Childminders charging half fees when they are away on holiday.

traciekan

they have the right to 4 weeks hold as you do and normal practice is for you to coincide your hols. which isnt exactly hard. if its extra hols then you should have read the contract! in any case the hol pay would be on there so why hadnt you planned for it?

jay11_2

traciekan wrote: »

they have the right to 4 weeks hold as you do and normal practice is for you to coincide your hols. which isnt exactly hard. if its extra hols then you should have read the contract! in any case the hol pay would be on there so why hadnt you planned for it?

That can actually be quite difficult--some people have limited choice about holiday times, due to a need to co-ordinate holiday times with colleagues. Most childminders care for 4+ children, so potentially 8 or more parents, all of whom already need to negotiate with each other, colleagues, and employers, regarding timing of holidays. The childminder may wish to take their holiday with friends/partners who have little choice about their holiday dates, the list goes on...

misty

I think it is fair for the child minder to still be paid for holiday time as lon as this was stated in the contract at the start. Those who charge higher all year round are still charging but it is just less obvious.

My son went to nursery and they charged if he was off and for bank holidays and when they were shut at Xmas - this was explained at the beginning.

I pffered a nursery because I knew there would be cover if someone was ill, it was reccomended, and he had friend there.

It seems to me that some on here have chosen child minders because they are cheaper than nurseries and then begrudge this money. I imagine child minding is a difficult job with long hours and relativley low pay. If it was in the contract at the start then don't be whinging now. If you're not happy then move them - if you don't want to move them because they and you are happthen that is partly what you are paying for. You should have thought of this before you signed the contract.

If most childminders earned £60,000 a year there would be more people doing it.

misty

ooops - not sure why the previous post was in massive writing??

Bitsy_Beans

Dippychick wrote: »

I suggested it is - especially as some childminders - not all at all - cram 8 kids in one room.

For example - 8 x £30 a day = £240
a week = £1200

Over a year = approximately 60k

Then a childminder only has to declare 1 third of that income - they are only taxed on a third of that I believe.

VERY NICE EARNER - not for me though or my husband. And we never got past the stage of laughing about how it wouldn't suit us and how we don't have the room


Anyways. The point is.

I am not having a go at anyone claiming Tax Credits - I was just pointing out, that for those who get practically the full 70% paid and then don't mind paying all the half fees/full fees to the childminders, wont miss the money anyways as it is given to them.

Very fair comment and I am sure the Mums and Dads on this board who struggle without any help will see where I am coming from.

I am currently going through the process of becoming a childminder. Only having to declare a third of my income is total !!!!!!!!. Stuff like the cost of food, heating and wear and tear is tax deductable but I still have to declare my gross earnings. the tax I pay will entirely depend on my level of earning just like any other self employed person. Most childminders break even, I don't know many who make a huge profit. I am doing it so I can look after my children at home rather than be just as worse off working all the hours to pay for childcare. not in the least considering it a nice little earner.

Not all childminders can have 8 kids. Ofsted decide how many children you can look after based on room space and any childminders own children are taken into that quota depending on their age. therefore my son and baby number 2 will be taken into account with regards to my quota of having no more than 3 children under 5. That leaves me with space for one child over the age of 1. that's hardly going to give me an income of £60K a year.

As for charging for holiday - I know a childminder that charges half pay for when she has holiday. However come the 2nd of January she gives all her clients a list of the holiday dates she intends to take for the year and they have ample notice to fit their holidays in around the childminder so they are not paying twice. Her clients are happy with that and don't complain. I think either way you will either be paying for holiday or just paying a hidden increase which covers holiday leave anyway. I can't understand why people are so incensed about a childminder being so upfront about it. Would you rather they just infated the prices instead so you are none the wiser? At the end of the day if the childminder is pricing themselves out of business they lose out. All such terms should be included in the contract at the begining so everything is out in the open BEFORE you sign. If you don't like it then you are free to go somewhere else.

Daisydoll

I'm a childminder part time and I don't charge for my holidays, but do charge half fees if the child is on holiday. I don't know any other childminders round here that would charge if they were on holiday. As other people have said most self emplyed people don't get paid holidays!

On the other hand my dd goes part time to a nursery(as I work part time for local council as well) and they do not charge when they are closed, but I do know that some do, I think I am lucky in that way! Childcare is hard on most families, up until last year i was paying out 1/2 my take home salary on childcare so it's easy to get upset about things.

flea72

i know self-employed people dont technically get paid holidays. but shouldnt they factor this into their fees? I know people with seasonal jobs, who have to charge their rates so that they cover the downtimes of the year. It cant be good business sense, if you dont charge enough to cover your expenses for the whole year

Flea

dangers

I'm a registered childminder and I don't charge if I am unavailable to care for the children. However, I do charge full when the child is on holiday or ill as I am available to care for them (and effectively holding a space for them). I always give as much notice as possible for my holidays in order that the parents can make alternative arrangements.
With regard to the calculation of earnings for 8 children, this can only be during the holidays or before/after school. For the rest of the time, a childminder can only look after 3 children under the age of 5. Yes, it is good money to look after 8 children, but also take into consideration the amount of responsibility a childminder has. Being a childminder can be very hard work, as you are generally working on your own, looking after a child who is the most precious person to their parents.

Steve_O_5

Dippychick wrote: »

Then a childminder only has to declare 1 third of that income - they are only taxed on a third of that I believe.
.

You have said that twice now and it's still wrong

Mips

Steve_O wrote: »

You have said that twice now and it's still wrong

As another poster stated, it does apply in some instances - not all.