PDA

View Full Version : fees when at pre-school?



zoe compton
09-04-2008, 08:08 AM
Hi, Can you please help?

My husband and I are having (rather heated) discussions on what I should charge if the child I am looking after goes to pre-school. He says full fees because the child is still taking a place. I wasn't going to charge a fee at all if I didn't have them but he says I've got to rememmber I'm running a business. Do we meet in the middle and charge half fees?

What do you ladies do?

littletreasures
09-04-2008, 08:15 AM
If I take and collect I charge full fee.

I only go to no fee once they start school.

littletreasures

Banana
09-04-2008, 08:16 AM
as above :)

x

angeldelight
09-04-2008, 08:19 AM
Yes I still charge

The child is taking up a place

What happens if the child is ill and sent home - if you are not getting paid would the parent expect you to go and collect ? I am sure she would so yes still charge
Say if pre- school is closed - no heating or something - parent would expect you to be avilable?

Must say before I used this forum I used to think the same as yourself and never charged - silly me

But I do now

Angel xx

zoe compton
09-04-2008, 08:20 AM
thanks for the help ladies! humph maybe the husband is right sometimes then!! :blush: (not that i would admit it to him):p

angeldelight
09-04-2008, 08:20 AM
No whatever you do act like you knew the answer all along haha

xxx

TillyTwinkle
09-04-2008, 08:21 AM
I do the same as little treasures and charge full fee if i take and collect!

Hope this helps.

Tilly.xx

anneriddington
09-04-2008, 08:28 AM
You could butter up you hubby and say that you think you'll go with his suggestion, but save the brownie points you'll earn for the next "debate":laughing:

zoe compton
09-04-2008, 08:32 AM
sounds like your well and truly practised at this art of deception! but i like the idea a lot!!:laughing:

anneriddington
09-04-2008, 08:34 AM
A mans polished ego is always better than a hurt one I find:ROFL1:

Lottie
09-04-2008, 08:39 AM
Yep I am going to charge full fee still as well. The way you should look at it is teachers get paid even during school holidays, when other children are ill, yada yada, so why not you.
The child takes up a space that could be used by another child who is paying and the bottom line is you are responsible for the child whilst it is at pre-school and in your care. You will be the one who has to dash down there to collect child if ill etc etc.

Basically what the other ladies have said. :D

mum2two
09-04-2008, 08:45 AM
Same as everyone else - full fees. I must say - it's good you thought of it now. It hadn't entered my head when I started & first mindee was full time, but at playschool every morning too. I wasn't until his first day that I thought of it, and spoke to mum, and she wasn't happy to pay full fee. I agreed a very reduced rate for her but it soon went into my policies!!

All these things...

Kelly x

fionamal
09-04-2008, 09:15 AM
Im the same, charge full fees as they are taking up a full time place.

Noodles
09-04-2008, 09:36 AM
I charge full fees for the little one i have as she needs full time care in the holidays so i cannot give the space to anyone else :) :)

Kelly
09-04-2008, 11:53 AM
I always find this a really hard one, most parents assume when their child starts nursery their childcare fees will go down a bit, only to find out that although they are getting free nursery places they still have to pay their childminder!!!

I have two children starting nursery this year and I am still considering what I am going to do re fees. I would like to be able to not charge (personal thing), I have decided I will deffinatly not charge full fee though, although I will drop off/collect and I will be available for all holidays/school closures I will not collect if the child is unwell.

Kelly

tulip0803
09-04-2008, 05:22 PM
I charged the full fee if they expected the place to be available in the school holidays.

Heaven Scent
09-04-2008, 05:36 PM
All the childminders in my area charge full because despite sayine that they won't be available for pick ups - parents soon forget and its another thing to fall out over.

SonnysMummy
09-04-2008, 07:28 PM
What do you do if you don't take and collect the child?

Kelly:)

Twinkles
09-04-2008, 07:32 PM
Yep full fees whether or not I collect.

NEVER admit to hubby you're wrong. Just tell him he didn't understand your argument :D

Monkey1
09-04-2008, 07:33 PM
I only collect one lad from nursery and as his mum didn't want to pay when he was there, so i refused to take him in the morning:D Plus i managed to get another mindee, term time only 8 till 1 on the two days he goes to nursery, plus i charge her full wack in the holidays, plus i get retainer from the other one!:D :thumbsup:

Pipsqueak
09-04-2008, 08:34 PM
If I take and collect I charge full fee.

I only go to no fee once they start school.

littletreasures

Ditto:D

And remember you are running business and trying to earn a living just like anyone else

SonnysMummy
10-04-2008, 09:42 PM
Hi:)
Could you help with what to do if you only take a child to pre-school and parent picks up; or if parent takes and you only pick up?

I know if we are emergency contact they should obviously still be charged but as i won't have the children if they are ill should we be put down as emergency contact?

Sorry for all the questions...bet i'm driving people mad!!!!!!!!!!:o

angeldelight
11-04-2008, 10:26 AM
So you could be just taking a child and that is it ??

I would enforce my min hours - I would charge 2 hours a day for this and say I do not mind for less hours than that

Angel xx

ruby
11-04-2008, 11:11 AM
same as everyone else we charge full fee
if we take and pick up.
i have one liitle one from 9.00-12.45 and take to nursery but his mother picks him up but she pays me till 3.00 as she wants to keep his place for the holidays


cathy

SonnysMummy
11-04-2008, 07:49 PM
I'm just playing devil's advocate really...trying to think of all possibilities i may come across and thinking of how i'd play it.
Maybe a parent would want to to have their child in the morning, for me to then drop their child at nursery/pre-school and then they could pick the child up.
Would you just charge until you drop them at nursery?

Or they could take to nursery in the morning and then ask me to pick up and have the child in the afternoon.
Would you just charge from when you pick up?

Kelly:)

Heaven Scent
13-04-2008, 01:12 PM
I'd have a 3 - 3.5 minimum minding hours cause you might be lucky to fill the space when playgroup is on but then again you might not so I'd play it safe and then let them worry about it - they will still want the place in the hols and I'd state on a separate sheet what you will be charging in the hols because you will need to make sure you are being paid properly then too and then get them to sign it. I've done that with one very tight fisted mum and I've got lots of different rates for her two kids - but its worth it because I have some comeback and am not really going to lose out. It was worth it to get the family I need the money.

miffy
13-04-2008, 04:05 PM
If you were only taking a child to playgroup and parent was picking up I would only do this until something better came along - a couple of hours pay for a full day place is just not worth it when your numbers are limited

miffy xx

SonnysMummy
13-04-2008, 07:54 PM
How do you explain about charging while at pre-school etc in your paperwork? Just want to write it so that parents understand why i will charge?

Kelly:)

deeb66
17-04-2008, 11:15 AM
How do you explain about charging while at pre-school etc in your paperwork? Just want to write it so that parents understand why i will charge?

Kelly:)

I just write it very simple in my Prospectus.

It basically says that as your child will still be under the age of five they will still be taking one of my 3 available slots for the few hours that they are at pre-school.

As I cannot possibly fill this space for such a short period of time they will still be charged accordingly. However once the child is at full time school I will only charge for the time before and after school.

I also make sure that I talk to them about it as well so that they fully understand.

crazybones
17-04-2008, 12:54 PM
I just write it very simple in my Prospectus.

It basically says that as your child will still be under the age of five they will still be taking one of my 3 available slots for the few hours that they are at pre-school.

As I cannot possibly fill this space for such a short period of time they will still be charged accordingly. However once the child is at full time school I will only charge for the time before and after school.

I also make sure that I talk to them about it as well so that they fully understand.

Do you mind I pinch that Dee? I have always had trouble wording it. :thumbsup:

deeb66
17-04-2008, 01:26 PM
Do you mind I pinch that Dee? I have always had trouble wording it. :thumbsup:

Pinch away :laughing:

You might need to smarten it up a little:D

susi513
17-04-2008, 04:30 PM
Our primary school does a half term of mornings only for the reception class so they are still counted as under fives and I charge the same as I do if they are at preschool until they do the full 10 sessions a week and I can count them as an over 5.

Where I take and collect from preschool I charge full fees. With the agreement that if I ever use the place for another child I will only charge the family using the place. (never happened yet, but parent is welcome to pass on my number to anyone they think might be interested!). This means they have the place during school holidays and any other time the preschool is closed. However I am NOT an emergency contact if their child is ill. I don't care for sick children because this puts other mindees at risk, so the parent needs to make alternative arrangements. If they're too ill for preschool they're too ill for my childcare too.

Where the parent takes and I collect or I take and the parent collects I have taken on children on half days, making it clear they only have half a day reserved for their child in school holidays or any other time the school is closed. Minimum charge is 4 hours. I know some people have minimum of 6 hours, am thinking I might go up to 5.

buildingblocks
17-04-2008, 08:54 PM
Full fee if I take or collect or if parent needs me to be emerganecy contact or if they need the space in holiday time and they will need the place

buildingblocks
17-04-2008, 08:56 PM
I always find this a really hard one, most parents assume when their child starts nursery their childcare fees will go down a bit, only to find out that although they are getting free nursery places they still have to pay their childminder!!!

I have two children starting nursery this year and I am still considering what I am going to do re fees. I would like to be able to not charge (personal thing), I have decided I will deffinatly not charge full fee though, although I will drop off/collect and I will be available for all holidays/school closures I will not collect if the child is unwell.

Kelly

For those of you who feel guilty remember if the child is over 3 and claiming the free funded place the parent isn't often paying whole they are at PG or nursery

buildingblocks
17-04-2008, 08:59 PM
I'm just playing devil's advocate really...trying to think of all possibilities i may come across and thinking of how i'd play it.
Maybe a parent would want to to have their child in the morning, for me to then drop their child at nursery/pre-school and then they could pick the child up.
Would you just charge until you drop them at nursery?

Or they could take to nursery in the morning and then ask me to pick up and have the child in the afternoon.
Would you just charge from when you pick up?

Kelly:)

you have to work out if they need the space when the PG or nursery is closed if you would then be expected to have child as has already been mentioned if you would be needed then they pay in my view

If you are charging them full fee for the space or a retainer as a friend of mine does then you cannot let that space to someone else.

I provide occasional care if I have the space and once managed to use the space so I gave mum the money back for the time that space was used but mum was at home on a day off so was able to be avaialbe for child if needed but was okay as it meant she saved money for that morning.

Very rare that happens and I couldn't do it if parents were working and if Pg was cancelled for any reason I would be needed would have gone over my numbers otherwise - hope that makes sense

buildingblocks
17-04-2008, 09:07 PM
How do you explain about charging while at pre-school etc in your paperwork? Just want to write it so that parents understand why i will charge?

Kelly:)

This is written in my handbook under the fee section

PLEASE NOTE whilst your child is at Nursery or Playgroup (morning or afternoon session), if we are required to drop off and collect, the child remains our responsibility, and therefore the full hourly fee will be due for the hours they are attending Nursery or Playgroup. This must be decided at the point of signing of contracts and not decided on an as and when basis.