Paying for 5.5 hours but taking up a whole days space??

[buzzy bee]

Hi,

what do you do in this situation... mum is changing hours and LO will come from 9-2.30pm. So I won't be able to fill the afternoon space.

Would you still only charge for the 5.5 hours, or do you have a minimum amount?

I'm tempted to "round up" to 3pm and charge 6 hours... but I like the family and I don't want to seem mean.

[FussyElmo]

Hi,

what do you do in this situation... mum is changing hours and LO will come from 9-2.30pm. So I won't be able to fill the afternoon space.

Would you still only charge for the 5.5 hours, or do you have a minimum amount?

I'm tempted to "round up" to 3pm and charge 6 hours... but I like the family and I don't want to seem mean.

I would probably charge for the 6 hours as I don't work in half hours

[tulip0803]

I charge the hours attended. At the moment I have one LO that starts at 11 and another that does 6 hours some days and 3.5 others and then somedays 8 hours with a sibling.

You could possibly get a term time only school child to fit into the afternoon space - I have had it before when all my LOs went home before 3 and then I picked 4 schoolies up was great because I had no LOs to worry about and all the older children enjoyed similar things. I have also had children that came term-time only and others that came holiday time only

[Mouse]

What hours do they do at the moment? Is it a big drop?

I would decide what is the minimum I would be prepared to accept for a day and charge that. I had one child reduce their hours from 8.30am-5pm to 9.15am-2.45pm. I didn't reduce my fee as I charge a daily rate, although I did include lunch for free.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I would put my minimum rate of £25 on it

[Rubybubbles]

I would if fitted around everyone else charge for the hours required only!

BUT if I couldn't fill the space with older school child, or I needed to bring in more than this sort of part time hours I don't know lol! Like the idea of the minimum charge for the day!

[hectors house]

I have a minimum 7 hour day - and they all have to be here between 8 and 9 and no-one finishes before 3 - I just accept that some days I am losing out on 2.5 hours a day but when they all go home between 3 & 4 at least I get an early finish.

[buzzy bee]

Thanks for the replies. I do like the minimum hours idea. I just feel bad because it's not in my policies so I don't want her to feel like I'm being unfair by suddenly making up this new rule.

[hectors house]

Thanks for the replies. I do like the minimum hours idea. I just feel bad because it's not in my policies so I don't want her to feel like I'm being unfair by suddenly making up this new rule.

Mine is an unwritten policy - it used to be 6 hours until last year when a mum was going to do 2 x 9 hour days, saw on the newsletter before her child started that I mentioned I had a day free if anyone wanted it and she then decided she was going to do 3 x 6 hour days - costing me a whole days space - so I quickly informed her that was fine but she would have to pay for 21 hours, which she did do as she had forgotten to allow travelling time in her original plans!

[wee_elf]

This thread has really made me think, I think I will write in a minimum 6 hours to my booking policy. thanks for the insight everyone x

[Jenna]

I have a min of 6 hours is the chose to opt for that I do put a clause that they are collected by 3 whether they do 8-2 or 9-3 that way I can off a afterschool child a space. No one has ever complained