Meals Included in Fee

**Mamma4Ya** · 07-08-2011, 12:20 PM

I am looking at prices for when I start Childminding and was thinking of £3.50 per hour for full time and £4 per hour for part time. Should I include meals in this or should I charge extra for meals? Not sure how to go about it.

**khlwomitchell** · 07-08-2011, 01:10 PM

being in wales you'll be incomparable to me! I'm one of 2 mindering in small sussex village and charge £5 p/h. I include meals my kids eat, as in 18mth finger food but not baby milk and puree meals.

Find the local price and stick with it unless you offer alot more. Some parents send meals anyhow why not just do a base rate of 3.75? or the part time may become a hazy area?

**margaret** · 07-08-2011, 01:17 PM

I charge £2.00 per meal and find the majority of parents provide their own meals which i prefer.If you provide meals you will find you spend all your time in kitchen,organising ,preparing,freezing ,batch cooking shopping etc .If parents provide all meals its less work for you and children quickly learn that they have their own individual lunch boxes.It is easier if all children eat the same meals ,but i got fed up with fussy parents - not kids and most of my money seemed to go on food.

**jane5** · 07-08-2011, 01:41 PM

I charge £4 hour, day rate of £35, 8am-6pm, any thing before or after this time is time and 1/2 £6 per hour and weekends are £6.00 an hour.

I do minimum charge of 5hours for part timers and it is either morning or afternoon session not 10 - 3. If some one wanted 10-3 or similar I would charge a full day rate or if I wanted the work I may reduce it to £30.

I have 2 shift workers and charge a 50% retainer to secure the place on the days that they do not use every week. If a child is at nursery, the full fees apply if I am taking and picking up.

All meals are included as I do not want parents bringing their own food because 1 child would say "I want theirs" and my parents like the fact that they dont have to think about food, I make a couple of extra portions in the evening for my families meals and freeze it and lo's have this for lunch. I offer toast or cereal for breakfast, a heated up meal at lunch and sandwiches for tea so I am not cooking whilst lo's are here.

My rates are average to my local area although some do only charge for hours used each week. I wont do that because I am securing that place for them and some will take the mickey and bring their lo's late to save money.

Hope this helps

**khlwomitchell** · 07-08-2011, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by jane5

My rates are average to my local area although some do only charge for hours used each week. I wont do that because I am securing that place for them and some will take the mickey and bring their lo's late to save money.

Hope this helps

I have a contract of hours and thats what they pay every week, if more thats added on but running late isn't my problem, ready to work at 9.30 kid there or not! my sickness or hols is different but nice to know what i'm getting every week!

**Mamma4Ya** · 07-08-2011, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by jane5

I charge £4 hour, day rate of £35, 8am-6pm, any thing before or after this time is time and 1/2 £6 per hour and weekends are £6.00 an hour.

I do minimum charge of 5hours for part timers and it is either morning or afternoon session not 10 - 3. If some one wanted 10-3 or similar I would charge a full day rate or if I wanted the work I may reduce it to £30.

I have 2 shift workers and charge a 50% retainer to secure the place on the days that they do not use every week. If a child is at nursery, the full fees apply if I am taking and picking up.

All meals are included as I do not want parents bringing their own food because 1 child would say "I want theirs" and my parents like the fact that they dont have to think about food, I make a couple of extra portions in the evening for my families meals and freeze it and lo's have this for lunch. I offer toast or cereal for breakfast, a heated up meal at lunch and sandwiches for tea so I am not cooking whilst lo's are here.

My rates are average to my local area although some do only charge for hours used each week. I wont do that because I am securing that place for them and some will take the mickey and bring their lo's late to save money.

Hope this helps

This is what i intend to do too

**Mamma4Ya** · 07-08-2011, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by khlwomitchell

being in wales you'll be incomparable to me! I'm one of 2 mindering in small sussex village and charge £5 p/h. I include meals my kids eat, as in 18mth finger food but not baby milk and puree meals.

Find the local price and stick with it unless you offer alot more. Some parents send meals anyhow why not just do a base rate of 3.75? or the part time may become a hazy area?

I was thinking of the following fees, as I would know where I stand

Full Day 8am-6pm £35
Morning 8am-1pm £20
Afternoon 1pm-6pm £20

Average fee around this area is £3.50 with one or two charging £4 per hour, some offer food others do not. Although some are able to offer Welsh in their setting which I will also offer, I have yet to come across anyone who offers Sign Language.

**jane5** · 07-08-2011, 03:43 PM

Average fee around this area is £3.50 with one or two charging £4 per hour,

I went with £4 because I found that the ones charging £3.50 we starting to put their fee's up to £4 and I didnt want to increase fee's for a couple of years iyswim

**khlwomitchell** · 07-08-2011, 05:45 PM

that sounds good hannah, well planned, draw that into the contract.
But if people are putting the prices up to four quid why not add food ontop of the prices you quoted. on a lond day you could be serving three meals which is alot! maybe throw in breakfast for free but do lunch and evening meal at 1.50/2.00 a throw?
my average week i earn £70, as part time, but with my house costs, days out, fuel, trips to toddlers etc i have expenses of £25 minimum a week. if you don't charge for food your actual profit maybe very low.

**Allie** · 07-08-2011, 05:54 PM

You really need to realisticly look at your possible expences, I learnt the hard way, under charging when I began and not realising how all the little things you buy for your business add up, not to mention the big things

Allie

Don't under value your service

**lucylou30** · 25-08-2011, 10:30 AM

I charge £4 per hour including meals. Think I will start to let parents know a week in advance the meals on offer so if there is something they know their kids won't eat they can let me know in plenty of time! love the idea of doing heated meal at lunch and sandwiches etc for tea, I offer meals included and am starting to get fed up with having to cook and keep eye on lo's at same time. Anyone got any ideas for what to do if you have a fussy child? I have an 18month old who has been raised on jars and refuses to eat any of my home cooking. I don't want to offer jars as a meal option in my home as I don't think they are the healthy option that parents expect from me.

**Sara T** · 19-09-2011, 11:18 AM

Hi,

I include meals in my fees as the littlies dont eat huge portions really.

I charge £3.50/hr and that includes meals and snacks.

One of my parents requested that I do sandwiches in the day as they like to give a hot evening meal when they get home and my other parents said they did not mind, so I tried hot and cold options but the mindee was very very fussy and is currently still only really eating jar food, so I just get the jar for lunch time and try to encourage more 'normal' eating with the snacks as the mindee was spitting and gagging on everything!!! but slowly but surely we are getting there and Im aiming to stop the jars.

I was worried if I didnt give a jar then she would be eating hardly anything!!!

I will put any meals down as a set daily expense per child for my accounts, but not charge parents extra.

Talking of which, best go and get lunch ready before my little ones wake up as they are still snoozing after a hard mornings play!!

have a fun afternoon everyone