Your CM service vs creche/nursery fees

[greenfields]

I called in my brother's and his partner's place last night as they were giving me lovely toys (some brand new) for childminding. I don't have children of my own so all donations are gratefully received. :)
My brother's partner works at a creche less than 5mins drive from my house. They are planning another baby soon and she said, 'You can care for the new baby... especially if you're cheaper than the creche' (that she works at). If she was serious re. being cheaper, I don't know.
This got me thinking...

-Have any of you got a creche/nursery nearby?
-Have you had to charge less than them in order to compete?

I was planning on charging roughly the same. I would work out ever so slightly cheaper. I'm not suggesting, at all, that childminders deserve to be paid less than a creche. I'm just wondering if you've had to compete with a nearby, larger setting.

Thanks. :thumbsup:

[rickysmiths]

I din't really think too much about it because I offer a very different service to a Creche or a Nursery to be honest.

One of the biggest differences are the experiences outside that I offer that none of the Nurseries around me do. The most they do is a rare walk, though any los under 3 seem to be in buggies :rolleyes: round the block in our local town, one does venture to the park but again most los in a buggy. I have mine walking as as soon as they are able and the 3 I have at present were all walking to the school over the road at 14 mths!

I offer one to one Home from Home care and build a relationship with the child and the parents that no Nursery can offer. The hours I offer are more flexible, I can respond to each childs individual needs much more efficiently. Need I go on!!

Look at what other cms are charging in your area and don't give family discounts keep everything on a professional business like level or you will resent offering care for them.

[greenfields]

I agree with you completely, as I said I'm not suggesting childminders should charge the same or less than a nursery/creche. But this creche would be my nearest competitor. It's the nearest provider of childcare to me, is a very large, fairly new built place. There are childminders each way from me, but are further away, and I don't know what they charge, it's a 'call to discuss' matter, whereas the creche states on their website. If my SIL wasn't joking, £ would play a part in her choice so would likely play a part in other people's choices, I'm now thinking.
Some childminders, again a bit further away so not really my competition, are charging for the day around £30 (usuallly not including food, sometimes not a full 10 hours), and then some charge by the hour around £4-6 which works out a lot more expensive for a full say of 10 hours (£40-60).

[babs]

I charge 4.50 hr but do discounted full day at 35 for 10 hours and then again I'm flexible to .I have nursery close to me but to be honest like what's been said don't offer the service I Do .

[Mouse]

I think a lot of people automatically assume a childminder will be cheaper than a nursery, although this isn't always the case.

One of the local nurseries does charge a higher daily rate than I do, but that's for a longer day & includes all meals. When you look at the hoursly rate, we are pretty much the same.

[Goatgirl]

Hi,
I charge based on what I think a place in my setting is worth and what I need to earn. I am a few minutes walk from a children's centre which charges less than £3 an hour including meals. I charge £3.75 an hour, drinks and snacks provided, parents provide a packed lunch.

I see my competition as the other childminders in the area, not the creche, as the parents who get as far as enquiring about my prices are already thinking about a childminder setting. It took a while to get busy, but will have all my under 5's spaces filled from January and including schoolies, will have 11 children on my books :thumbsup:

I charge hourly to avoid children being left longer 'because they've paid anyway' and this works better for me than an hourly rate. For instance I will have 2 babies starting in Jan who are here from 7.30 till 2.30: still 7 hours, so nearly a full day's income, but I am then free to take on another 2 under 8 after school children from 3pm. Another under 5 is here from 9.30 am, meaning I can have another before school child :).

It takes a lot of initial thinking and then, working out as you go along: you will probably be tweaking things for a long time yet ;).

Go with what you are going to be happy with, not what you think your sister in law wants to pay. A childminder setting is very different to a nursery/creche setting.

Also, Family and friends can be very tricky to work with, as they tend to think you should bend all the rules for them. Start as you mean to go on if you want to avoid a messy fall-out further along the line :thumbsup:

Best wishes,
Wendy :)

[The Juggler]

i know a few years back nurseries were about £45/£50 per day and I know that CM fees have caught up with hourly rates now around £4.5 per hour. but last summer I checked out some local nursery rates for a parent I could not help and they range from £55-£60 per day :eek:

I charge what I charge so I am competitive amongst CM's (I'm not the most expensive and new minders are charging £5.50/£6 - and wondering why they have no business :rolleyes: :panic: )

I would go with average CM rates hon. Strange she does not want her bubba with her if she can though :panic:

[greenfields]

Yes, I can imagine some family/close friends could be difficult. SIL isn't even pregnant yet so that would be some time away but it got me thinking: is this what the general public would be expecting?
My fees work out slightly cheaper than the creche as I wouldn't charge extra for food and unsociable hours are slightly cheaper with me.
I won't drastically undercut them. Why should I, really? I've worked in a private nursery before. Childminders' services are different. Plus I'll have outgoings too - food, drink, equipment etc.
Hopefully those who come to see me for a look around and a chat will appreciate what I do. :)

[greenfields]

i know a few years back nurseries were about £45/£50 per day and I know that CM fees have caught up with hourly rates now around £4.5 per hour. but last summer I checked out some local nursery rates for a parent I could not help and they range from £55-£60 per day :eek:

I charge what I charge so I am competitive amongst CM's (I'm not the most expensive and new minders are charging £5.50/£6 - and wondering why they have no business :rolleyes: :panic: )

I would go with average CM rates hon. Strange she does not want her bubba with her if she can though :panic:

That's a lot of money. That's exactly what I was thinking. I obviously want to make an income but don't want to have no work - what are parents expecting?

I thought the same thing too - if she's working there and she needs childcare she'd probably want her baby with her. My thinking is that her child will be in the care of another 'key worker' there. I know my nephew has been there a few times and I think it's hard to seperate work with your child. E.g. he's been a little 'busy' there at times, and another worker would tell SIL and then she would feel the need to discipline him there and then, and she thinks she probably over disciplines him because the focus is on her and her son. Another theory is that she'd prefer her child's auntie (me) to care for new baby. Another theory is she'd prefer a childminder in a home environment, especially for a young baby. Oh, and two more theories :laughing: : I'll be cheaper. I'll make allowances.

[The Juggler]

That's a lot of money. That's exactly what I was thinking. I obviously want to make an income but don't want to have no work - what are parents expecting?

I thought the same thing too - if she's working there and she needs childcare she'd probably want her baby with her. My thinking is that her child will be in the care of another 'key worker' there. I know my nephew has been there a few times and I think it's hard to seperate work with your child. E.g. he's been a little 'busy' there at times, and another worker would tell SIL and then she would feel the need to discipline him there and then, and she thinks she probably over disciplines him because the focus is on her and her son. Another theory is that she'd prefer her child's auntie (me) to care for new baby. Another theory is she'd prefer a childminder in a home environment, especially for a young baby. Oh, and two more theories :laughing: : I'll be cheaper. I'll make allowances.


:laughing: :laughing: of course ;) actually I do think it would be hard to have your own baby there at work but I think I'd put up with the difficulties to have them with me all day unless she really didn't rate the other workers and trusted you more of course:)

[greenfields]

Hey, who knows what they're like?!... Obviously there's no carer as good as me anyway... :laughing: ;)

[rickysmiths]

I charge 4.50 hr but do discounted full day at 35 for 10 hours and then again I'm flexible to .I have nursery close to me but to be honest like what's been said don't offer the service I Do .

Gosh that's a very generous discount. £10pd day, £50pw, £200 pm, £2400per year :eek: I couldn't afford to potentially loose over £7100 per year income on 3 full time spaces.

[ChocolateChip]

I haven't really had to consider day nurseries as there are none that close, and they were all more expensive anyway.
I have had to tailor my fees a little bit when the FSU at school started doing flexi-time care as I didn't want to suddenly lose all my 3 yr olds to them. So I did a slight discount and made my price £1 more but including lunch.