charging full day for school age (only with you before and after)

**leopardgirlx** · 10-01-2015, 06:21 PM

What are your thoughts on the title.
The childminder I used she used to charge £3.60 an hour. And my son was only with her for 2.5 hours a day 3 days a week but she used to charge for when he was at school. Because she couldn't fill the space. What are your thoughts on this. she said it's also because of full days in the holidays.

What do you do to make the most of the spaces available etc

K

**Rick** · 10-01-2015, 07:25 PM

Originally Posted by leopardgirlx

What are your thoughts on the title.
The childminder I used she used to charge £3.60 an hour. And my son was only with her for 2.5 hours a day 3 days a week but she used to charge for when he was at school. Because she couldn't fill the space. What are your thoughts on this. she said it's also because of full days in the holidays.

What do you do to make the most of the spaces available etc

K

A school aged child isn't taking up a space during the day if they are at school. During the holidays a childminder may have a school aged child during the day anyway so again not taking up an EY space.

**watford wizz** · 10-01-2015, 07:58 PM

Was he only doing mornings/afternoons at school and with the minder before/after for part of the day or was he attending full days? Was she offering to only have a much reduced number of children some minders do this as parents/carers/children need more one to one care? Did the child attend a special school which operated at different hours to state school? Otherwise I don't see why she would say it was to keep his space?

**Merlot** · 10-01-2015, 08:13 PM

Was it nursery or full time school? I charge if I drop off at nursery and collect as I cannot fill those 3 hours and parents want the space during the holidays or school closures.

I don't charge full time schoolers only the before and after school.

**bunyip** · 11-01-2015, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by Rick

A school aged child isn't taking up a space during the day if they are at school. During the holidays a childminder may have a school aged child during the day anyway so again not taking up an EY space.

Well, yes and no.

We have a limit of 6 under-8's, so it's quite possible for a CM with enough before & after school children to find themselves unable to take on an EY child whose hours overlap the school runs. Very possible, given the working hours of many parents. That's before you even start to consider space requirements, resources and the compatibility of children of different age groups. All these things will depend on the individual child and the individual CM.

The counter-argument is "well, find an EY child to just fill the time they're at school." Fair enough, but the same argument can be used to say CMs shouldn't be charging when a lo is at nursery/preschool. And yet I and other CMs I know have managed to fill short time-slot spaces like this. I know the numbers are different, but the principle is the same.

This sort of inconsistency, coupled with the way I've built my own business on filling supposedly "unfillable" spaces, does make me tend to dislike the oft-cited concept of "blocking a space".

This is beginning to sound like I'm telling CMs how to run their business. I'm certainly not. I believe we should all do whatever works for us, but it is certainly worth considering whether you can explain what you do to parents, and don't be surprised if someone points out that it might be a bit inconsistent.

**leopardgirlx** · 11-01-2015, 03:12 PM

See I was very naive and just believed what she said about space etc plus she was the only one doing school runs. I actually wasn't with her long as I didn't like the way she worked (she was Portuguese (language wasn't great) and she told me my son was autistic on first settling in visit) one of the reasons I have come into cm. now obviously I know about ratios etc. My son was the only English child she had so I'm assuming none of the other parents have challenged it. She also had an assistant (her oh) but he wasn't officially trained. Umm I didn't like that either. But yeah so I wouldn't do that for a full time schooly. I will probably have a minimum contract though. Hope that makes sense cause I'm using my phone to post lol

**v 1461** · 19-01-2015, 04:22 PM

oh no!! I never charge the hours where the child is not in my care.
this is why it is called school run and not full day.
You can choose to charge a bit more per hour for school run but it is usually about 25 pence more.
Of course I would love to get paid when I don't look after the child, but I think it can only happen in my dreams!!

**natlou82** · 19-01-2015, 06:40 PM

No, I charge session fees (breakfast club, after school, half day - under 6 hrs, full day 6 hrs +). This works well for me.i don't charge when LOs are at nursery (they would just pay my half day rate) this is a personal decision as I'm happy not to fill that gap and have an easier morning. I have TTO only schoolies and fill their spaces with holiday only children during the hols.

**lor** · 19-01-2015, 06:56 PM

I do charge for a full day for a couple of mine there age 4 and at nursery all day 9.15-3.30- my justification for this is that to charge less I have to take on another child (I know I can)increasing my work load
and although they may not be here all day the 4 and half hours they are feel like a full day! plus I'd have extra kids in the holidays, when they start school i'll have a re-think but I feel they kinda clog me up.

**alex__17** · 21-01-2015, 07:23 PM

I charge per session so £20 before and after school until 530, £15 just after school then if they want holiday care they book and pay in advance and I charge £ 5 per hour min 4 hours but usually they need whole day.
Most of my schoolies are term time only which I prefer then just odd days in holidays for one or two of them