What to charge!

[queenie]

Hi everyone, just a quick question? What would the rest of you do in my situation. i have a mindee who I feed and take to school and pick up everyday. This week he has been off sick and I dont know whether to charge for petrol and food like I would normally do if he was here!!

[Pipsqueak]

Yep I would charge as normal, but that is in the contract (its not your fault that he is poorly ) What do you have in your contracts

[angeldelight]

If that is included in your fees then yes I would

Angel xx

[sarah707]

Do you mean you charge those things separately?

So if you feed the child, you then charge for that meal?

If it's that way, then no, you haven't provided the food / done the trip in the car etc so you shouldn't really charge :D

[queenie]

When we started the contract the mindee was only coming after school and having dinner. Then hours increased to before school as well. Then mum asked if I could feed him breakfast. Every week the hours change,for one reason or another. I cant keep writing out new contracts all the time! Last week she told me she'll be picking him up Fridays for a while but still wanted the space!
Everyweek I print her an invoice but its always different. I need to decide what to charge as surely if I think he's coming for a week I buy extra food and more petrol in my car!
I want to be fair and not feel like im trying to make money from her!

[Pipsqueak]

Hi queenie, by the sounds of it you need a new contract drawing up for starters as without it this mum can do as she pleases and you won't have a leg to stand on if it came down to it.
If you need to do a contract that states

"variable hours - it is agreed that I will have a minimum of xx weeks written notice of hours need in advance" and make sure you get written notice of the hours she wants (to be signed by you and her) and attached to the contract and the contract should detail the cost of meals (if that is not included in the current fee and whether you will charge as normal for their (clien/mindees sickness/absence and for the cost of the meal, petrol etc)

[Pipsqueak]

When we started the contract the mindee was only coming after school and having dinner. Then hours increased to before school as well. Then mum asked if I could feed him breakfast. Every week the hours change,for one reason or another. I cant keep writing out new contracts all the time! Last week she told me she'll be picking him up Fridays for a while but still wanted the space!
Everyweek I print her an invoice but its always different. I need to decide what to charge as surely if I think he's coming for a week I buy extra food and more petrol in my car!
I want to be fair and not feel like im trying to make money from her!

No you can't be doing a new contract all the time but the mother should not be able to chop and change as she sees fit either - are you charging her extra for outside contracted hours? I would either do a new contract with the increased hours or a variable hours one with advance written notice (I would suggest that you should have a minimum of 2 weeks notice) and anything changed(with less that ie 3days written notice) - exisiting hours will be charged for regardless of attendance, anthing added will be charged as extra etc. AND make sure you write all this down on the contract - been there done that!

I can understand you are trying to be fair BUT you are a business first and foremost and that is what you are working for - too make money to live there is nothing wrong in that queenie.

As it goes, as it says in my contracts - I charge when they off and for meals (I charge for meals separately) but I wouldn't charge for the fuel.

[Mickey Mouse Clubhouse]

I would charge for the food not sure on petrol if you were only going to pick him up from school and no one else then I would not charge petrol as you are technically not going. Charge for him being off sick and for food.

Don't forget you are running a business, but do what you feel comfy doing.

Lorraine xx

[susi513]

If you charge a fixed daily or weekly rate that includes the meals and/or transportation then I would continue to charge.

For transportation, I charge a separate fee so would only apply the charge to the journeys I had made. So if I arrived to collect a child to be told they're too poorly to come I would charge for that journey even though I didn't transport the child.

For meals I also charge separately. But I have planned my menu around the children I'm expecting - by the time I'm told a child is sick I may even have started preparing/cooking it (one parent has a habit of leaving it til about 10 mins b4 the school run before letting me know her ds has been home all day & I'm not needed - so I charge her for the childcare & the meal thats cooking). Whereas if someone is away on holiday or I'm told on the sat/sun that the child will be off a week due to sickness/hospital etc then I will waive the meal charge if I can freeze it/give it to another child etc.

HTH