prices up??...

[littlepixies]

hey girls,

not benn on for ages had so many issues with logging on to the forum but im bck yay.

OK i have done a little research to find the going rate in my area as when i first started few yrs back i was charging £3.50ph after 6 months put it up to £4.00 as every child minder i knew was charging 4 +

so after that i have kept it the samme but have decided that im going to give my self a pay rise as most minders are on £4.50 + ph and have been for the past year. so im increasing my rate to £4.50 as of as of april 1st which is an xtra 50 quid a week which looks great :)

how about all of you? have you thought of increasing your prices due to inflation?
how much do you all charge?

louisa

[LittleMissSparkles]

it is totally upto you what you charge but I would suggest giving parents 4 weeks written notice of any changes you make to fees x

[LittleAcorns]

Welcome back Louisa :D

I did a pay rise at Christmas, by 5p per hour, will probably do the same each year works out an average of £27 per month, the parents dont notice too much of a difference as its divided between 4 sets of parents :jump for joy:

[sarah707]

I have never put prices up for existing parents - so I can't advise. I'm not sure how they would take it tbh.

I would do a price rise for new ones as they start. :D

[Monkey1]

I haven't put my prices up for about 4 years, so i would say they are all getting a bargain! I would consider putting them up for newbies though, but only by about 20p an hour

[miffy]

I have never put prices up for existing parents - so I can't advise. I'm not sure how they would take it tbh.

I would do a price rise for new ones as they start. :D

I am intrigued Sarah - are you saying that if you had a child from a baby to 11years old for example that you would not put your fees up in all that time?

Littlepixies I agree with Susan if you are using contracts that have your fees written into them you need to give parents whatever notice period it says on your contract before you increase the fees and you will then need to do new contract for each parent to include the new fees

miffy xx

[sarah707]

I am intrigued Sarah - are you saying that if you had a child from a baby to 11years old for example that you would not put your fees up in all that time? miffy xx

Well I haven't yet... but then I've not had children staying that long I suppose.

The longest has been from little to school age, then they go off to other schools and I can't collect, so I have to replace - my local school is not the most well-to-do for the area and there's a lot of snobbery, so while they want me as a minder, they don't want the school I pick up from iyswim....

I'm actually considering putting prices down for a little one who starts school in September as I really want to keep her. I know she might well be sent to family or told to go straight home with her 12 year old brother if I charge too much for after school care for her... I have charged a fair price when she was little, but once an after schooler, she will be that much more independent etc... still thinking on that one tbh as it's my first one I've kept from little to school...

Hope this clarifies :D

[berkschick]

I have all the review dates for 31st December, no matter when they start with me. I am planning on putting my fees up each year, just 10p an hour or something.

You would need to give the parents 4 weeks notice for a fee change I think.

[manjay]

I am going to put mine up in Sept. Probably only 10p per hour. Each set of parents will get moved on to the new rate once their contract is due for renewal. I make parents well aware from the start that I will reveiw my fees in Sept each year.

amanda xx

[DCS]

good morning ladies,

I think we should put our prices up every year. bear in mind inflation, petrol, food, gas, electric, reg fee ,wine all increase on an annual basis

cecile
x

[sarah707]

Wine.....! Good point! :laughing:

[disney]

i have only been minding since september so my charges are what i feel just about right at the moment , how ever im sure as time goes on i suppose i would have to think about putting up prices . cant see how any one could do this job & not do a price rise really , well i couldnt as my price includes all food and well its very expensive . so yes if you need to then you should increase your fees like most have said you will need to give parents plenty of time to get used to it . and as long as you keep prices similier to over minders in your area you should be ok :thumbsup: x

[Kelly]

I recently put my fees up from £3ph to £3.50 for one family and £3.25 for another, I decided that I had to take into account each families circumstances.

I already had a child on £3.50ph as they started at Xmas.

I really worried about putting up my fees, especially by 50p per hour, but I am a support childminder and was telling newly registered to charge £3.50ph as it is the going rate in our area, yet was not charging it myself!!

My families took it well, luckily.

Good Luck

Kelly

[LittleAcorns]

One thing that I do find a problem is I have 3 children from one family, a total

of 80 hours per week if you go by how many hours shes paying so if I

increased by 50p per hour so it would be £40 week for her, so by

increasing it by 5p-10p a year seems to go with inflation........however if you

feel you are charging short ie other minders in the area are more expensive

then personally I would do a price increase with a months notice, then

another in 6 months with 1 months notice......hey if the Chancellor of the

Exchequer can put booze up whatever %%%%% then I feel thats reason

enough to increase our fees!!! dont you hey??? lalalallalalaaaaa did i say

that????? :D :D :D :D

[Nix]

I started minding in September 2007 and am considering a price increase from September 2008, giving parents notice as the schools break for the summer, but I'm not sure whether to keep my rate the same but charge for food...or both!

Considering a 25p per hour increase with food at 75p for breakfast 1.25 for lunch and 1.75 for dinner. What do you girls think? Welcome your thoughts...

Thanks Nix, x:)

[LittleMissSparkles]

good morning ladies,

I think we should put our prices up every year. bear in mind inflation, petrol, food, gas, electric, reg fee ,wine all increase on an annual basis

cecile
x


wine .......PMSL XXX

[Tily Bud]

ive been minding for just under 5 years and have increased my fees over that time from £2.50 to £3 per hour i dont think i will be increasing any more this year but maybe next, just depends on other minders in my area x

[blossom]

Ladies, can not believe i am reading this. We are all running extremely important and from all accounts successful businesses and nobody wants to put their rates up............ i review my contracts every 12 months and this includes a cost of living pay rate rise.I am minding children from the same family and all of the children stay with me untill they move to high school.I love my job but I would be very silly if I did not increase my rates on a yearly basis.

[tinkerbell_85]

In my area, there is childminders who are paying £5 hour. Parents don't mind paying it.
At the end of the day, if you have only one or two children, would u be happy working and living off £3? i certainly wouldn't. parents hear this and totally agree.

Think about it guys, your worth more.

[Banana]

I charge £3.50 and thats been since I started, Im only in my second year and so havnt put my prices up yet - but I will be the end of this year. But havnt decided wether to introduce a charge for meals/hourly increase or take paid holidays.

Whichever way I do it Im bound to have some moans :(

Good luck with your increase - be sure to let parents have at least 4 weeks written notice though

xx

[devoncm]

At the moment i charge different for different people, the most at moment being £3, as of 5th apr i will put everyone up to the same at £3.50. The two new ones that are starting this week, they are having 16 hours of taster sessions first being paid by job centre at £5 hour, not sure if its the same when they start proper though.
Some i have increased by 50p others £1, i didnt wnt to increase by much but after working out my money situation i need to earn alot more than what i am at the moment and on looking around my area its the same if not less than other cm's charge.

[HilaryT]

I put my prices up every 1st January, and tell my parents at the end of November. I usually put them up by 10p or 20p an hour. Currently I charge £4.60 per hour. I do think childminders are paid far too little - who else would work for such a low wage? It's less than the minimum wage!! You only start making a good wage if you have several children at one time.

When you think of the responsibility of what we do ...

Hilary