Charge per hour OR per session?

[maryp0ppins]

So far to date I charged per hour but am considering per session eg 8-1, 1-6 as I have a couple picked up at 4.30 & 5ish and cannot fill this space so loosing an hours pay x2 three days a week.

Anybody else do it this way, or do you think I should stick to a more flexible hourly structure and avoid the "nursery" structure?

All comments welcome, just wanted to get a feel on views etc :-D

[ziggy]

I have a daily charge or an hourly charge.

One mindee leaves at 3pm, so i just charge a higher hourly rate. Same with mindee who leaves at 1.30.

[Carolc]

I do it by the day or half day. And a set price for after school too. It makes it easier because like you say you can't fill a 1 hour slot. Xx

[MiniKins]

We find a fixed session rate is by far the most reliable way to maintain a regular 'predictable' income.

However, you might find that parents who under-use the full session feel that they are paying over the odds so our fee includes everything ~ Breakfast, lunch, evening meal, snacks, drinks, nappies, day-to-day outings, etc.

We find that parents are very appreciative of not having to organise a lunch box, top up their supply of nappies, etc. and for us it means not having to arrange hot meals for some and cold for others or remember to 'pay back' a borrowed nappy from one child to another.

We promote it as 'value added', and for that, most parents are prepared to pay a premium (and if that isn't enough, we do have an arsenal of further 'sweeteners' if required).

Some parents might be immediately put off if they see a session rate, so we always add 'Fees for sibling children, childminding not fitting with the above session times/outside normal working hours (when cover is available) and/or weekly/monthly contracts by negotiation.'

Also, structure your charges that take into account the inevitability that sometimes a child is absent, and make it fair for both sides.

You're using the nursery structure for fees, but offering far more than a nursery can!

[dawn100]

It all depends on the type of parents you have any why they would rather a childminder over a nursery and how much you need to be full all the time, I charge by the hour with a minimum of 4 hours per day for under 5s and fixed rates for b4 and after school, I know some of my parents who work different hours on different days and some children I only care for between school hours eg from 9 till 3 (because they have older children at school grandparent or parents take it in turn to have them from 3 as otherwise they couldn't afford childcare for 4 children 3 school age 1 under 3) so if I charged them a full day rate I know I would lose them to another childminder who did charge by the hour but I don't need to be full every hour and quite like having sometimes quieter starts or finishes but I can see if you need to be full all the time then it would soon mount up how much you are potentially not being paid.