Question for all Accredited childminders

[TooEarlyForGin?]

Can I ask how you work the hours if you are accredited?

Do you do similar as a pre-school nursery, do 2, 3 hour sessions, then charge for a lunch hour?

And how do you word agreements with parents, as I am only doing this for currently minded children so I am going to need to explain that they will still be contracted and have to pay for the holidays - do you have this issue?

I have gone through the initial paperwork and been told by my DW that everything is OK, I will just have to sign the contracts with the gov and LA.

Thanks in advance.

[Carol M]

I provide the hours flexibly to suit the parents.The 15 hours have to be taken over a minimum of 3days and I just deduct 15 hrs from their bill.
Carol x

[MAWI]

I do the same. E.g IF a child does 25 hours I take off the FE hours. I just ensure that the free ours are shown on their invoice. They pay during school holidays.
You can offer it over the whole year and just reduce the amount of ours per week, but at the moment mine just use it term time only.
I make a note on the contract as an amendment when the child starts using the FE.

[blue bear]

Depends on the family.
Family a) comes to me just for funded hours so only 38 hours a year.
Family b) comes for funded hours term time (not just 38 weeks) plus occasional holiday. They pay on weeks not covered by funding and on any holiday weeks.
Family c ) full time year round contract, I work out yearly amount funded money comes to minus that off annual amount and divide by 12 fir monthly fee.
On the contract I write full contact details as if no funding then write under payments the council will fund 15 hours over 38 weeks a year, all other hours to be paid by parent at normal rate.

[loocyloo]

so far, any child i have or have had using their funding only uses their funded hours. so termtime only, 2 or 3 days a week. i can only offer the funding on a termtime only basis.

my core hours for funded children are 9.30-2.30 ( give or take ) but spread over 3 days, and include lunch. ( although some only do 9.30-12/12.30 )

i am not allowed to charge extra for anything. if i didn't provide lunch, then mum would have to send a packed lunch. i can't chose to have a 'lunch hour' or 'lunch club' and charge for that, then continue with using funding.

[singlewiththree]

Mine use the 15 hours to knock off their bill.

I have been looking into providing nursery provision and would probably be flexible for the parents needs still but if they could it would be easier to drop off after the school run and pick up before school run!

[singlewiththree]

i am not allowed to charge extra for anything. if i didn't provide lunch, then mum would have to send a packed lunch. i can't chose to have a 'lunch hour' or 'lunch club' and charge for that, then continue with using funding.

Thats not fair for you, that is what all the preschools do around here. They have morning and afternoon nursery and if you choose to send your child with a packed lunch you have to pay for the hour that is lunch time.

[JulieA]

I provide funded spaces. I offer all year round or term time depending on the families needs. At present I have one child accessing 5 hours a week which he takes on one day.

Here, you must provide the care free of charge (ie covered by the funding) but outings, lunch, and resources are not covered in this. However, if you provide lunches you can charge the parent but must give them the option to provide a packed lunch free of charge.

I have laid out an information sheet when parents ask about accessing the early years funding so they can see what is included and what isn't.

[karensmart4]

I offer 15hrs a week term time only.

I print out a summery of hours over a couple of terms, so a couple of weeks ago I gave parents the dates that their funding covers for the spring and summer terms and the dates of the school holidays that I charge full fee's for (I have 2 parents who don't have any school age children so don't know when hols are).

I have child, M. that does 24 hrs a week so I invoice mum 24hrs minus 15 funded = 9hrs @ £ = £

I have child, S. who I share care with, he does 8 hrs a week with me and 7 with a nursery so mum gets invoice for 8 hrs per week funded so total to pay is £0.00 unless he has done any extra hrs with me.

I have child, R. who also does shared care he does 13 hrs a week with me, 9 of which are funded and 4 are paid at full fees.

You get the picture :D

The children all bring lunch boxes so lunch times don't come into the equation.

If I have any questions the EY Funding team are always helpful.

I hope you get on okay, these things are always a bit daunting at first :)