Childminders charging half fees when they are away on holiday.

Claire_Jones_3

I am just starting my childminding business and I can assure you that its damn hard work. Even once your minded children have gone home at the end of the day there is loads of paperwork etc to do, including filing out attendence records, accident forms, income, working out your tax & NI bills, planning the following day, getting resources together etc.

I plan not to charge when I go on holiday as the parents may have to pay elsewhere for childcare but when they are on holiday or sick then it will be full rate. I can't just fill in their childrens places when they are sick or on holiday so I'll be losing my income. Also if they are employed they will be getting holiday pay from their employer so why shouldn't I get paid?! Childminders are also within their rights to charge a retainer to hold a place open for a child, for example if the parent doesn't need the care for another month lets say then the childminder can ask for half pay or whatever to hold the place solely for their child.

You now have to complete a NVQ Level 3 in childcare, I have already done the ICP in homebased childcare which is part of it. That alone costs £620. Your house insurance is more expensive because you work from home, you have to have public liability insurance (approx £70 per yr), have business insurance on your car, Ofsted registration £20, extra food & drinks for the minded children, first aid course £20), modifications to your house-I've had to knock a conservatory down, put up a garden gate, change my windows, buy age suitable toys, stairgates, double buggy. The membership to NCMA and accounting books are another £150. Car seats....the list goes on

Yes this can be offset against your tax bill but if you earn less than the tax allowance for the financial yr (£6035 i think) then you don't pay any tax and all those expenses come out of your own pocket so you are losing money by providing these services.

Having said that I can't wait for my CRB checks to come back so I can start minding, I love looking after my son and helping him to develop and to help other children as well will be great.

thatgirlsam

you wouldn't need to pay twice for when you are holiday because your kids would be on holiday with you..

i pay my chidminder when she is on holiday and then muddle through with family, friends helping me out
i know that some people can't do this

i just know that having a good childminder means everything to me, i couldn't go to work for the rest of the year if it wasn't for her.. so i pay her for a hoilday (well earned)

childminder happy=kids happy=me happy!

pepsicola_2

Dippychick wrote: »

I expect to pay when I am not available, but no way am I paying childcare 52 weeks of the year.

I think the Tax Credit system has left this open to abuse, because I only get a small amount compared to what my childcare costs are, so I have to pay the bulk of it.

most people who are employed get paid 52 weeks of the year why not a childminder, not so long ago you were suggesting it as an easy option for someone to do? but then you can blame the tax credit system for all problems though how you have time to work for posting on here all day and night :rolleyes:

Mips

thatgirlsam wrote: »

you wouldn't need to pay twice for when you are holiday because your kids would be on holiday with you..

I can't go on holiday for 4 weeks of the year like the Childminder. I can manage 1. I will be paying the childminder 4 weeks of her holidays, and then the 1 of ours. I don't mind whilst we are away.

i pay my chidminder when she is on holiday and then muddle through with family, friends helping me out
i know that some people can't do this

I haven't got a chance with three kids and friends who work shifts, and would rather have no job whatsoever than pass my children around to different people every day. No disrespect, but it really does depend on the child(ren).

i just know that having a good childminder means everything to me, i couldn't go to work for the rest of the year if it wasn't for her.. so i pay her for a hoilday (well earned)

So why do some do it and some don't?

This is what is annoying and confusing - my last childminder didn't do this. She was great, she was reasonable and she was certainly bloody well there when I was trying to drop my children off. :mad:

Why don't they all do this then and make it very clear.

In my opinion, it just makes some Childminders look like 'grabbers' whilst others don't.

They should all apply one rule.

childminder happy=kids happy=me happy!

I apologise if I have edited this post so it can't be understood! Am havin trouble with copy and paste!

full-time-mum

flea72 wrote: »

i too used to think they had a cheek charging for their holidays, but then again, im paid to take holiday, so why shouldnt my childminder get paid for her holiday?

I would argue that they are self-employed and other self-employed professions don't get holiday pay. They don't work, they don't get paid.

flea72 wrote: »

The problem is most people dont see childminding as being a business like a nursery, and from experience, most nurserys in my area, dont give any holiday allowance, its full price, 52 weeks a year. as even if your child doesnt attend, they still have the same overheads. Why cant a childminder trade on the same terms?

I disagree. They are not the same kind of business, as I said above, childminders are self-employed. I sympathise with their plight but if they want holiday pay then they should become employed at a nursery.

Many childminders (not all) are doing it so that they can be at home and look after their own children whilst still earning. Surely this is the benefit of working from home rather than in a nursery so should they really expect employed benefits? If they were employed, they would then have their own childcare costs but then they would also be paid when sick and when on holiday.

Mips

pepsicola wrote: »

most people who are employed get paid 52 weeks of the year why not a childminder, not so long ago you were suggesting it as an easy option for someone to do? but then you can blame the tax credit system for all problems though how you have time to work for posting on here all day and night :rolleyes:

Self-employed is totally different to employed.


On PAYE you are paid all year around.

I am not stating that it would not be good to do, I am stating that I don't agree with some T&C's.

Mips

full-time-mum wrote: »

Many childminders (not all) are doing it so that they can be at home and look after their own children whilst still earning. Surely this is the benefit of working from home rather than in a nursery so should they really expect employed benefits? If they were employed, they would then have their own childcare costs but then they would also be paid when sick and when on holiday.

Childminders only have to declare on third of their income too I believe.

You can't have it both ways. You are either self-employed or you aren't!

Joe the plasterer doesn't get money for taking a Week off.

galvanizersbaby

kitchpoo wrote: »

That's why I love my son's nursery....when I was paying per session, I was surprised when I didn't pay for him when we went on holiday and how flexible they are at fitting him in another day if we have to miss one providing they have a space.

That nursery sounds great kitchpoo...the only holidays my nursery doesn't charge for are bank holidays - otherwise you pay no matter what which I think is fair.
It is unusual to hear of a nursery being flexible - I think it may depend on the manager.
When my son was part time (one day a week) I was on maternity leave with my daughter (just wanted him to go a day a week so that he would not be unsettled when I returned to work) I remember asking if I could swap his day for that particular week as a one off due to some problem or another and the manager told me no way - she said she had a space available on the day I wanted and if I paid for the extra day (in addition to the one he wouldn't be attending that week) then it would be fine but she could not just swap it! - I thought that was a bit mean to be honest!
I wouldn't use a childminder but if I did I wouldn't expect to pay if the childminding service was unavailable and I had to find alternative childcare (i.e. he/she was on holiday)

thatgirlsam

i don't know of any childminders who want 4 weeks paid holiday?
i pay my minder for 2 weeks... i used to request 1! week paid hoilday when i was minding..

and asking either set of grandparents, my sister-in-law or a close friend to look after my little one for a day is hardly pushing from pillar to post

and i don't have the luxury of saying i would rather not work.. unless you would prefer me on income support?

Claire_Jones_3

if all childminders gave up working in their own home and worked in a nursery it would cost parents a hell of t lot more money for childcare.

For example I will be charging £3.30 per hour, this will include all trips (to seaside etc), food & drinks. A local nursery to us charges £5.50 per hour, the parents have to provide the childs meals and the child to adult ratio is a lot higher. I also met some of the staff yesterday and they were so rude and arrogant that my child would never be put in their care!