hourly or half hourly?

**emmadines** · 03-07-2008, 04:56 PM

I am tring to work out how to charge the parent for minding...

she wants 7.30 to school drop off and school pick up to 5.30/6.00 (might not get here to pick up till 6pm)

I've already thought I'd go to the 6pm finish and charge that but I dont know what to do about the morning should I charge the full hourly rate (I dont have a half hourly rate in my policies)

what do you do?? any surggestions??

**clairemiranda** · 03-07-2008, 05:22 PM

I only do before and after school and I charge £4.50 per hour or part thereof.

At my school kids can go in at 8.40 at the earliest, so generally I do 7.40 to 8.40am = £4.50, then after school they come out at 3pm, so I do 3-6pm = £13.50. Plus dinner @ £1.

If they drop off to me late (say 8.15 am) it's still £4.50

If they collect early (5.30) it's still 3 hours.

IF the parent knows they are paying for the full hour then they tend to make use of it and use the time to stop at the shops etc. If you offer to break it down into half-hour wedges it doesn't make it an awful lot cheaper for them, just more difficult for you re:invoicing.

If I were you I would charge For 2 hours in the morning and 3 in the afternoon, but it depends what you are comfortable with.

**Angela234** · 03-07-2008, 05:36 PM

I tend to round it up to the nearest 1/2 hour

Angela

**emmadines** · 03-07-2008, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by clairemiranda

I only do before and after school and I charge £4.50 per hour or part thereof.

At my school kids can go in at 8.40 at the earliest, so generally I do 7.40 to 8.40am = £4.50, then after school they come out at 3pm, so I do 3-6pm = £13.50. Plus dinner @ £1.

If they drop off to me late (say 8.15 am) it's still £4.50

If they collect early (5.30) it's still 3 hours.

IF the parent knows they are paying for the full hour then they tend to make use of it and use the time to stop at the shops etc. If you offer to break it down into half-hour wedges it doesn't make it an awful lot cheaper for them, just more difficult for you re:invoicing.

If I were you I would charge For 2 hours in the morning and 3 in the afternoon, but it depends what you are comfortable with.

yeah that sounds good!

**Mollymop** · 03-07-2008, 06:08 PM

I work by the hour, I hate working out anything less.

I have a before schooler and she comes at 7.20 but I charge from 7

**Heaven Scent** · 03-07-2008, 06:17 PM

I charge 7.00 before school and 10 after school - just 1 set fee to cover fuel my time and food - I set it at that so that if a parent only wanted before school care it would be worth my while doing it. Same with after school rate. - Hope that helps you - a flat rate no matter what time they drop off and pick up I also state my opening hours to be 8-6 and I charge £4.00 ph outside these hours.