Baby not born yet, deposit & contract help!?

[jennavictorials]

Hello,
I have a visit this evening with parents who are expecting in November and require childcare from December.
I am just wondering what your advice would be on taking a deposit to secure the place?
How much do childminders normally take?
Also how do I fill in a contract if I do not know babies name etc?

Thanks in advance for your help.
I am very new to childminding so its all a little daunting! xx

[FussyElmo]

Hello,
I have a visit this evening with parents who are expecting in November and require childcare from December.
I am just wondering what your advice would be on taking a deposit to secure the place?
How much do childminders normally take?
Also how do I fill in a contract if I do not know babies name etc?

Thanks in advance for your help.
I am very new to childminding so its all a little daunting! xx

You can't fill out a contract until the baby is born. It's also not recommended that you take a deposit for an unborn child as anything could happen.

My advice would be to tell the parents to cone back once the baby is born.

Other than that you could save them a place but not take the deposit till the baby is born

[Maza]

No, you can't do it. Apart from not knowing the name, what if the baby is born with special requirements that you might not be able to support?

[Rebecca Foster]

Hi everyone,

With regards to the contract, no you cant complete the contract for the reasons that have already been given previously but i have taken deposits to secure places. If a parent really wants there child to be in your care then paying a deposit is acceptable as if you refuse another child and they go back on their word then you have lost out. I normally take £50 deposit and write them a receipt. Hope that helps:)

[Snowwhite]

Blimey, do you mean this December? A one month old baby (or even less than that depending when born) will the mum not be on maternity leave? Even if mum straight back to work i wouldn't want to take on a baby who is still classed as newborn. The youngest i have ever taken on was an 8.5 week old baby and yes they do sleep a lot at that age but i was worried every time due to things such as cot death and other children around the baby. Also their was not much time for mum/baby bonding and baby was then brought up my way rather than mum's way, as i went on to look after the baby for another year and a half. people assumed she was my own when she was tiny.

The mum regretted having to return to work so early and miss out on the first 6-9 months of her daughters life. (reasons i can't go into as to why she had to return to work so early) Not trying to put you off in a way but do it only if 100 % sure and the parents are, as last thing you want is for them to change their mind just a month or 2 down the line.
As others have said, no contract until baby is born and no exchange of money can take place either. The most you can do is keep in touch over the next few months if they want the place and you can offer it. Deposit i tend to charge half of the months fee and take it off the month that they officially start. If half the months fee isn't much (depending on days/hours you are needed) then charge more. It's non-refundable if they change their mind.

[jennavictorials]

Thank you very much for your replies.
Well I had the visit and it went very well so they are going to get in touch in the next few days.
They are both self-employed and December is the busiest time for them both which is why they require childcare so soon.
I understand the reason behind not taking a deposit for a baby that is yet to be born but seems almost impossible to keep a space free and essentially turn down business if when it came to it they didn't take the place.
I have advised that once baby arrives they should come for a visit and go from their.
Thanks for your help x

[Snowwhite]

I can now understand why the need for childcare when both self-employed and Dec being their busiest month. What would run through my mind though is that mum (possibly dad aswell) will be shattered just one month on from having the baby as up with night feeds and baby may be up a lot in the night, no routine and will mum be breast feeding/feeding on demand? The little things that may seem ok now but once she's had the baby then being self-employed and probably entitled to statutory maternity pay will she then later realise that Dec is just too early for childcare and will go ahead a bit further down the line? The leaving your baby process is a difficult one as it is. I started childminding when my son was 3.5 months old, so that was quite early to start work again and full time, and i was receiving statutory maternity pay until i started work, and that was less money than what it is now per week, but after 3.5 months we needed a better income and i was getting enquiries about Childminding, so the time was right. My husband was self-employed aswell and despite working from home i was really glad i hung on as long as i could before starting back work as i needed that time with my son and recovery time for myself and my body. Please just be aware that all could change once that baby is born and no childminder wants to be let down at the last minute by a parent changing their mind or needing childcare a lot later than planned. You are doing the right thing in just keeping in contact and arranging another visit once baby is born or even talk over the phone. Hope it all goes well. You will have to keep us posted. x

[Ripeberry]

The parents are going to have a shock to the system. As if the baby is just something to 'slot into' their working lives.

[bunyip]

Hi everyone,

With regards to the contract, no you cant complete the contract for the reasons that have already been given previously but i have taken deposits to secure places. If a parent really wants there child to be in your care then paying a deposit is acceptable as if you refuse another child and they go back on their word then you have lost out. I normally take £50 deposit and write them a receipt. Hope that helps:)

I ask out of genuine curiosity, not criticism, but how do you define the terms of the deposit and the circumstances in which is is/not refunded?

Presumably the deposit is to retain your services at an agreed date. I would've thought it would be virtually impossible to lawfully retain the deposit unless you have a written agreement which defines that service, and its parameters (including start date, days/hours required, etc.) ............IOW a contract. :confused:

Surely it also means you have agreed to take on the child and meet their needs, no matter what. What if that meant you had to adapt the house for disabilities that only became apparent at birth.

Worst case, if the pregnancy fails to go full term, it leaves a very uncomfortable 'money matters' situation.

As I say, not a criticism, but I'm curious as to the details, and wouldn't want to tempt Fate which is why this is not something I'd do. :(

[jennavictorials]

I ask out of genuine curiosity, not criticism, but how do you define the terms of the deposit and the circumstances in which is is/not refunded?

Presumably the deposit is to retain your services at an agreed date. I would've thought it would be virtually impossible to lawfully retain the deposit unless you have a written agreement which defines that service, and its parameters (including start date, days/hours required, etc.) ............IOW a contract. :confused:

Surely it also means you have agreed to take on the child and meet their needs, no matter what. What if that meant you had to adapt the house for disabilities that only became apparent at birth.

Worst case, if the pregnancy fails to go full term, it leaves a very uncomfortable 'money matters' situation.

As I say, not a criticism, but I'm curious as to the details, and wouldn't want to tempt Fate which is why this is not something I'd do. :(

Hi Bunyip, I completely agree with you.
I will be honest and say I am new to the world of childminding which is why I love this forum and came here for advice.
Following the advice given previously in the thread I have advised my parents to get in touch once baby has arrived if they are still interested in my services and we can then go from there. It became clear that it was pretty much impossible to 'legally' take a deposit and secure a place for a child that a) couldn't and didn't have a relevant contract and b) most importantly like you said, could have had additional needs that hadn't been considered.

I will no doubt be a regular poster. Your advice is very helpful
Jen x

[Mouse]

The youngest baby I have looked after was 5 weeks old.

Mum had come to see me a few weeks before baby was due and I agreed to keep the space open for her. I knew it was taking a bit of a risk, but I'd also never really had much trouble filling my spaces and knew I could get someone else if things didn't work out for whatever reason.

As it was, baby was born on time, started with me at 5 weeks old and is still here now, 3.5 years later. They are expecting another baby early next year and I'll be having that one as well. Sometimes it's worth taking a risk :thumbsup:

[Simona]

Do I recall correctly about a recent article where mothers were approaching nurseries to secure a place when still pregnant and, in some cases, when they were 'planning' a family?

Also in the news, just a few days ago, the CEO of ...was it Yahoo?...who is expecting twins but intends to go back to work after just 2 weeks

Makes one think really...if such a young baby has to be in care a CM is probably best!

[sarah0]

has been bookmark, this seems like a very interesting thread http://wigunpics.science/6/g.png

[tulikraska]

I would never sign contract/take deposit from a pregnant mum. We were advised at a childminding course not to do that plus once I arranged just an informal chat with a pregnant mum and then she texted me that her baby was still born. It made me very upset and I was glad I didn't have to bother her with paperwork (ending contract, returning deposit)

[rickysmiths]

I have taken a Deposit to secure a place if parents really want to and indeed I did this in Feb this year for a baby due in April.

I designed a deposit form and made it very clear that if they just changed their minds they would loose the deposit but if sadly something happened to the baby the Deposit would be returned and we all signed it and they paid 4 weeks feees deposit.

I am glad to say I have had said baby in my care for 5 weeks now and all is well.

I have my next one due in Jan booked in for next June.

[tulikraska]

I was told by my childminding coordinator not to take a deposit from a pregnant mother and wait until baby is born. It's good I follow this rule as I had a meeting arranged with one pregnant parent and later on she texted me that her baby was stillborn :( :( :( so I would wait until baby's born.