Charging for Bank Holidays

[Chanelle]

Im reviewing my fees for parents and wondering what you as a Childminder charge regarding Childminder/Parent Holidays, Bank Holidays etc ...
I currently :

Childminder - 3 weeks per year - No Charge
Parents - Full Fee
Bank Holidays - No Fee (I will work if requested at double fee of £8 phr)


I want to start to charge for bank holidays and would like your opinion.

I have been a Childminder for 3 years and have charged the same for this period. I have never put up my fees or charged for bank holidays.

What are your thoughts? Also what do you do about Training Days? Do you charge?

I want to write a letter to state this to parents but not sure how to word it.

Thankyou in advance for your help :)

[Mouse]

Basically, if I'm available to work it is full fee, if I'm not available to work there is no fee.

So for my holiday, illness or occassional days off there is no fee as I am not available.

At all other times I am available, so full fee is due. This covers child's holiday, sickness or occassional days off.

The rule follows for bank holidays. If I am prepared to work them I charge as I am available, if I don't want to work them I don't charge as I am not available. If I am available but parents decide to keep the child away it counts as child's time off, so full fee is payable.
The only difference is that if parents do want me to work a bank holiday it is at double fee.

As an example there are 2 bank holidays in June, the Monday & Tuesday. I won't be available for the Monday, so won't charge, but will be available on the Tuesday, so full fee will be due if the child doesn't come, double fee if they do.

[AgentTink]

I charge the following:

No fee for childminders holiday or days off for training/sickness except I am shut from the 22nd December every year until 2nd January and this is at full fee's.

Bank Holidays I am shut, but full fee still expected. With 4 weeks notice parents can request I work but it is double fee for a minimum of 6 hours.

I state that i will take a minimum of 4 weeks a year however it may be more, however as much notice as possible will be given.

Full fee for parents holidays or illness


I only changed my contracts at the beginning of Feb this year to now be full fee at Bank Holiday and the introduction of Christmas shutdown. I sent a letter home on the 1st November, advising the changes that would happen in 3 months time, on the 1st Feb. I simply said that due to rising costs (i did also increase my hourly fee) and to put me in line with other childminders in the area that I had reviewed my fee's and policies and that these would be the changes.

I went on to state that I understood this would not be suitable for everybody, and understood if a parent wished to cancel their contract. I advised they had until 1st December to fill in attached form to confirm they understood the changes, or they could fill in the form to cancel contract, and that I would still require 4 weeks notice from when they gave it to me.

I advised that once they had advised me either way of their wishes then I would get admendments made to their contracts for them to view and sign.

[QualityCare]

I only charge for days required so if a child would normally attend on a bank holiday yes l charge full fee.
All holidays for parents are full fee and l take up to 4 weeks at full fee any other l wish to take or my illness would be no fee.
I only put my fees up when l take on new children or they start school and only need holiday care.

[rickysmiths]

I am happy to work Bank holidays, subject to 4 weeks written notice.

If I work I charge double fee, triple fee on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New years Day.

If I don't work I charge normal fee for those for whom it would have been a contracted day.

[Little Pickles]

I have been reading this thread with interest like the one from
A couple of weeks ago on a similar subject .
I don't charge for bank holidays as I don't want to work them. I don't charge for my holidays either ( although I would love to start - just haven't got
the bottle !!) what I don't understand is - with the greatest of respect to all you who do it - how people can be charging parents for bank holiday at normal daily rate ( even if they don't work bh's ) and then asking for an increased rate if the parent wants to use their service that day !!

[Tatjana]

Child absence for whatever reason = full fee

My hol/sickness/whatever = no fee

Bank holidays, closed = full fee

hth

[Chanelle]

Thank you for your replies ... What about in this situation

I have parents that are Term Time Only ... Parents are teachers.

Only come during school hours when open.
In the school holidays I charge a retainer fee (half fees) and am available to work if they need me.

What would you charge if the BH falls during term time and during holiday periods?

[The Juggler]

in answer to your last question you would only charge for BH's that fall in your contracted hours. so if you have t-time only children and bh falls in school hols you wouldn't charge.

however, I would say hon, that I would not start charging current parents. I think it would seriously pee them off. if they chose you on the basis you don't charge bh's then how will they feel you are now charging?

maybe charge new parents from now on instead?

[Lilylulu]

Hi, we changed our policy on bank holiday fee's last year, we were previously usually closed - no fee. We changed it to half fee as we didn't want to upset our current parents, may increase it again to full in the future though.

[rickysmiths]

I have been reading this thread with interest like the one from
A couple of weeks ago on a similar subject .
I don't charge for bank holidays as I don't want to work them. I don't charge for my holidays either ( although I would love to start - just haven't got
the bottle !!) what I don't understand is - with the greatest of respect to all you who do it - how people can be charging parents for bank holiday at normal daily rate ( even if they don't work bh's ) and then asking for an increased rate if the parent wants to use their service that day !!

A BH is not a normal working day. I charge if the parents choose not to use the day just the same as any other day they choose not to use because I am happy to work subject to being given some notice.

I charge a higher rate to work on that day because even though I am happy to work and it may be a 'normal' contracted day it is a Bank or Public Holiday and I am stepping out of the box if asked to work it. I therefore choose to charge a higher fee to reflect this. Just the same way as when I was employed if I worked on a BH I was paid time and a half and I got an extra days holiday as well.

[Chimps Childminding]

I have been reading this thread with interest like the one from
A couple of weeks ago on a similar subject .
I don't charge for bank holidays as I don't want to work them. I don't charge for my holidays either ( although I would love to start - just haven't got
the bottle !!) what I don't understand is - with the greatest of respect to all you who do it - how people can be charging parents for bank holiday at normal daily rate ( even if they don't work bh's ) and then asking for an increased rate if the parent wants to use their service that day !!

I agree with you on this point!! Lots of my parents are Prison Employees and for them a Bank Holiday is a normal working day, they don't get extra for it! I choose not to work BH so don't charge, but I am sure my parents wouldn't be too pleased having to pay extra when they don't get it!

I also don't see how you cm can charge when they are on holiday - surel if you aren't available you can't charge :confused:when I was off most of my parents used another cm so would in effect have been paying twice! but I suppose everyone has their own way of doing things - maybe I'm just too soft :blush:

[miffy]

what I don't understand is - with the greatest of respect to all you who do it - how people can be charging parents for bank holiday at normal daily rate ( even if they don't work bh's ) and then asking for an increased rate if the parent wants to use their service that day !!

I charge for BH if they fall on a contracted day (all my parents are paid for BH so I don't see why I shouldn't be) but I never work them nor would I even for an enhanced fee. I explain all of this to parents when they sign the contracts and it is written into the contract. It's never caused me any trouble, that's just the way I do things.

If I did choose to work BH it would definitely be for an enhanced fee, that's common practice in other work places so why not ours?

Miffy xx

[snufflepuff]

I treat it like any other day in that if I am available to work, I charge. If the parent chooses not to use my service, they still need to pay. The only difference is that if they need me to work on a bank holiday, I charge double my usual hourly rate.

Nobody has ever questioned this.

[Helen Dempster]

I charge for bank holidays, always have, and parents are all fine with this. I don't work on bank hols, the only ones I don't charge for are Christmas and Boxing Day.

I don't charge if I'm on holiday, I charge half fees when the parents are on holidays and occasional days off.