right or wrong

[lisa_vickers]

wot it is i have 2 mindees startin 2moz and i just av them 4 the school hols eg 14 wks. i have decided to charge for the school term aswell as it is not possible to fill the term wks with other children so the charge i am implimenting is half the normal charge for the remainder of the school year is this wrong or right to do so as it works out the same price for not having them as it is wen i do have them. plz comment asap as i am talking to the parent after school today thanx lisa.....

[FizzysFriends]

I dont charge holiday children during the term as I have term time children only also. But if I had told a parent I was charging them for 39 weeks they would'n't use then I wouldn't have seem my parents for dust.

[HELEN10]

Hi i have 3 that are holiday only but wouldn't think for a mo that i could charge them in term time too! Parents would be horrified and would def not stay.

Guess it is something you have to think about before taking them on, i presume you have before and after school places you need to fill who may require you in the hols? I don't have before and after to fill that is why i took them on.

HELEN10

[gigglinggoblin]

As a parent I would not agree to that. As a childminder I would advertise a term time only place with no retainer over hols as an incentive to get other children to fill the place. Do you really think you cant fill a termtime only place? Most of my enquiries have been for that!

However it is entirely up to you, as long as you make it clear to the parent and they sign a contract agreeing to it then no problem

[Tatjana]

I would not apply those charges for term time, it's too much to ask for IMO.

xx

[~Chelle~]

Personally I think this is wrong.

If they only require child care for the school holidays and not anytime in between then they should only pay for the holidays.

I have a term time only child and only charge her for the time that I have her. If I wish to look after another child in the holiday times and it is then down to me to fill that space.

I really cant see the parents paying you all that money for times when you are not looking after their children.

HTH

[Pipsqueak]

I would have thought you could have filled the space term time.
As a parent, if I was just looking for holiday care and that setting wanted to charge me for the hours I know I don't want or need then I would look elsewhere.
Sorry but you might have to rethink your charges.
I know many minders who successfully have term and holiday only contracts - its a matter of balancing your advertising and intake - although it won't happen all at once (if it does you will be lucky)

Good luckxx

[The Juggler]

me neither. I would either say no, sorry you need children all year round then if they do really want you they might come to compromise.

Otherwise I would do what you've been advised, take them on an advertise yourself for term time contracts retainer fee which will be a real selling point for teachers and school staff.

Good luck

[Beckieboo]

Hi, I have a before and after schoolie who very rarely uses me in the school hols as her gran has a caravan where she spends them. Mum does pay half fee during the hols to keep her place. I would not do it the other way round as i feel it is unfair imo.

[lisa_vickers]

thanks for all your coments i will take them into consideration, could i just ask one more question the parent asked me if she cud still pay her fees wen im not lukin after her kids how wud i work that out as a set fee every week sorry if im bein thick but all this maths part of it is givin me migrains lol.

[The Juggler]

do you mean she wants to pay you during term-time? or just the odd occasion when she doesn't bring them.

Just work out the total monthly or weekly fee and she pays you that regardless of when she brings them.

Otherwise, spread the whole cost of holiday cover over 12 months so you get the same money every month and so she pays you the same every month - I'm guessing this is what she means so that she doesn't have a huge payment in August.

Work out the weekly hours x 14 weeks (school holidays plus 5 inset days - I'm guessing it's a school with standard holidays). Then divide by twelve.

Hope that helps. sorry if I've misunderstood.

[Deb]

it would be really helpful if you could not use text speak too :o

I dont think I understand? My contracts state that they pay for contracted hours, so if they dont come they still pay. I wouldnt expect any parent to want to pay for 39 weeks that they arent using.