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View Full Version : I dont know how to word it.... Please help.



bellacat
04-09-2011, 09:24 AM
I have two LO's from seperate families. The parents both do shift work so their hours and days change every week. Each week they do between 16 and 23 hours. This means that they are taking up full time spaces which i can not fill. They do pay a higher hourly rate but that doesnt make a lot of difference. i have the opportunity to take on 2 full time LO's in the new year. Financially this would be great for me. My problem is that i dont know how to give notice to my part timers. Is it even right to do that, is there such a thing as childminding etiquette. Is giving notice to someone so that you can take on someone else for more money right, and what do you say to them when you give notice. Should i tell them that i want to take on full timers?

The LO's are lovely and the parents are great, so i will be sorry to say good bye. I really dont want to hurt their feelings.

Please Help, what would you do / say.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Bear23
04-09-2011, 09:31 AM
Personally i wouldn't do it, but thats me.. I am just to soft.
But if you need the money etc you must do whats right for you and your family, just make sure the full timers are def starting first x

QualityCare
04-09-2011, 09:41 AM
I wouldn't do it either, l would wait until they started full time school and then take on full timers, what if you then decided you preferred part time as you had more time to yourself and your family would you then give them notice? Sorry but thats me l need the money but would never get rid of children because something better comes along.

jadavi
04-09-2011, 09:44 AM
You could offer your part timers the option to pay full time fee and explain why. They wll understand why as there's no arguing with money

FussyElmo
04-09-2011, 10:09 AM
Hard one for you really it easy for people to say that they wouldnt do it but if you need the money.

But if the parents are good and good payers that can mean more than a full time place if the parents isnt as good. Also if they decide to leave for whatever reason you are down a good chuck of your income.

Pros and cons for either scenario.

If you do decide to give notice all you need to say is due to a change of circumstances the notice period will commence on _______. It was a pleasure having your children and I wish you all the best for the future.

catminder
04-09-2011, 11:09 AM
If I take on part - timers I make that decision taking into account the hours they want and my potential loss of income against a full timer. Once I've decided to take them on I would not give notice over hours. I wouldn't feel comfortable taking on part-timers if I was going to give notice as soon as a full timer came along, unless of course you explain to the parents from the outset that this is what you will do. Maybe that's just me being too soft.
Could you just take one of the full-timers and still be within your numbers?

tashaleee
04-09-2011, 11:35 AM
How old are the 2 little ones you currently look after and how old are the 2 prospective ones?

For me this would be something to consider as if the ones you currently have are almost 3 they could be leaving you anyway for nursery so you could end up with less hours soon.....

Possibly if they are you could get some kind of variation with Ofsted?

bellacat
04-09-2011, 12:28 PM
How old are the 2 little ones you currently look after and how old are the 2 prospective ones?

For me this would be something to consider as if the ones you currently have are almost 3 they could be leaving you anyway for nursery so you could end up with less hours soon.....

Possibly if they are you could get some kind of variation with Ofsted?

The two LO's are 2 1/2 and 20 months. I did have a full timer but he left me to live in Australia back in June. The problem is that these two do different hours and different days every week. They equate to less than 50 hours a month each. So I think I will have to explain to them that because they are taking up full time places i will have to increase their fees. Otherwise I will have to give them notice, at least that way i am giving them the choice. Does that sound ok. Also do any of you have a minimum charge for each week. I do but it is only £27.00, me thinks that is not enough.

Dont you just love CF, where would be be without you. XXXXX

mushpea
04-09-2011, 01:50 PM
is there anyway these two could do set days and fit in with each other so you can still take the 2 full timers on? they could do half the week each or somthing, you could put in a letter to them that you have got to full timers waiting for spaces and that they either pay 8hrs a day 5 days a week or you all get together and decide which days each child could do or you would have to give notice as finacialy you can no longer afford to keep those days they dont always use.

stardust
04-09-2011, 05:53 PM
I would put

Dear _______,
I am writing to you to notify you that I have had a change in circumstances that require me to re-think my childminding hours and days.
It is with deepest regret that I have to make one of the following decisions and am trying my very best to limit the changes however I need to work more hours in order to accommodate the circumstances. I will unfortunately need to make some tough decisions on mindees spaces.
I have one of two options
1) Increase my minimum hours fees to _____ This will mean the minimum hours fee will be £_______. This is because you only need ____ hours per week and the space that your child currently holds is a potential ________ hours per week totaling £___________.

or

2) Replace a part time child with a full time child.
This is the option I would rather avoid hence why I am discussing my options with you.

You and your child are both valued members of my setting and are part of the reason I enjoy my job and wish for us working together to continue.

I have also sent a similar copy of this letter to the other part-time parents using my setting to find out if a price increase would be the best option.
Please let me know your views on this by the end on the weeks as I need to make a decision as soon as possible.

Kindest Regards
______________

Chances are they may give you notice however if they don't and one is okay with the price increase and one is negative about it i would give notice to the parent who was a bit negative.

Then if i did decide to give notice i would write something along the lines of

Dear __________,
After exploring every other possible options, I have made the following decision with great difficulty.
I had a negative response to the price increase so therefore am left with my last option and will need to give a part-time parent and child notice.
As you will understand i need to do the best for myself and my children.

I wish i didnt have to take the following action however i have little choice.
In order to try and keep your child on I have the following days and hours still available if they are of any use to you. I will offer you first refusal.

Hours
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

If in the event that these hours are of little use to you it will be with deepest regret to inform you that i will need to give notice to you and your child.

The notice period will start on ___________ and will last until ______________.
I will continue to care for your child throughout this period and I wish for no ill feelings between us
I have enjoyed working with you and your child and hope that you are able to use the above hours and continue using my services.
Thankyou very much for your participation.
Kindest Regards
________________________

it may work out that by doing it this way you may fill all your spaces :thumbsup:

best of luck and i hope i helped xx
Tara x

funemnx
04-09-2011, 06:06 PM
Have you got a CM friend who can 'share' the full-time/partime hours with you so that all families benefit from having 2 childminders? I have done this before and it worked quite well for both the parents and ourselves :thumbsup: