Should I ask for retainer?

[melco]

Hi,

I have been minding a lo for just over a year and his Mum is having a baby Feb next year.

The baby will not be starting with me until October and the one I mind at the moment will be reducing days from Jan. I am worried that I can not afford to wait until October next year for baby to come to me and for the one I mind to go from 4 days to 2. I have tried to fill the space with not much luck. I have not mentioned retainer to Mum and don't know how to.

This is what Mum has asked for:

January - Child I mind 3 days a week instead of 4

Feb to Oct - Child I mind 2 days a week

Oct onwards - New Baby 4 or 5 days a week and Child I mind 1 day a week and then drop off and pick up from Pre-school 3 days a week or if they do not get him into the Pre-school near me then it will be 2 days a week for the one I have at the moment but still the baby 4 or 5 days a week. Hope this makes sense.

So potentially from October next year it will be fine but I don't know what to do in the meantime. Do I look to fill the space but if I start struggling then ask for a retainer? or Ask for a retainer now? If I do ask for a retainer how much should it be? I know the Mum wants me to keep the space open but I know I can not afford to unless I fill the space or ask for retainer. Also how would I explain this to the parent? I don't want to be rude.

Thanks in advance and sorry for it being a long one xx

[AliceK]

Can you not grant yourself an exception for a sibling baby?
I had 3 EY's and then one mum had a baby who I took on which took me to 4 EY's children. Now the eldest of these siblings is off to school but another one of my EY's children's mum has had a baby and I will be taking that sibling on when my other EY's child goes so I'll still be having 4 EY's children.
Not sure how many other EY's children you already have or if you have your own children who count in your numbers? You could potentially mentally hold the space for baby next year giving you 4 children at that point and still have 3 EY's children in the mean time??

xxx

[Mummits]

I think I would not feel justified in charging a retainer unless I was in a position where I was having to turn other business away (and it doesn't sound like you are at the moment, though that could change). I see a retainer as guaranteeing a future place that I would otherwise in all likelihood fill, so the parent is paying for holding a space open, but I am also taking a financial loss by not filling it, so we are both sharing the pain iyswim. In the past when I have had a similar situations I have not charged a retainer or indeed held a place, but just taken a chance on there being one when the time came round, with the knowledge that I could have 4 eyfs children temporarily if it came to that. I did however say that the parents were also taking a chance as it could have been that other children would want extra days or to change their times in the interim and they would take precedence over a possible future child. I have also had a mum change her mind about going back to work so was glad I hadn't held a place.

[melco]

Can you not grant yourself an exception for a sibling baby?
I had 3 EY's and then one mum had a baby who I took on which took me to 4 EY's children. Now the eldest of these siblings is off to school but another one of my EY's children's mum has had a baby and I will be taking that sibling on when my other EY's child goes so I'll still be having 4 EY's children.
Not sure how many other EY's children you already have or if you have your own children who count in your numbers? You could potentially mentally hold the space for baby next year giving you 4 children at that point and still have 3 EY's children in the mean time??

xxx

Am struggling at the moment. I have 2 in the early years. One starts Pre-school in Jan and so hours will be less with me and the other one is the one that will be going from 4 days to 2. I am finding it hard to get business at the moment to fill the spaces these two children will not need.

[melco]

I think I would not feel justified in charging a retainer unless I was in a position where I was having to turn other business away (and it doesn't sound like you are at the moment, though that could change). I see a retainer as guaranteeing a future place that I would otherwise in all likelihood fill, so the parent is paying for holding a space open, but I am also taking a financial loss by not filling it, so we are both sharing the pain iyswim. In the past when I have had a similar situations I have not charged a retainer or indeed held a place, but just taken a chance on there being one when the time came round, with the knowledge that I could have 4 eyfs children temporarily if it came to that. I did however say that the parents were also taking a chance as it could have been that other children would want extra days or to change their times in the interim and they would take precedence over a possible future child. I have also had a mum change her mind about going back to work so was glad I hadn't held a place.

That is why I feel guilty asking. I think if I knew another child was going to start so like you said potentially I would have 4 eys under continuity of care but as I have no other child to take the place I am worried that I will have to stop minding as I would not be able to afford to be doing this anymore

[Mummits]

It is a difficult one. To a certain extent it depends on the LOs parents' financial situation, but also on what their expectations are. You could try laying your cards on the table and say something like "You know I am really going to struggle financially to keep a place open without charging ..." You never know, they might say something like "Of course, we would expect to pay something" and then you have an opening to negotiate. It is perhaps more likely that money will be tight and they won't have any room to manoeuvre themselves. In that case, you can only do what you can to market yourself, or maybe consider taking a second job to help make ends meet = maybe Christmas retail work, care work, dog walking, leaflet delivery or babysitting - to tide you over until the baby starts. It is one of my own bugbears with this job that it is so volatile - one day everyone leaving and no new work to be had, the next day the phone ringing round the clock. For what it's worth, every time I have thought I would have to pack in, there has been a recovery just around the corner, so I hope something turns up for you too.