How do you charge for term time only?

[EmmaReed84]

I have a mindee who is term time only, her parents are great with notice and payment etc. I am paid until 7pm but she is often collected a lot earlier... Her dad even apologises when he gets her at 6.50pm lol bless him!

Anyway I charge 1/2 fee for half terms to retain the place (current parent fully expected this and does not mind)... However I had a query from another parent asking for term time only and said I was the only CM who charged a 1/2 fee for half terms and she wanted me to not charge at all for the half term?? I asked two of my CM friends and one does not charge a 1/2 fee but the other does

Just curious on what the rest of you do?

[adele1985]

Hi hun,

I dont charge at all for term time only contracts, Im normally alot busyier in half term so i couldent garentee a place for term time contracts in the holidays

[rickysmiths]

If that's what you charge that's what you charge. You could add the retainer fees into the 39 weeks of term time and she could pay a higher rate for term time and nothing in the holidays?

[rickysmiths]

Hi hun,

I dont charge at all for term time only contracts, Im normally alot busyier in half term so i couldent garentee a place for term time contracts in the holidays

You are lucky. In 10 years even when i have advertised I have never had anyone enquire for holiday places only.

[EmmaReed84]

If that's what you charge that's what you charge. You could add the retainer fees into the 39 weeks of term time and she could pay a higher rate for term time and nothing in the holidays?

I told her my fees and also told her that I will not change my fees and if she doesnt like it then fair enough, it is up to her if she excepts the fees or looks for someone else.

I was just curious as to what everyone else charged or how they managed the holidays etc... Perhaps there is a better way of me charging like they way you suggested.

[Tatjana]

I have a term time only contract and do not charge any retainer for holidays, as like the idea of not minding and spending time with my children only.

[The Juggler]

I told her my fees and also told her that I will not change my fees and if she doesnt like it then fair enough, it is up to her if she excepts the fees or looks for someone else.

I was just curious as to what everyone else charged or how they managed the holidays etc... Perhaps there is a better way of me charging like they way you suggested.

i don't charge because I don't want to work the holidays. i have a couple of littlies a few days but I'm happy to be quieter. however, when I did need to work all year round I would def. have charged at least 1/2 fees for the holidays.

I would offer her a higher hourly rate OR the retainer. let her choose.x

[JCrakers]

I dont charge as I have plenty of children taking up places for holidays so dont lose money during holidays. Sometimes Im full to the brim all holidays and othertimes quieter and I like it that way.

Although secretly, I do like it when I have none at all in the school holidays...bliss

[sarahjane]

I started off working term time only and that was how I advertised myself, I mainly had teachers children at the time so they were quite happy with this. Because I wasn't available I couldn't charge a retainer. I worked out total fees payable over the year and then divided this amount by 12 so monthly payments were the same each month and I had an income in the holidays. This worked very well.
Now I am open all year through financial necessity I will have to rethink my term time contracts for people coming to me in the future and charge a retainer for the holidays.

[Toothfairy]

All my families are term time only, as at least one of the parents from each family is a Teacher.
I am avaliable to work in the holidays but they don't want me so therefore I charge them all 1/2 fee's during the holidays.

I add together all the term time fees and all the 1/2 fees for the holidays and divide this by 12. That way I get paid the same amount each month, wether its term time or holidays.

[mandy moo]

All my families are term time only, as at least one of the parents from each family is a Teacher.
I am avaliable to work in the holidays but they don't want me so therefore I charge them all 1/2 fee's during the holidays.

I add together all the term time fees and all the 1/2 fees for the holidays and divide this by 12. That way I get paid the same amount each month, wether its term time or holidays.

Im gonna try this next year.
All mine are term time, after school only, I dont like having no money during the summer holidays <sad>

[Tealady]

I charge slightly more for term-time only. By how much depends if they are school age or not.

[rosebud]

I don't have any term time only ones at the mo but on my website I state that they can either pay a 50% retainer for the hols and the place will remain available for them to use should they need it or they can pay a slightly higher rate during term time and nothing in hols but the place will not be available to use. In actual fact it doesn't make any difference to me financially as I calculated the higher rate to ensure I wasn't out of pocket but it gives them the choice. I have in the past not charged anything because it suited me to have holidays off but this is not finacially viable anymore. I don't charge before & after schoolers for school hols though but only have one anyway.

[alwaysright]

i also charge half retainer fees for term time only contracts, i have after schools and little ones who are both term time, but our school is about to start an after school club and i dont think they will charge a retainer for holidays so i may have to review

[Playmate]

We have always charged a half fee retainer during holidays and like others add the cost up for the year and divide by 12. As hubby and I work together and it is our only income we can't afford to not get paid during holiday times. We currently have 2 teachers on term-time only contracts and they have never quibbled. But occaisionlly we do get calls from people who don't want to pay and they usually go else where

[mushpea]

i dont charge a retainer, if they come to me wanting term time only then thats what they pay for but I make it clear that I am not avalible to them in the holiday. I also have a holiday only mindee who shares a slot with a term time mindee and they only pay for the holidays and not term time, I prefer not to have lots of older children in the holidays as my son cant cope with too many children around him so for me termtime only works well.

[Ripeberry]

I have a term time only contract and do not charge any retainer for holidays, as like the idea of not minding and spending time with my children only.

Same here

[VeggieSausage]

yes me too, don't want to encourage older ones in the holidays I ike to spend time with my 3, so don't charge a retainer in the hols

[MissTinkerbell]

I've always seemed to have had term time onlys and have always charged 1/2 fee over the holidays and never had a parent complain. I sell it by saying that it guarentees their place is still there at the end of the holidays. I tell them that if they don't pay a retainer then they could be faced with having no childcare at the end of the holidays. Also I take most of my holidays during the school holidays and as I don't charge for these they only end up paying half fees for about 8 weeks anyway.

[funemnx]

I used to charge my teacher parents a retainer for the holidays but haven't charged when 2 lo's changed to term time only. The reason being that I've only got a little car now and it means that I can go out and about with the ones I have left instead of just staying in our village with not a lot to do outside of the house. If I had an enquiry for term time only though I would probably charge a retainer for the hols