Terms and Conditions

Nursery Places

A nursery place is confirmed once registration has been completed, all required information has been provided and any applicable registration fee and deposit have been paid.

Places are offered subject to availability and acceptance of the nursery’s Terms & Conditions. Children may only attend the sessions agreed with the nursery and confirmed as part of their registration.

Registration Fee & Deposit

A registration fee and deposit may be required when accepting a nursery place.

Deposits are held against a child’s account and are normally credited against the final nursery invoice, provided the required notice period has been given and all outstanding fees have been paid.

The nursery reserves the right to review deposit levels periodically to ensure they remain appropriate to the childcare arrangements in place.

Fees & Payment

Fees are payable monthly in advance and must be paid by the due date shown on the invoice.

Invoices are issued in advance of the childcare period being provided and we ask parents to make sure fees are paid in full and on time.

Fees remain payable during periods of absence, including:

• Family holidays
• Sickness
• Medical appointments
• Nursery closures outside the nursery’s control
• Public health restrictions or emergency situations

Because we keep staffing, resources and places in place for your child whether or not they attend, we are not normally able to offer refunds for absences.

Late Payments

Where fees remain unpaid after the due date:

• A late payment fee may be applied.
• A further charge may be applied for each subsequent calendar month that the balance remains outstanding.
• Returned or failed payments may incur an additional administration charge.
• If you are worried about paying on time, please talk to us early and we will do our best to help. As a last resort, we may need to suspend childcare or end the childcare agreement where fees remain unpaid.

We may also recover reasonable costs incurred in pursuing outstanding debts.

Fee Reviews

We review our fees annually, typically each April.

Like most nurseries, the majority of our costs relate directly to the people who care for and educate children every day. As National Living Wage rates, staff salaries, National Insurance contributions, pension costs, food, utilities and other operating costs increase over time, we adjust our fees to reflect these changes.

We are committed to employing experienced, well-trained practitioners and maintaining the staffing levels, environments and resources that children need to thrive. Regular fee reviews help us continue to invest in our people and maintain the high standards families expect from Kid Ease.

Families will always be given advance notice of any fee or funding changes before they take effect.

As government funding arrangements and guidance change, we may also need to make changes to how funded hours are delivered, the structure of our fees, or charges associated with funded places. Where changes are required, we will always explain these clearly and provide notice in advance.

Government Funding

Kid Ease accepts funded childcare entitlements for eligible children.

Government funding covers childcare provision only and may not cover meals, consumables, outings, specialist activities or additional services.

Any additional charges will be explained clearly before enrolment.

We ask parents to make sure eligibility codes are obtained, validated and renewed where required.

Session Changes & Additional Sessions

Additional sessions and changes to attendance patterns are subject to availability.

Where possible, we will always try to accommodate requests from families, although availability cannot be guaranteed.

Additional sessions become payable once booked unless cancelled in accordance with the nursery’s notice requirements.

Notice Periods

Written notice must be provided if you wish to:

• Leave the nursery
• Reduce booked sessions
• Change your regular attendance pattern

The standard notice period is four weeks.

We ask for four weeks’ notice because staffing levels are planned carefully around children’s attendance patterns. Nursery staff are employed to ensure we maintain appropriate ratios, continuity of care and a consistent experience for children. Advance notice allows us to manage staffing responsibly and, where possible, offer places to families waiting for sessions.

Fees remain payable throughout the notice period regardless of attendance.

Attendance & Absence

Parents should notify the nursery as soon as possible if their child will be absent.

Unexpected absences may be followed up by the nursery as part of our safeguarding responsibilities.

Regular attendance supports children’s wellbeing, learning and development and helps us ensure children remain safe.

Illness, Exclusion & Medication

Children who are unwell should not attend nursery.

If a child becomes unwell while attending nursery, a parent or emergency contact may be asked to collect them. Once contacted, we ask families to arrange collection as soon as they reasonably can.

Common Exclusion Periods

The nursery follows current UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidance regarding illness and exclusion periods. The most common exclusions are:

• Sickness and diarrhoea: 48 hours after symptoms have stopped
• Chickenpox: 5 days after the rash appears and until all blisters have crusted over
• Scarlet fever: 24 hours after starting antibiotics
• Impetigo: until lesions are healed or 48 hours after starting treatment

The Nursery Manager may require a child to remain at home if they are not well enough to participate comfortably in nursery activities, even where a formal exclusion period does not apply. We will always explain our reasons, and any decision is made in the interests of children’s welfare.

Medication

Prescribed medication can be administered in accordance with the nursery’s medication procedures.

The first 24 hours of prescribed medication should normally be taken at home unless exceptional circumstances apply.

Collection of Children

Children will only be released to adults authorised by a parent or legal guardian.

If somebody different will be collecting a child, the nursery must be informed in advance.

Identification and password procedures may be used where appropriate.

The nursery reserves the right to refuse collection where there are concerns regarding identity, authorisation or the safety of the child.

Late Collection

Children should be collected promptly at the end of their booked session.

A late collection charge may be applied where children are collected after their booked session has ended.

If you are running late, please call us as soon as you can. Repeated late collection may result in a review of childcare arrangements.

Safeguarding

The safety and welfare of children is our highest priority.

We ask families to cooperate with the nursery’s safeguarding procedures, collection arrangements and policies designed to keep children safe.

Where safeguarding concerns arise, the nursery may be required to share information with relevant agencies in accordance with safeguarding legislation and guidance.

Separated Families & Parental Responsibility

In situations where parents are separated, our responsibility is to act in the best interests of the child while complying with our legal obligations regarding parental responsibility and safeguarding.

Where both parents hold parental responsibility, both are generally entitled to receive information relating to their child’s care, learning and development. This may include:

• Nursery communications
• Progress information
• Accident and incident records
• Parent meetings and events

The nursery will not normally restrict access to information unless there is a legal basis for doing so.

If there are court orders, injunctions or other legal restrictions affecting parental responsibility, collection arrangements or information sharing, parents must provide the nursery with a copy of the relevant legal documentation. The nursery can only act on information that has been formally provided and evidenced.

The nursery cannot become involved in disputes relating to custody, residency or contact arrangements. Where disagreements arise, we will continue to act in accordance with parental responsibility law, safeguarding requirements and any relevant court orders.

A parent with parental responsibility will ordinarily be entitled to collect their child unless:

• A court order restricts this right; or
• There is a safeguarding concern that requires immediate action.

Evidence of any restriction must be provided to the nursery in writing.

Personal Information

Information provided to the nursery will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Notice.

Complaints

We hope any concerns can be resolved quickly and informally.

Details of our complaints process can be found in our Complaints Procedure.

Full Terms & Conditions

This page provides a summary of the arrangements most relevant to families.

Full contractual Terms & Conditions are provided during registration and form part of the childcare agreement between Kid Ease and the parent or legal guardian.