contracts

[jumping j]

I have a 3 year old returning to me part time after mother's maternity leave, I only had him ad hoc so when mum didn't need me during her maternity we decided to leave it until she returned to work. I have a contract in place for him for ad hoc care.
From next month I will also be having the baby.
My question is until January mum will be working thursday and friday and I will be having both children. But from January it will return to the ad hoc care. What do I do about contracts?
Do I need one for each child for November - January and then another one from January onwards?
Can I use a short term contract and where do I get them from?
Can I write my own contract for the next 3 months and then go back to the NCMA one when mum returns to 'normal' working hours in January?
Or could I agree with mum that the contract is for 1 day a week, no matter what, ad hoc or regular hours, and any extra she pays as and when she needs me.
just a bit confused as I don't want to waste contracts for the sake of 3 months and then have to re-do them!:(

[rickysmiths]

I would use a seperate contract for each child and would do a full Contract. If you are using the MCMA ones make a note on page two in the box under the contracted hours bit that it will be changing in January and when this happens you will attach aletter signed by you and the parents deatiling the new hours and any change in costs.

As a member of NCMA I would never write my own contracts even for a short time because if something happened there is a high chance that the NCMA legal people would not help unless you are using the NCMA contract and to me its not worth the risk. The cost of a contract is so little compared to the income from the child to me it is worth the investment.

[BuggsieMoo]

NCMA also sell short term childminding contracts.