After school care

**JueQ** · 13-02-2014, 08:17 PM

What do people charge for after school care? Does anyone do taxi service and take children to be with family members or friends?

I charge a minimum of 2 hours after school to make it worth my while. When parents started asking for drop offs with family members as they couldn't collect I still charge the 2 hours as they're taking a space plus mileage on top. This is £8 plus 45p/mile. Usually works out around £10. Some people think I should charge less but if a parent booked a taxi it would cost more than me. I have to make space available in my car and cannot take on other children as they've taken a space so think I am pretty reasonable. I guess for something that takes 30 minutes from start to finish it is easy money but then it's an inconvenience too. I will be starting to collect a sibling soon and generally don't offer discount to siblings. I was going to charge the minimum 2 hours but obviously the mileage won't be on. This would make it £18 per journey for parents. Do I sound expensive? Other childminders have told me they charge £5 plus mileage. With different school pick ups inbetween I often have some children in my care for over 1 hour so feel I would be doing myself out of business!

Would love to hear your comments.

**loocyloo** · 13-02-2014, 09:51 PM

If I collect a child from school then they come back to my house. I have taken children home or to family but only at the end of the working day, not straight from school.

**bunyip** · 14-02-2014, 09:14 AM

I charge my normal rates (subject to negotiation) for after-school care, and my minimum charge applies, which is generally equivalent to 2.5 hours of care. Invariably, the client ends up paying the minimum rate, as very few want 3 hours of after school care.

Be very careful with what you're proposing. It sounds very much like a taxi service, especially with the mileage charge. If your LA gets wind of this, they'd be entitled to treat you as a taxi service, requiring you to apply and register to be licensed as such. This would have a big cost implication, especially for your motor insurance.

**Tippy Toes** · 14-02-2014, 10:50 AM

I charge £5 for the 1st hr which includes snack and £3.85 p/hr after that.

**gef918** · 15-02-2014, 04:53 PM

I had some after schoolers for about 15mins per day (once we'd gotten home). It was really annoying, because there was never any time to do anything with them, but if they weren't occupied, they would start misbehaving. I charged my minimum fee of £5 each (but felt like charging more given their behaviour).

**Ripeberry** · 15-02-2014, 05:36 PM

You can't charge the parents for mileage. All you can do is put it down as an expense. I'd just charge them for the time it takes to take them and get back. You can get into trouble with your insurance company if they find out you've been paid mileage.

**JueQ** · 18-02-2014, 03:36 PM

Hi Bunyip and Ripe berry. I'm well within my right to charge mileage to parents. If they request their child be taken from A to B in the car I can charge mileage and add it to the invoice. I'm taxed on my income. I know lots of childminders who charge miles when parents request it. Some put it down as an expense, it all depends on what you want your income to be. Charging mileage puts your income up and makes your tax higher if you earn enough to pay tax. Car expenses are not free. Diesel isn't cheap. It all goes through my books which has been verified by an accountant and has been for several years. Regarding car insurance, I am covered to carry children in the car and do not require a Hackney Carriage License. I am running a childminding business not a taxi firm and me charging mileage for my income as nothing to do with the LA. I do not stand at the taxi rank in town taking people home. It is a request from parents as they are working and cannot get to school or to my house to collect, therefore request I drop children off with family members. They do not want children dropping off at the end of the day, only the end of the school day and to do it at the end of my day would be extra hours and inconvenience. I do not see how me charging mileage would affect my insurance. The only reason parents don't book a taxi for their children is because you would never know who you were getting as they are not DBS checked.

gef918 - I started a minimum charge of 2 hours due to having children for a short period of time and it wasn't worth my while what I was charging.

**bunyip** · 18-02-2014, 06:20 PM

I agree: you are absolutely within your rights to charge mileage.

But your local authority would, if it chose, also be within its rights to treat you as a taxi service, even if you didn't wait around at cab ranks.

Some LAs choose to do this. Some don't. In the same was as there are no hard and fast rules on when LA's might require a CM to apply for planning permission to use their home for CMing.

The implications for insurance only come in if the LA does press home that requirement.

All that I (and I believe Ripeberry also) are saying is "that's the risk". If you consider it an acceptable risk, that's entirely your call. I just wouldn't want to see a fellow forum member stumbling into a whole new field of regulation and expense without having been warned, even if the chances of it happening are small.

**JueQ** · 18-02-2014, 08:34 PM

What about private hire? You book people for private hire for airport runs etc. They are not Hackney Carriage licence only private hire taxi. I set out a set fee for after school costs which includes the mileage for those who want it. I appreciate your advice but honestly don't see how any local authority can look into my business as being classed as a taxi? If that's the case then the majority of CMs I know could be investigated for being a "taxi" when all parents want is someone reliable and trustworthy that's not a criminal, to bring their children home safely.

**line6** · 18-02-2014, 08:44 PM

You seem to be happy and comfortable with what you are doing. I guess if there were any questions in your mind then you could always clarify the situation with your local authority. Personally I consider myself a childminder therefore I don't offer just a ride home (or wherever) from school. But as always it's your business your choice. I'm new to childminding but I've seen threads similar to this over and over on here and the answer from those who have years of experience is always the same - you could be classed as a taxi service. If you don't think you are then go ahead. I'm not sure why you are arguing with people who are just trying to advise you with the benefit of their experience.

**JueQ** · 18-02-2014, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by TrudiR

You seem to be happy and comfortable with what you are doing. I guess if there were any questions in your mind then you could always clarify the situation with your local authority. Personally I consider myself a childminder therefore I don't offer just a ride home (or wherever) from school. But as always it's your business your choice. I'm new to childminding but I've seen threads similar to this over and over on here and the answer from those who have years of experience is always the same - you could be classed as a taxi service. If you don't think you are then go ahead. I'm not sure why you are arguing with people who are just trying to advise you with the benefit of their experience.

I'm not arguing with anyone, I think you've misinterpreted my typing. I too consider myself a childminder and a very successful one being full 5 days a week. I have recently turned away lots of business as I don't have the spaces. I've turned down people asking for drop offs every night as it's not fair on my LO's and I don't have time for ferrying children here there and everywhere as I have teas to cook. I was minding the children I now drop off as parents shifts have changed. I was merely asking if anyone else did the same or took children home at parents request and if so what do they charge. I was asking the question of how can a LA see this as being a taxi service when I'm a qualified childminder offering a service to parents. I offer flexibility to meet parents needs wherever possible without it spoiling childcare for the others.

**line6** · 19-02-2014, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by JueQ

I'm not arguing with anyone, I think you've misinterpreted my typing. I too consider myself a childminder and a very successful one being full 5 days a week. I have recently turned away lots of business as I don't have the spaces. I've turned down people asking for drop offs every night as it's not fair on my LO's and I don't have time for ferrying children here there and everywhere as I have teas to cook. I was minding the children I now drop off as parents shifts have changed. I was merely asking if anyone else did the same or took children home at parents request and if so what do they charge. I was asking the question of how can a LA see this as being a taxi service when I'm a qualified childminder offering a service to parents. I offer flexibility to meet parents needs wherever possible without it spoiling childcare for the others.

My apologies for misunderstanding