Overnight care

[Mrs M]

I offer overnight care to my clients. One parent is so pleased as her and her husband have no family locally. I charge £20 per night (is that reasonable?) but am I required to use an NCMA contract for this as I'm a member of the NCMA? This would mean me having to buy a pack and at the moment I'm already purchasing lots of temporary contracts.

[Spangles]

I don't know about the contract answer but I think £20 sounds very, very, very, very cheap?

I don't do overnight care as my home is too small and I've not heard what people who do do it charge but I just imagined it would be a lot more than that.

If I babysit I charge £5 per hour and sometimes I can earn £30 to £35 an evening just sitting in someone's house putting children to bed, watching tv and checking on them for a few hours usually with a box of chocolates thrown in!

I might be wrong, as I say I have no idea, it's just what came into my head when I read your message.

x

[Mrs M]

I thought it was cheap too but I've told them now!! Never mind. It's not something I'd do every week but if my son and her son get along then it might be nice to have him overnight.
Thanks for your reply.

[Spangles]

Don't worry Emma - I'm no doubt completely wrong! Ha ha! It's just that I would expect to be charged more if it was me but then I am just guessing!

Please don't worry.

[sue32]

I do over night care and I charge the same as a wake hours as I dont sleep as well as if they are my own and if they are up you have to deal with them. I have no promblem getting it, £20 is cheaper than babysitting so she could use your services and not a babysitter

[Spangles]

That's true, if you are childminding a baby/toddler during the day who's napping you don't charge at a cheaper rate for the time they're asleep.

Plus, it will result in you making up a bed especially, cleaning the linen the next day, providing breakfast and maybe a snack in the evening and entertaning them before they go to bed (? not sure how it works?) and you are there listening out for them and keeping them safe.

Have you thought of phoning other minders in your area and asking how much they charge? You could go back to the mum and say you'd made a mistake and give her a revised price if you need to, I'm sure she'd understand.

[Lottie]

I am registered for overnight care too. I have decided to use the short term contracts for occasional overnight care and my normal contracts with my regular minding children.

My fee's are £10 an hour upto midnight and after this it goes up to £15 an hour

In my opinion overnight care is totally different to daycare so the prices reflect this.

However for shiftworkers I am keeping to my normal rates with £2 added.

Don't know if this helps at all.

[buildingblocks]

I offer overnight care to my clients. One parent is so pleased as her and her husband have no family locally. I charge £20 per night (is that reasonable?) but am I required to use an NCMA contract for this as I'm a member of the NCMA? This would mean me having to buy a pack and at the moment I'm already purchasing lots of temporary contracts.

Think £20 a night is far to cheap JMHO that is what charge for babysitting in their home. I charge my normal hourly fee but I know some people who charge £5 an hour

If I remember rightly there is a spot on the NCMA contracts for what you will charge - the bit where it states additional hourly fees about half way down under the additional info section on page 2. If not why not just right it in the additional info section

[jaja]

Why dont u ring around other minders to see what they charge and then decide if you want to change your prices. good luck xxxx

[christine e]

I think £20 seems far far to cheap. If I were doing this I would be looking in the region of £40 - £50 as someone previously as mentioned £20 is cheaper than a babysitter for an evening!

Christine

[miffy]

I have to agree that £20 is very cheap - you might have to talk to them about putting up the price.

miffy xx

[LittleMissSparkles]

I charge £5 per hour for overnight care, £20 is very very cheap especially if you are up all night with a crying toddler and are working the next day !