1st time doing a contract (using Pacey)

[Mjp1]

Hi I have my first mindee starting next week for a day once a week(yea) it's actually a friends child but we are doing it properly with contracts and policies/permission forms signed etc but I am a little bit confused about the contracts how do you fill them in? I am using the Pacey ones ) it's how I mean do you need to do it together you and the parents or do you give it to them to read them sign, what if they dispute something ?

Please can you let me know how you do them. Thank you xx

[Goatgirl]

Have a good read through yourself first so you can make notes about things you will have to decide on before parent is there. I always fill in my address ofsted no etc too and late fees etc, so I can't be persuaded differently in the face to face meeting. I go through the contract with the parents in my home and take the deposit/first payment before I start to fill it in.
I would never let a parent take the contract away: they may make changes etc. We fill it in together, discuss all points (they will have seen all my policies beforehand anyway and agreed to them) as we come to them and sign there and then. If they dispute anything, they need to go to a different childminder. my business my rules :D..

Good luck :thumbsup:

[rickysmiths]

I do the same as Goat Girl.

I use Pacey contracts and I get the child's full name and DOB, the parents names, full address, email and phone numbers so i can fill in most of page one before the arrive to sign the Contract.

I then fill in the child's name in all the places asked for and on the one page ( page 3) the name isn't put I write it in capitals across the top of the page.

On Page 2 I fill in all the Deposit Details/and or Retainers. I fill in the days and hours they need.

On page 3 I work out their fees and enter them. I write in the Bank Holidays and the charges I apply if I work them, make it very clear if you don't want to work on BH and I fill in all the additional charges. In the bit for ' Charges for absences in the gap under the parent/child sickness I write in 'Childminder's Sickness' no fee. Really think about your holiday fees and write in the details very clearly.

One page 4 I write in all my policies and I fill in all the other blanks regarding notice, etc.

This means that before the parents arrive I am very familiar with their requirements and I can sit down with them and talk them through the Contract as we go and we both sign as we go along.



Make sure the parents bring their two emergency contact details with them and their deposit.

I tell the parents the process of doing the Contract and the other permission forms etc will take at least 1.5 hours and that it would be good if they could come without the children and that if they do have to bring the children they will need to care for them as I must concentrate on the business side of things.

I won't go to the parents house to sign Contracts because if you do you have by law to give a 7 day Cooling Off period and it gets complicated. However having said that I do say to my parents to go away and digest all the paperwork and come back to me with any questions, they rarely do because I really go through it at the signing.

Good luck

[watford wizz]

I do this but also read through with parents notes on the back explaining each section so we all know how the contact is interpreted. I have found you need to make things very clear from the beginning, it helps keep things business like. All the best x

[loocyloo]

Like others above I also fill in details in advance, but then talk it all through with the parents when we sign together. I go to the parents house, usually in the evening so we can talk/sign in peace. It also helps give me a feel for the family seeing the house.

[Bumble Beez]

I go to the parents house, usually in the evening so we can talk/sign in peace. It also helps give me a feel for the family seeing the house.

I like that idea...:thumbsup:

Sarah x