Before and after schoolies and holidays

[Kidston]

Do you charge your normal hourly rate for before and after school kids and in the holidays?

[ziggy]

I was charging £10 for school day or £25 for schoolie in holidays BUT having learned a very valuable lesson before christmas I am now asking £10 per hour for schoolies (in the hope I wont get any lol)

Found it just didnt work for me having schoolies, toddlers and babies

[Nicola Carlyle]

I was charging £10 for school day or £25 for schoolie in holidays BUT having learned a very valuable lesson before christmas I am now asking £10 per hour for schoolies (in the hope I wont get any lol) Found it just didnt work for me having schoolies, toddlers and babies

What was this very valuable lesson ziggy?

[dawn100]

I find school aged children much harder work and a much bigger impact on my own kids. So I won't take on any new ones. But how I did price it was on session rates and this worked out slightly more than 2hrs of my regular fee and was for care until 5 (school finishes just after 3) care until 6 was an additional £5, that's the norm for round here, but is best to find out what other cm charge.
School holiday would be charged at my normal hourly rate.

[ziggy]

What was this very valuable lesson ziggy?

The valuable lesson was that no matter how much you put yourself out for parents they rarely worry about us. I kept a schoolie on thinking i was going to have his younger brothers for a good few years and then it didnt happen (long story). I also turned others away keeping place for the youngest.

So wont be doing schoolies again unless anyone is willing to pay £10 per hour

[Nicola Carlyle]

The valuable lesson was that no matter how much you put yourself out for parents they rarely worry about us. I kept a schoolie on thinking i was going to have his younger brothers for a good few years and then it didnt happen (long story). I also turned others away keeping place for the youngest. So wont be doing schoolies again unless anyone is willing to pay £10 per hour

Just wondered as I guess we all have different experiences so it's good to hear everyone's experiences.

I do have schoolies (breakfast, after school, holidays). Some days are great, some not so much but I guess that's like most things.

[bunyip]

Everything with me is subject to negotiation with individual clients. However, I'll answer in an "as a general rule" way.

I put an hourly rate on all contracts, even before/after school ones, as parents inevitably end up wanting some holiday ad hoc care, including those who swear they never will when they first sign up. I have a minimum fee for any one day/booking, which tends to become the wraparound care rate. So parents usually end up paying £10 for before or after school; £15 for before and after school. This is all-inclusive of meals, etc.

Some enquirers quibble at this "£10 for an hour - you must be joking".

I explain that schoolies, despite being here for just an hour or so, are very heavy consumers of food and resources (craft materials, etc.) and big producers of washing up and additional work for me to do when they've left - especially compared with EY children who consume relatively less and generate more income for the time they're here. I'm totally honest and lay out their options, which are:-

• Pay my rate.
• Pay another local CM her rate, which looks better but will cost more once she's added in all the extras for meals, holiday retainers, etc.
• Change their hours at work and collect their own little darling from school (which no-one ever does, cos they're all earning far more than I ever will.

[rickysmiths]

I charge an hourly/session rate that covers a half fee retainer during the holidays, so the parents don't actually physically pay me in the holiday but they are if you see what I mean. I add the weekly fee for 38 weeks and the half fee for 14 weeks and add the two together and divide by 38.

I am not cheap and about double the local After school club. However I provide quality care in a lovely comfortable home, a snack after school and a full home cooked meal if they are here after 5pm which the after school club don't. I don't have many after school which suits me. The ones I have are lovely and get on with all the little ones and enjoy being here.

[EmmaReed84]

I charge a standard £4.00 an hour for B&A during the term time and holidays.

If I have a B&A, term time only then I charge £4.25 an hour.

I also have an ad-hoc contract for one parent who only ever needs a drop off in the morning and the very rare collection, I charge £5.00 an hour and get my days a month in advance.

[Kittycat]

Do you charge your normal hourly rate for before and after school kids and in the holidays?

If they come to me in the holidays I charge my normal rate per hour
If the don't then I charge half fees