am i ok to say this??

[TRACEY1969]

Some of my parents are having holidays but still send there mindees to me because i charge full fee for there holidays. The problem i have parents aren't telling me when they are having holidays so when i book holidays with parents they don't have enough days left to cover my holidays. My develpment officers said that i should refund there money so they can get someone else to fill in for me. Why should i refund money i am entitiled to a holiday like everyone else and i am still looking after there children when they have time to thereselves. I am i right about this or just being greedy.
I was thinking of setting a set rate so i get paid for my hols to eg 48 weeks x the amount i charge then devide by 52 weeks and setting 2 weeks in summer and 2 weeks in winter.

[TheBTeam]

Parents have to understand that you will take a holiday, how they cover it is not your problem, whether you charge or not, or whether they have used up their holiday or not, they will know that at some point you are having a holiday.

I personally do not charge holiday pay when i go on holiday, this is because i dont want to feel guilty so they then have money to pay alternate care if needed, (and i will suggest cm to cover), but there are a lot of minders who do charge for their holidays, and parents have to budget for say 56 weeks care over the year so they can still pay other people if they dont want to be off at the same time.

I personally would be telling my DO to mind their business if the parents have agreed the contract then it is not your fault if they have 'forgotten' or 'ignored' it.

[FussyElmo]

If you have put in your contract that they pay you for your holidays then why do you need to refund. However if you have stated full for theirs but none for yours then you will need to refund money.

[miffy]

I wouldn't listen to your DO :panic:

No way do you need to refund these parents - they should expect you will be having some holidays and if they've used all theirs then tough.

The best you could do is point them in the direction of other childminders who might be able to cover for you

Miffy xx

[Hebs]

I wouldn't listen to your DO :panic:

No way do you need to refund these parents - they should expect you will be having some holidays and if they've used all theirs then tough.

The best you could do is point them in the direction of other childminders who might be able to cover for you

Miffy xx

i agree, do we have to do EVERYTHING for these parents? :rolleyes:

[Andrea08]

ok what i do is...........

when parents/child is away on holiday (Not sickness) i charge half fees
when i am on holiday and NOT sickness i charge half Fees

sickness on child is full fees
if i am off sick NO fees

however im thinking of changing this to full fees if child is off on holiday and no fees if i am off?

realy not sure which is best lol:blush:

[rickysmiths]

I would say tough. The parents know you will take holiday and it is up to them to make provision for it. Maybe you could help them find alternative care if they need it.

I have had fully paid holiday for 10years now. I tell my parents in Jan/Feb when I want to go away and they book holiday at the same time, it has never been a problem. They all seem to have lots more paid holiday than me anyway.

It is nothing to do with your DO how or what you charge, i would tell her to butt out.

[marnieb]

Hiya,

I know how you feel - I've had mindee for a year, and in that time the only break I've had from her was when i closed for a week over xmas!!! Mum took a week off in March and is off this week, but still sending T to me for 8 hours a day!!! :huh:

With this in mind any new mindees I get i'm going to have my usual 1 week at Xmas and 1 week summer as my unpaid hoilday, but then I'm going to take another week - BUT let the parents choose which week, and will charge half as holiday pay.

marnie

[blue bear]

I have parents who pay me by the week so I just don't get any money when I am off and others who pay me 48 weeks divided by 12. (so I take 4 weeks off no pay)

The 12 monthly payments works well, especially for voucher parents except when they leave mid year or I only take 3 weeks like I have this year. You need to be clear to parent what you are owed otherwise you could end up not being paid for all the days you have worked IYSWIM

In my contract it states 4 weeks notice for holiday on both sides, the parents know I take 4 weeks off a year so it's up to them to make sure they have enough time off work/cover to cover my holidays. I try to give plenty of notice but at then end of the day I am entitled to my holiday and am not responsible for their personal arrangements.

[sonia ann]

I work differently...................I take 4 weeks holiday a year now and don't charge as my service is unavailable................I also do not charge for parents holiday as long as I have 6 weeks written notice.....this stops them sending the children to me when they are at home.:D
I am lucky that I have a lot of part timers and enjoy just having fewer children occasionally
The written notice stops them using sick days as holiday:D
Most of them take holiday in my holiday as I give them almost a years notice

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Go back to your current contract and if it states no pay when you are on holiday then yes you do need to refund but it is up to the parent to them sort alternative cover.

However, if you contract shows that you are having hols paid then no you do not need to refund.

You can change your terms but your current contract is legally binding until both parties sign a new contract or notice is given.

[Ripeberry]

So glad I do term-time only, this is all so complicated :D

[green puppy]

I charge full for parent holidays and none for mine. I have written into my contract that I have 2 weeks at christmas to coincide with school hols and 2 weeks in august. This way they know when they sign up that they need to cover that period.

[saintsue]

Hi i charge 52 weeks a year i tell them in jan my hols for the year so they have eoungh notice to sort there childcare out, parents get holiday pay so why cant we. xxx

[rickysmiths]

Hiya,

I know how you feel - I've had mindee for a year, and in that time the only break I've had from her was when i closed for a week over xmas!!! Mum took a week off in March and is off this week, but still sending T to me for 8 hours a day!!! :huh:

With this in mind any new mindees I get i'm going to have my usual 1 week at Xmas and 1 week summer as my unpaid hoilday, but then I'm going to take another week - BUT let the parents choose which week, and will charge half as holiday pay.

marnie

Hi Marnie

This concerns me a little. I have been Childminding for 17yrs now and have always had at least 4 weeks holiday a year. I don't know how you can survive with as little as two weeks. The minimum number of days holiday an employed person should have is 25 days a year and NCMA recommends a min of 4 weeks.

We need a holiday, our work is physically and mentally demanding.

All Your parents will have a min of 25 days holiday a year and these will mostly be paid so you must not feel bad about taking holiday.

Maybe you would get a better response from parents if you charged 1/2 fee for both your holidays for 2 weeks each a year and then another 2 weeks free for yours and full fee for them or half fee if they take their holiday at the same time as you.

I had parents who used to send their child to me even when they were off. Even when the snow was so bad it was impossible to get to the top of my hill, people we abandoning cars all down the hill, they arrived ar 7.30am and then spent the day at home together and collected later in even worse snow the idiots!! All the other parents enjoyed a day at home and playing in the snow with their los when things got a bit better they all walked to me for drop off and collection, no way did they risk driving up and down an ungritted hill.

I later found out that mum had 6 weeks holiday a year which was added to because if she worked a weekend which she did twice a month she go days in leiu. They always moaned when I took holiday :eek: One time a couple of years ago I unusually took 3 weeks off in August, Dad cared for lo and never left the house once all three weeks :eek:


Try to tell them your holidays as early in the year as you can, I tell my parents in Jan/Feb and then we all go away at the same time. I have been lucky enough to be paid for my holidays ( I charge 52 weeks a year and only don't charge if I'm off sick.) for the last 10 years but my parents never incure any additional costs when I am away and they all have additional weeks off, one set have just had a week in Italy, others have had several long weekends ontop of the main hols and I don't have my holiday until the secon week in August, I have three weeks and they have known about it for nearly a year now.

Never let parents make you feel bad about holidays. You need them in order to continue to give excellent care for their children.

[Shivvie]

Some of my parents are having holidays but still send there mindees to me because i charge full fee for there holidays.

:eek: Do these parents not want to be with their children??????? It makes me wonder why some people have children - I've had my eyes well and truly opened since doing this job!

[grindal]

:eek: Do these parents not want to be with their children??????? It makes me wonder why some people have children - I've had my eyes well and truly opened since doing this job!

Its amazing isnt it! I work term time only and my mindee finishes with me on Friday, but mum asked me tonight if I could look after him for an extra week next week as she had lots of things to do in the school holidays :eek:

[TRACEY1969]

all parent have my main weeks holidays 8 months in advance but for one parent she wants all my holidays in advance:idea: , i told her that i have to consider other parents holidays to, but she has gone to work and booked all her 5 weeks holiday till July next year:mad: . I am just writting a polite letter to all parents regarding holidays that when they book time off this doesn't mean i am off to and these dates are there holiday dates not mine (also states this in contract) They have my main 2 weeks dates, but as for 1 parent booking all her holiday in advance they are not in school holidays due to her company not accepting this (her mindee is only 2) i told her i can't book all my holidays yet but she said she has not got any holiday left now due to booking hers. Why should i refund her like my support officer said ( i charge her full for her hols and non for mine). My support officer said i am NOT allowed to reccommend another childminder as this could reflect on me if she did like them.:eek:

[FussyElmo]

I dont get what your do is telling you to refund if you dont charge for your holidays.

And as for you not recommending someone I dont get unless your do is concerned that the stand in cm may try to poach your business.

If the parent has booked all her holidays and then thats her fault if she has none left to consider for your holidays. She will have to find someone to look after them or take unpaid time off.

Remember your do is there for advice and support you dont have to do as she tells you to especially on contractual matters:thumbsup:

[singingcactus]

So, is your DO telling you to refund the parents for the hours they were on holiday and you cared for their children? Meaning you would have been looking after the children for free?
If that is what she is saying then she is a very strange lady.

I have had parents who send their kids to me whilst they have days off too, it doesn't bother me, the kids enjoy the routine and can get unruly if their routine is upset. I have had other parents who keep their kids home when they have days off, this is also great, and I tend to reduce the rates to half when I can but obviously not everyone is able to do that.

[marzi]

I have all my holiday dates for the next 2 years on a poster in my hallway. But only because the school my children go to gave out their dates until the end of 2012 so I booked around them and have put a note at the bottom that they may change if the school has made a mistake.

I agree you have nothing to refund, if the parent booked all their holidays in advance without thinking about finding alternative childcare while you were on holiday then thats tough :censored: :thumbsup: