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mumofone
25-02-2015, 10:12 PM
Do you all ask that parents sign up to a minimum amount of hours eg ten hours a week or something. I'm new to this and need to get any customers through my door so not sure I should do this whilst starting out? Any advice appreciated :-)

Sammy Jo T
25-02-2015, 10:43 PM
Do you all ask that parents sign up to a minimum amount of hours eg ten hours a week or something. I'm new to this and need to get any customers through my door so not sure I should do this whilst starting out? Any advice appreciated :-)

I was just about to start a similar thread to this so I'll join in here if that's ok? lol. I'm charging minimum of 3 hours per day but just had the thought that maybe I should just apply that to pre-schoolers as there may be a lot of school children that only need 2 hours after school each day or less. Was you thinking minimum hours for just your pre-schoolers or everyone?

natlou82
25-02-2015, 11:18 PM
Personally I do session fees rather than hourly so:- before school (set fee), after school (set fee), Half Day and Full Day. This has worked well for me so far but I am very aware that it wouldn't work for everybody.

natlou82
25-02-2015, 11:22 PM
Btw I have after school children that do as little as 3 hrs per week. 10 hrs is quite a lot for the after schoolers so you could potentially talk yourself out of the business if you said that.

jillplum
26-02-2015, 02:26 PM
my minimum is one hour lol. I have only ever charged for the hours they need for little ones and older ones and I am always full.

tess1981
26-02-2015, 02:37 PM
my minimum is one hour lol. I have only ever charged for the hours they need for little ones and older ones and I am always full.

Same here....

k1rstie
26-02-2015, 02:38 PM
my minimum is one hour lol. I have only ever charged for the hours they need for little ones and older ones and I am always full.

Ditto !!!!!!!!!!!

loocyloo
26-02-2015, 02:49 PM
my minimum is one hour lol. I have only ever charged for the hours they need for little ones and older ones and I am always full.

Me too! :-)

mumofone
26-02-2015, 05:28 PM
I was just about to start a similar thread to this so I'll join in here if that's ok? lol. I'm charging minimum of 3 hours per day but just had the thought that maybe I should just apply that to pre-schoolers as there may be a lot of school children that only need 2 hours after school each day or less. Was you thinking minimum hours for just your pre-schoolers or everyone?

Hi sammyjo, I hadn't really considered but that's a good point :-)
I guess if I'm starting out I need to take any hours on offer at all...

mumofone
26-02-2015, 05:29 PM
Btw I have after school children that do as little as 3 hrs per week. 10 hrs is quite a lot for the after schoolers so you could potentially talk yourself out of the business if you said that.

Good point natlou82 thank you :-)

mumofone
26-02-2015, 05:29 PM
my minimum is one hour lol. I have only ever charged for the hours they need for little ones and older ones and I am always full.

Thanks jill plum :-)

Bundle
26-02-2015, 08:45 PM
Though there are some that aren't worth doing...

Just today someone told me that their baby is a really fussy eater and the Health Visitor had suggested sending him to a childminder just for lunch. She wanted care for "an hour or so, for lunch and perhaps some messy play", before he headed off home for his nap...:rolleyes:

I don't have an actual minimum, but if I did it'd be for the day, not the week - 10 hours a week would suit me if it was over two days, but it would drive me nuts (and block a space) if it was spread over 5 days.
Schoolies I need more of, so at the moment I'd have ANY suitable candidates :)

yummyripples
26-02-2015, 09:08 PM
For preschoolers I only do full days. I hate the idea of rushing home from the park or somewhere if we are having fun.
I don't do school children anymore but if I did I would charge 2 hours minimum for after school

lollipop kid
27-02-2015, 02:29 PM
For preschoolers I only do full days. I hate the idea of rushing home from the park or somewhere if we are having fun.
I don't do school children anymore but if I did I would charge 2 hours minimum for after school

I charge a flat rate for after-school. It's based on my rate for 3 hours (3pm to 6pm - I leave the house at 3pm to get to school, so my time is chargeable from that point onwards) plus a bit for food. ( I find that the after-schools eat loads, or can be very fussy - refusing what you've cooked as "they had that for school dinner", so you have to make an alternative for them). Yes, I'm a pushover! :blush:

Parents are happy with this flat fee. If they choose to pick their child up earlier than 6pm, or feed them at home instead (thus asking me only to give the child an apple for example), they still pay the same.

(I had one parent who always picked up early, and insisted I didn't feed their child as they wanted to wait until they got home to eat together. The mum was a bit of a 'gourmet'.)

Well, the child kicked up such a fuss that the parent ended up having to hang around while the child carried on playing with his mates here (he was with me 5 nights a week, so that was interesting!) Plus, when the parent saw what the children were eating for dinner - a really nice cooked dinner - then they decided actually the food here was good enough for their little one, and he stayed until 6pm and ate with us every night after that. :D)

So for me, flat rate works.

All the best,

L

hectors house
27-02-2015, 04:54 PM
I don't do school age children, so I just have a minimum of 7 hours each day - everyone arrives between 8 & 9, and they start leaving between 3.15 & 5 - so at least I have a core 6 hours in the day to do activities, outings and I know I am earning at least 7 hours x 3 children during the day - the other hours each side are a bonus.

loocyloo
27-02-2015, 05:50 PM
I only charge by the hour, and don't have a minimum per se. ( I say 2 hours a week in my policies but that's really for my schoolies ) I encourage everyone to arrive by 9am, and no pick ups before midday, preferably 1pm! I 'sell' it in that I can give them lunch and then they can take LOs home and straight to sleep, without them falling asleep hungry on the way home! currently my only 1pm pick up is a child whose mum is on maternity and I probably drop him home every other week as we've been out and its easier than rushing home for her to pick up!

fluff1975
01-03-2015, 11:02 AM
I charge a daily rate, and a half-day rate only it isn't actually half a day, its more a 'maximum 5 hours' rate. This max 5 hours rate has attracted a lot of parents but interestingly no one has ever taken advantage of it, opting instead to pay for the full day!

One of the best things about childminding is organising it to suit you, and what you want/need to get from it. My daily rate (£36) is on a par locally with other childminders who provide 9.5 hours care and all meals/snacks, but primarily I charge that because it covers my costs and pays the bills!