child minder query

liney

I would guess that your weekly rate would be much more if worked out over term time only, and then you would claim it is expensive!

I think it is perfectly reasonable to charge half fee, as the facility is there for you to use, but you are choosing not to.

ailuro2

Thanks- I get paid around three times more than I pay my childminder so double time for me is still profitable, but I belive my lovely CM deserves the same.

I did used to have one who was looking after three kids under the age of one at the same time- she told me at first they were on different days, but I soon found out they were all there on the same day:mad: Sadly not asll mums are nice, and neither are all CMs;)

If you find a good one, treat them well!!

beanz14

Just for the record, my childminder does not charge for banks hols etc. In fact, another way around charges, I've found, is to book your child in for school terms only but then when school holidays come around ask her politely if she'd be happy to mind for some of the time. Also, I personally wrote to my minder and told her that I would not pay for her services when my children were not there! It worked and I am better off for it.

mutley74

beanz14 wrote: »

Just for the record, my childminder does not charge for banks hols etc. In fact, another way around charges, I've found, is to book your child in for school terms only but then when school holidays come around ask her politely if she'd be happy to mind for some of the time. Also, I personally wrote to my minder and told her that I would not pay for her services when my children were not there! It worked and I am better off for it.

great its worked for you.

I asked my CM and she said half rate on stat. holidays have to be paid. When i was looking at other CMs before they all wanted the same - 1/2 rate on stat. and school holidays. To me just seems they have an "exclusive" monopoly on getting money from parents. If other businesses charged in this way i am sure people would complain for paying a service when its not being used.

It seems i have little choice but to pay, but will probably give notice to let them know i will not be paying over the summer holidays anything.

divadee

atpug wrote: »

great its worked for you.

If other businesses charged in this way i am sure people would complain for paying a service when its not being used.

It seems i have little choice but to pay, but will probably give notice to let them know i will not be paying over the summer holidays anything.

other business do charge you if you are on holiday!!!! you dont cancel your phone do you when you go away? you keep paying the line rental even though you wont be using it for those 2/3 weeks.

i think if you want you place left open then you have to pay!! if you give notice and then want to go back in september and she hasnt got a place then its your tough luck.

like others have said if she charged term time only then she would probably charge a lot more to cover the holidays etc..... At least this way you can spread it more over the year!!

Justie

atpug wrote: »

great its worked for you.

I asked my CM and she said half rate on stat. holidays have to be paid. When i was looking at other CMs before they all wanted the same - 1/2 rate on stat. and school holidays. To me just seems they have an "exclusive" monopoly on getting money from parents. If other businesses charged in this way i am sure people would complain for paying a service when its not being used.

It seems i have little choice but to pay, but will probably give notice to let them know i will not be paying over the summer holidays anything.

If you begrudge paying your CM then it's not a great start to the relationship. She will be pivotal in your child's care and development and those skills are IMHO worth paying for. CMs do not get good wages so I think it's harsh to suggest they have a monopoly. You have choices about who cares for your child and I suspect that a nursery would work out more expensive than a CM so you're still getting the cheaper option.

mutley74

Justie wrote: »

If you begrudge paying your CM then it's not a great start to the relationship. She will be pivotal in your child's care and development and those skills are IMHO worth paying for. CMs do not get good wages so I think it's harsh to suggest they have a monopoly. You have choices about who cares for your child and I suspect that a nursery would work out more expensive than a CM so you're still getting the cheaper option.

No let me make it clear I don’t begrudge paying my CM.

Reason I started this thread as I wanted to check it out if it was “normal” practise to charge in this way.

Whomever I deal with I always pride myself keeping up with payments always and on-time.

Yes I did have a choice but my kid really did not want to attend an after school club.

Anyway thanks for replies, and let me re-iterate I think CM’s do a great job and service but wanted to clarify payment over stat. holidays etc.

thanks

Yorkshire-Lady_3

atpug - there is no 'normal' practise when it comes to childcare. However, 95% of the childminders I know do charge retainers for holidays. One childminder doesn't, but that's because she works purely for teachers, and is married to a teacher, therefor they use the holidays to go away travelling, so the places aren't available. However, she does charge £4 an hour to cover her loss in holidays. I personally think that it would cost more to pay £4 per hour for 39 weeks, than to pay half fees for school holidays.

I would hope that you've spoken to your CM about your concerns, as most are very approachable and much more flexible than other forms of childcare.

Spendless

atpug- If you are really happy with your CM., I wouldn't risk upsetting/losing your childs place over the retaining fees.

My friend has just told me that her childminder last week gave her 1 weeks notice that she can not childmind for the forseeable future due to her having building work at her house. For my friend it doesn't cause too much of a problem, her work is flexible, and her youngest walks home from school anyway on other days and her older child (at secondary school) will be in, but if her children had been younger or her work not flexible she'd now be left with 1 week to sort something out in.

alwaysskint96

Yorkshire-Lady wrote: »

I am a childminder and am inundated with calls for Term time only. I usually find that once you childmind for a teacher, word spreads and recommendations count for a lot.

The problem is that if you don't charge a retainer, you're losing around 13 weeks pay, unless you can fill the space with a holiday child.

I also tell the parents that although their child isn't attending, the place is still there for them to use at any time, so they can do all the things that they need to do, which can be very difficult with a small child in tow ie Dental appointments - hairdressers etc.

I also find that if a child has 6 weeks holiday, it's more difficult to settle them back into routine, so if the child still attends occasionally, it's better all round.

It's not really fair to begrude us any holiday pay. Teachers in particualr get full whack 52 weeks a year, and I'm sure they earn a hell of a lot more than £3 an hour.

JMI.

Sally

I presume this £3 an hour is PER CHILD not in total, so if you look after 3 kids then thats £9 an hour. That is often more that what the parents are earning