Fee review - don't want to make parents run a mile...but!

[Katiekoo]

I need to make a living! I decided not to up my fees (£4 per hour) but increase fees for other things. Do you think parents will run a mile because although I'm not bringing up main fees EVERYTHING else is going up!


- additional hours (not contracted) from standard fee to £4.50
- late notice hours from £4.50 to £5.00,
- late collection fees (small change to terms),
- late payment fee from £10 flat fee, to £5 per day late.
- holiday has gone from 50% for their 5 wks and nothing for mine - to 50% for their 4 wks and 50% for my 2 wks.

The aim of this is to make my monthly income more predictable (encourage parents to up their contracted hours) and to highlight the value of my time. The biggest change is that I will actually start making these charges! I let quite a lot slide at the moment! Do you think this is fair or too much all at once?
Thanks :)

[AgentTink]

I would imagine the only come back you would get with the first 4 changes would be to do with any of the parents who currently think you can have their child for longer hours at their whim as now you would be making it clear that it is contracted hours only and anything more is more money.

I would make sure that you clearly explain the holidays situation in person to each parent as i feel that this may be the area where they might challenge you, due to in the past they have not had to pay if you are on holiday.

Just stand your ground if you are going to do these changes and make sure it is all discussed and signed as part of a contract review discussion so that later on down the line there is no confussion

[Mouse]

Most of them are more than fair because parents can avoid paying them as long as they collect on time & pay on time!

I suppose the holiday charges are the only ones that are going to end up costing them more. What would happen if they had to go to another cm while you were on holiday? Would they still pay you 50% as well as having to pay someone else? Some of them might not like that. And are you only going to take 2 weeks a year? That's not a lot. Have you given yourself the option of taking more if you need to?

[rickysmiths]

I charge full fee for any holidays the parents take if I'm still open, I couldn't afford to give 6 families 5 weeks each at half fee. That would mean 30 weeks of childcare a year at half fee which is mad. I don't think my brain could work out all the different fees for the different families at the different times.

I give all my main holiday dates by the end of Jan and work with the parents so we all go away at the same time so they don't need to pay and additional cm fees. In 17yrs I don't think I have ever had a parents pay twice. It takes a bit of discussion but we usually manage to work it out to everyones benefit.

I take 5 weeks holiday, I hope your two is a typo you need more than that to remain sane as a cm! You don't get any Brownie points for not taking holiday and all your parents have at least 5 weeks if they are employed so don't ever feel guilty about taking yours. If you don't take enough holiday you will end up exausted. Then you can't provide the best care for their children and sometimes parents do need reminding of this.

[Katiekoo]

Parents will get 4 weeks at 50% any extra at full fee.
I'm asking that I receive 2 weeks holiday at 50% fee, any extra at no fee.
I figure this works out less than charging them full for theirs and none for mine, plus I want to minimise periods of reduced income. Another childminder I work with charges full for parent hols and nothing for their own, but in the past I've struggled over the weeks when I have taken holiday at no fee.
I feel it's important that I can afford to take holiday so I can operate at my best throughout the year.
I guess I should ask for 4 weeks at 50% ???
OR full fee for their holiday and nothing for my own ????
I am even less sure what to do now :panic:

[rickysmiths]

I charge them for their holiday and I have 5 weeks at full pay which means they actually pay for 52 weeks a year if they are full time.

Term time only get 8 weeks a year at half fee because they pay a half fee retainer.

The only time they don't pay is if I'm off sick and then I do my best to find an alternative cm for them.

[Katiekoo]

I charge them for their holiday and I have 5 weeks at full pay which means they actually pay for 52 weeks a year if they are full time.

Term time only get 8 weeks a year at half fee because they pay a half fee retainer.

The only time they don't pay is if I'm off sick and then I do my best to find an alternative cm for them.

Gosh that's good, I feel funny charging for my holiday, but can't afford to take holiday with no fee. Have you always operated that way or did you introduce this at some point?
I think I need to be brave and ask for what I want..... what do I want? :panic:

[Katiekoo]

Thanks all, this thread made me rethink 'what I really want' out of this. I have decided to focus on the one main change to the holiday fees, and will be asking for more holiday for myself. Just hope I don't get any bad feedback! Thanks :)