Retainer for unborn baby

[melanieabigail2004]

Slightly nervous about the enquiry coming to visit me tomorrow having already been stung once recently with a non-returner to work. This parent has not given birth yet and wants to secure 4 days a week from Dec/Jan. What retainer would you charge?

Mel

[Minstrel]

As far as i am aware you cannot charge any deposit or retainer for an unborn baby. Likewise you cant sign contacts yet.

Tell them to come back when baby is born xxx

[sarah707]

This is advice taken / compiled from a number of different sources including the Ncma and various eminent childcare writers. In some parts it is law – where this is the case, I have stated as such.

Deposits vs retainers

A deposit is – the parent and childminder decide when a place is available / required and the parent pays a one-off payment to hold the place open until then. The deposit is normally repaid to the parent out of the first month’s fees. If you agree with parents to keep the deposit for the term of the childcare, you must ensure you have the funds at the end of the placement to repay it in full. If you do not do this, you will be breaking the law and the parents will be within their legal rights to take you to court to reclaim their money. If the place becomes unavailable or the terms are changed, the childminder must, by law, refund the full deposit. If the parent decides they don’t want the place, the childminder keeps the money.

A retainer is - usually half normal fees (this varies) may be charged if a place is immediately available but a parent does not want to take it for a while. Retainers can also be used during school holidays to keep a childcare place open if parents are eg teachers, or if parents are leaving work for a short while, but intending to return and want to keep their place open. Retainers are for the childminder to keep unless the place is not available when the parent wants it, in which case they must, by law, be repaid in full. You cannot charge a retainer on an unborn baby.

[katickles]

Yeah Minstrel is right. Until the baby is born you can not charge a retainer fee.

I would let them come round & see your setting & meet you & then let them know that they would need to make another appointment once the baby is born, making it clear the reasons why.

http://newtickers.bump-and-beyond.com/27/2758/275800.png (http://www.bump-and-beyond.com/)

[rickysmiths]

Yes with all the above. I would meet with them, let them see you setting and then arrange to see them when the baby is born. Then if all is well you could sign a contract and take a deposit to secure the place.

As Sarah has said this has to be returned in full if you then change your mind, but equally if the parents change their minds you keep the deposit.

Personally if the contract goes ahead I keep the deposit until the end of the contract and use it towards the notice period. It means I have 4 weeks fees in hand in case payments fall behind or there is a failure in payments. I have a pass book account at a building society that I hold all the deposit money in seperately from my normal income so I know I have it if I have to return it.
I never have had to yet and 99.9% is returned to the parents in the last month of the contract.

[peanuts]

the others will correct me if i am wrong but i thought you couldnt charge a retainer fee until baby was born.

[miffy]

the others will correct me if i am wrong but i thought you couldnt charge a retainer fee until baby was born.

I have always followed the NCMA advice that no retainer, deposit or contract should be taken/signed before a child is born.

Think how awful it would be if you'd done so and then anything happened to the baby.

Miffy xx

[huggableshelly]

nodding in agreement with all and tiptoeing back out

[singlewiththree]

nodding in agreement with all and tiptoeing back out

I've just gone through the same thing, asked the same question only a couple of weeks ago so don't feel awkward.

I've had to decide that I can't hold the place open afterall its a long time for until Dec/Jan. When is the baby due? The parent may decide its a lot of money to pay to wait for the place. I have been thinking of it in terms of how many days a week they actually want and what the future will hold, are they likely to take the child out to go to nursery or a different school as it would be a shame to hold a place and then lose the child after a couple of years.

I've had 4 more enquiries since this one, so you might too :)

GOOD LUCK

[melanieabigail2004]

I am loathed to keep a space open until Dec having just done the same thing from Sept to Feb and the mum decided not to return to work.

They are welcome to look around but will tell them to return once baby is born - that's June and I might have filled the place by then. Equally she might alter going back to work 4 days a week.

Thanks for the advice ladies.

Mel

[miffy]

Good luck - hope you manage to work something out

Miffy xx