before/after school or full day

[TinyTinker]

Hi
I am just devising my policies etc and have come across the dilema of what to charge for school age mindees!

As far as I can tell childminders in this area all charge per hour and charge this throughout the day whether the child is with them or at school/pre-school etc.

If I charge before/after school only - I'd be missing out on lots of fees as Im presuming it would be difficult to fill the space between 9-3 only and what if the child comes home from school or is home on a snow day etc - you;d be over your limits.

So is it fair to charge while the child is at school?

[Hebs]

personally i think it's wrong to charge while they are at school

[maryp0ppins]

where i live i know no one who charges whilst child is in full time education.

I wouldn't want to pay someone a full day if only having my child after school.

I/we do charge whilst at playgroup as we drop them/pick them up & it does eat into our daytime minding hours.

:thumbsup:

[crazyhazy]

I'd be very surprised if they are charging during the school day for children at over 5, can't see any parents being happy to pay! If it's preschool/nursery then that's different cos they take up a under 5 space. I had one enquiry for a preschooler who would have been at preschool for 2.5 hours a day and explained I would need to charge for that time, but I have a 9 and 11yo who come before and after school and I only charge for those times not the time they're at school. Obviously if they come in the holidays then I'd charge my hourly rate then.

[The Juggler]

I agree. there is no reason to charge all day fee for a over 5 or rising 5. They only affect your under 8's numbers so you can still have 3 under 5's.

[Chimps Childminding]

I have been told by one of my parents that her friend has to pay when her son (aged 8) is at school, she was told its to keep his space :eek: ?????? Said she should speak to her cm, as its not as if she could fill the space while he is at school anyway :rolleyes:

Personally once they go to school full time I think you can only charge before and after school, but obviously if you have them in the holidays/inset days, charge full then!!

[caz3007]

I would be raking it in if I charged a full day for my afterschoolers as I have 5 of them. I charge a flat after school rate including their dinner, they are all gone by 5 anyway

[Tina O]

I only charge my school age children for the time they are with me, not while they are at school, as for my pre-schoolers if parent want me to be on hand as emergency contact for pre-school to collect if school closes or any other 'non-illness' problem then I charge a retainer while they are at pre-school as i need to keep place open, if not then I do not charge retainer but may not have an emergency place for them, parents choice.. xx

[shelly2012]

I only charge for when they at nursery if the come to me before nursery or if im the emergency contact.

I don't charge for for before/after school and not when they at school don't think that very fair.

[TinyTinker]

Thanks for the help everyone! that's cleared up that query! lol

The childminder I was going to use when I return to work next week was going to be charging me full days for my son who is just starting infant school.:eek:

[babs]

i only chrage for lo's in preschool for couple of hours each day and for full time school age charge for before and after school by hour....

[Chimps Childminding]

Thanks for the help everyone! that's cleared up that query! lol

The childminder I was going to use when I return to work next week was going to be charging me full days for my son who is just starting infant school.:eek:

Is he going full days when he starts? The reason i ask is that the mindee i have who is starting school next week, is only doing mornings for the first 3 weeks, so i am charging full days on the days I have her as I cannot fill the space until she goes all day, she will then move up into the next age bracket and I will then only charge before and after school!

[TinyTinker]

maybe that is it then....he is only going mornings until Christmas! But my friends little boy was going to the same minder and she was upset about the all day fee and he is starting full-time straight away.:rolleyes:

still it is irrelevant now as she has given notice of ceasing to mind under 5's!

[karen m]

i charge for time minded when they are at school not full day as it happens i can fill places with others during school hours very unfair to charge when children are at full time school,although my daughter has told me she will carry on paying now her son is starting school as she wants to make sure i never fill his place

[Chimps Childminding]

i charge for time minded when they are at school not full day as it happens i can fill places with others during school hours very unfair to charge when children are at full time school,although my daughter has told me she will carry on paying now her son is starting school as she wants to make sure i never fill his place

But if he is at school full time surely you couldn't fill his space anyway :confused:

[The Juggler]

maybe that is it then....he is only going mornings until Christmas! But my friends little boy was going to the same minder and she was upset about the all day fee and he is starting full-time straight away.:rolleyes:

still it is irrelevant now as she has given notice of ceasing to mind under 5's!

:eek: i hope she's not going to charge all the over 5's for a full day:angry: