Nursery boss slams mum and dads who boast about posh hols but don’t pay childcare
Jessica Webber of Toddle In spends sleepless nights wondering how she will pay staff wages
A NURSERY school boss has slammed parents who brag about their luxury holidays, new cars and nights out – but claim they are too skint to pay their children’s fees.
Furious Jessica Webber hit out at those who plead poverty and said her business was being crippled by more than £10,000 debts.
The 44-year-old said she spends sleepless nights wondering how she will pay staff wages.
Jessica criticised parents who posted photographs on Facebook about treating themselves to new outfits, hair extensions and fancy new nails but were racking up huge nursery bills.
Jessica who owns Toddle In private nursery, in Colne, Lancs, said the post was the last resort after all alternatives, including phone calls, letters and payment plans, had failed – with some parents still owing hundreds of pounds when their children left.
Jessica ranted on Facebook: “If you see this as unprofessional, then so be it, but I'm fairly livid after going through today's outstanding debts at nursery! Therefore, until you have paid up and or if you are unable to afford the fees, in order for us to pay the wages for the people to look after your children and pay for the food to feed your children and the toys for them to play with, maybe consider prioritising.
“Holidays, new cars, new outfits, hair/nail extensions, tattoos, nights out etc are luxuries, not essentials.
“Housing, utilities, food, and if you choose to use a nursery, child care fees, are necessities.
“We are not a charity. We are a small business with large overheads and merely ask for prompt payment for the services we provide and you receive.” She has now called in a debt recovery agency to force them to pay up.
And her outburst has received support from parents. Leonie Riley posted: “I have to say that Jessica is correct, nursery is a business and not a charity.
“I myself went through unforeseen circumstances and found that I fell behind with nursery fees.
“At no point was I made to feel inferior. In fact quite the opposite.
“I am very thankful for the nursery being so understanding. Their understanding helped me get myself bk on my feet!!” Wendy Brett commented: “It's the payment dodgers that bury their head in the sand instead of trying to work something out that this is aimed at...who do go out at weekends with hair, nails etc all done and paid for.
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“Think it's a bit unfair that the nursery and staff who have taken care of these people's children have to suffer because people would rather get drunk on a weekend rather than pay their bill.” And Zoë Clair Thomas said: “I have to stand by Toddle In here too! This post will most definitely be a last resort after a build-up of frustration.
“When my child was here we had a short period where we were genuinely short on fees and the staff worked tirelessly with us to form a payment plan that suited all of us.
“The plan was still in place when my son left but I never stopped paying until the balance was clear! “It isn't just about a place not being paid, think about the impact on the staff.
“Would anybody else like to go to work for a week to be told that they won't be paid for another month due to somebody else's problem?” And Jodie O'Neill told the non-payers to “cut back on nights out drinking jager bombs!!!” But Shirley Louise Ruffles branded the comment “absolutely unprofessional" while others said it was wrong to shame people.
But Jessica, who has owned Toddle In since 2005, remained defiant.
She said: “We are owed literally 10s of 1000s of pounds and some of that is from parents who I know for a fact, spend their tax credits on luxuries.
“I have explored every single avenue and been unbelievably tolerant and flexible in collecting fees, often to no avail.
“Unfortunately, people need to face the facts that not everyone puts the care of their children as a priority and that in reality, there's just a minority of people who are egocentric individuals who think the world owes them!” She added: “To be told they are waiting for payment from tax credits, student finance, child support etc. (sometimes genuine), only to see FB posts of them on holiday or on a night out with their new eyelashes, before disappearing and owing hundreds of pounds.
“So frankly, I don't care if it causes embarrassment to those that dodge paying in lieu of luxuries! “Those parents who struggle paying for genuine reasons know that we are there to help them in any way we can.
“But in the meantime, my original point still stands. We provide a service. We have wages and other overheads to pay.
“We aren't a charity.”