updates on the Nursery situation. Did you send them the E Mail and have you had any response yet?

[sherrardk]

I would have gone bonkers - you have to persue this and complain to anyone you can, not just for your daughter's sake but for all the other kids there too (some of them will be there every day of the week from 8 till 6). It is absolutley disgusting.

[k8bailey]

Yeah I did send the email but haven't had any response, which is a bit strange.

Nancy was there again today and all went well. I haven't seen the manager so I think maybe she's away, and no one's picking up her emails.
Nancy's now got a week off for half term, so I definitely won't hear anything till Weds because they're closed till then.

Thanks everyone for the replies, which gave me the confidence to speak up, I will let you know what happens! x

[gossipgirl]

OMG this is discusting of them, i wpould report them asap and also start looking for alternative childcare. Have you tried a private childminder? they only allowed to have a certain amount of kids therefore would be able to care for your daughter more efficiently. Also i think if your paying �34 a day fr childcare they should be supplying meals with that!

[hannah40]

hope you have sorted out your nursery problem.the nursery i send my 17month to had been reported to ofsted and had an impromtu viit and has temporary closed until the problms have been fixed.