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hectors house
01-06-2015, 08:33 AM
Does anyone else say to parents that children have to come more than one day a week? I have several children going to Nursery in Sept and this will mean that I have children just coming one day a week - if everyone did this I would have 12 learning journals to update a week and multiple 2 year checks, transition to Nursery or school reports. Whatever happened to full time children, I haven't seen one for over 6 years!

I have just taken on a new child and told her mum that child had to come for 2 days a week and said this was what I would be telling all parents from now on. Just had a mum drop off and ask what days she should send her son to Nursery in September so he is still here on same day as his friends (I did drop down to just one day a week for their older son). The father is a teacher and they begrudge paying me half fee in the holidays, so want to give a month's notice for 2 days a week now to save money in the summer holidays and then child will start Nursery in Sept. All new starters are paying full fee for the holidays so I don't expect to have teachers children after this one finishes. I did say that if he just came one day a week then he would be vulnerable if someone else wanted more hours as I would have to give notice.

The mum wanted him to stay coming on a Wednesday as he likes being with the older boys but this day is COC as his gran who normally had him Wed has just had a hip replacement. I have a child leaving for school and another baby already booked into his space, so I can't keep this child on a Wednesday as the space is booked for new business so COC wouldn't apply to the new baby.

Simona
01-06-2015, 08:43 AM
Does anyone else say to parents that children have to come more than one day a week? I have several children going to Nursery in Sept and this will mean that I have children just coming one day a week - if everyone did this I would have 12 learning journals to update a week and multiple 2 year checks, transition to Nursery or school reports. Whatever happened to full time children, I haven't seen one for over 6 years!

I have just taken on a new child and told her mum that child had to come for 2 days a week and said this was what I would be telling all parents from now on. Just had a mum drop off and ask what days she should send her son to Nursery in September so he is still here on same day as his friends (I did drop down to just one day a week for their older son). The father is a teacher and they begrudge paying me half fee in the holidays, so want to give a month's notice for 2 days a week now to save money in the summer holidays and then child will start Nursery in Sept. All new starters are paying full fee for the holidays so I don't expect to have teachers children after this one finishes. I did say that if he just came one day a week then he would be vulnerable if someone else wanted more hours as I would have to give notice.

The mum wanted him to stay coming on a Wednesday as he likes being with the older boys but this day is COC as his gran who normally had him Wed has just had a hip replacement. I have a child leaving for school and another baby already booked into his space, so I can't keep this child on a Wednesday as the space is booked for new business so COC wouldn't apply to the new baby.

I believe that this issue will be very obvious when the 30 hours of childcare kick in
Many preschools and nurseries do set a minimum attendance and I see no reason why CMs should not follow
Giving a child just one day can be ok but it does close the door to those who want more hours

So much to reflect when it comes to flexibility and what works for parents and CMs too.

moggy
01-06-2015, 02:07 PM
I say 2-days minimum.
I have done 1.5 days before but only where it suited me.

loocyloo
01-06-2015, 02:11 PM
I'd like to say 2 day minimum as I know its in the best interests of the child as well, but I would have not 'got' 4 or 5 children if I didn't do one day a week, although now 2 of those do 2 or more days. 2 others would have done 2 days, except I don't work Mondays! I say all EY children have to do a minimum 6 1/2 hrs ( which is school hours ) in one day!

Mouse
01-06-2015, 02:14 PM
I don't have a minimum time. The least I have had an EYs child for is 2 hours a week.

For the children who are only here for one day a week I do very little paperwork, especially as most of them go to nursery for 2.5 days. I do a brief assessment summary each term and don't do the transfer to school form as nursery does that.

lollipop kid
01-06-2015, 06:45 PM
I actually have a 3 days a week minimum. I have done 2 days a week for one parent (not bad in 8 years of minding), and this parent has just gone up to 3 days anyway for her child, as he loves it here.

Today was his first day coming on a Monday (his new third day with me), with last week being a holiday for both of us. He's only 18 months, and I was grinning from ear to ear when I saw his little happy face at my door this morning, and heard the happy squeal that he did when he saw me. Daddy was delighted as well and we both laughed as the wee guy then bolted past me into the main childminding area, still grinning and squealing with delight.

Long tale, but the moral of the story is that I am really proud of the care I provide the children I look after, so I don't see anything wrong with imposing a minimum on their days with me. (I think the children enjoy a longer time here as well.)

More days works for me, as I am not a big fan of paperwork at the best of times, Therefore, I try to limit the amount of children I look after each week (and hence keep the number of journals/observations/transition reports etc. manageable).

I hope this helps,

L

hectors house
01-06-2015, 07:26 PM
I looked after this family's older son from when he was 10 months until he went to school last Sept the trouble is he used to come 2 days a week and then cut down to one day when he went to Nursery when he was 3 for 2 years but I didn't do Nursery funding then but do now, so most other parents are letting me do the funding for the first year and then sending children part time to Nursery for the last year before school, I guess this parent just thought that she would do the same as she did with older son.

They have just had to increase lo's days from 2 days to 3 days as his gran (who used to look after him) has recently had a hip replacement, dad is a teacher so home in the holidays, I have always let parents have 4 weeks holiday a year at half fee but the mother has taken so much time off during the last year that she only has 1 day left at half fee and then it would be full fee for other days (I wouldn't be charging for the extra day as I haven't changed the contract as it was just temporary until Gran can have him again). So this morning she told me child was starting Nursery in Sept and would be cutting down to one day (giving me a month's notice) so that she only has to pay for one day a week in the holidays - she asked if he could still come on a Wednesday but I said no as this is his extra day, not contracted day and I have a new baby who has been booked in since last December for a space on Tues and Wed.

lollipop kid
01-06-2015, 07:53 PM
HH - sounds like you're doing the right thing. (I can understand the family trying to do what they are to save some money, but from my point of view, I always try to remember that I'm doing this job to provide for my own children, as it's up to me to always try to put their needs, and mine, first.)

Plus, if you think about it, all you're asking parents to do is to put their child first - i.e. by spending 2 or even 3 days at a setting means that the child gets more time to spend learning from other children (who hopefully they become good friends with), as well as a bit of routine. Isn't that what we as parents are trying to do anyway? (Put our children's needs first?)

Why not consider bringing in a minimum for new children? (Especially with the 30 hours coming up! Not that I'll be offering that, personally, but I am keeping it in the back of my mind.)

All the best,

L

hectors house
02-06-2015, 07:26 AM
HH - sounds like you're doing the right thing. (I can understand the family trying to do what they are to save some money, but from my point of view, I always try to remember that I'm doing this job to provide for my own children, as it's up to me to always try to put their needs, and mine, first.)

Plus, if you think about it, all you're asking parents to do is to put their child first - i.e. by spending 2 or even 3 days at a setting means that the child gets more time to spend learning from other children (who hopefully they become good friends with), as well as a bit of routine. Isn't that what we as parents are trying to do anyway? (Put our children's needs first?)

Why not consider bringing in a minimum for new children? (Especially with the 30 hours coming up! Not that I'll be offering that, personally, but I am keeping it in the back of my mind.)

All the best,

L

I have started telling new parents that it's 2 days a week and 7 hours a day (so 14 hours a week minimum), I rarely take on children for just one day a week it's just annoying when the existing children drop down to that when they start Nursery - all the other parents are now using me for the 3 year old funding and only sending children to Nursery for the final year. I don't mind doing the funding as it's 7p an hour more than my normal rate but I wouldn't be offering it if I was making a loss - I'm not going to subsidize the Government or parents.

I'm thinking of offering this parent a deal regarding paying for childcare spaces they don't need in the holidays (providing child stays with me and doesn't start Nursery in September) - need to work out what I can afford to offer.