Parent holiday charges

[C&A Childcare]

I work with my mum who is also a childminder and we were going through our paperwork recently (we are just starting out)

We both agreed that it is unfair to charge parents if we are both unavailable (e.g holiday) but I have put in the contract that we will charge half rate if the parent goes on holiday. I think that this is fair but my mum is a lot softer than me when it comes to our fees!

We will be having a little girl from next week and then hopefully her brother as well during the holidays but obviousy this will cost double the normal rate (minus a small sibling discount) and my mum said it would probably be cheaper for one parent to have a week off work rather than paying us but there will still be a charge for this according to our contract. I know my mum is only thinking of other people but we are running a business here.

What do other people charge for parent holidays?

[rickysmiths]

I'm afraid I charge full fee if the parent goes on holiday when I am working. I have five weeks off and if I gave my parents more holiday at half fee in theory they could take 10 weeks a year between them or more if they have family who will help out and I can't afford to give that many weeks a year at half fee to all my families I'd go broke

I think if you charge no fee for your holiday and give plenty of notice of when you will be off then it is the parents choice if they have holiday then or at another time. They would have to pay full fees to a Nursery and they are getting 4 or 5 weeks free from you anyway.

[silvermist]

Hi, I charge no fee if Im on holiday and half fees for mindee/parents holidays.

[karen m]

No fee if am unavailable full fees if am available

[ChocolateChip]

I don't charge if I am unavailable.
For mindees if they are term time only they pay regardless of attendance (but no retainers in hols) and if they are all yr round they are allowed a further two weeks at half fee, anything else is full fee.
I would limit the amount of what they can take off hun, otherwise they might be taking loads of time off and you will be losing half your pay on a regular basis.

[Chimps Childminding]

Nothing for my holidays, half fee for parents!!!

[flowerpots]

I charge full for mindees holidays.

[Twinkles]

I do think you need to get your mums business head on !

Yes it will cost more than usual for this family but they know that , they have two children.

Like many we charge full fees for parent/child holiday but none for ours.

Even if you charge half for theirs you will lose a lot of money per year.

If you are both doing this for a little extra income then maybe that will be ok but if this business is going to be your main income you need to look at how much you would lose.

What if Auntie has 6 weeks off or gran comes to stay for a month and wants to look after the child ? I would struggle on half fees for that amount of time.

When you both realise how much your overheads are, how much it actually costs to run your business you may want to think again.

[Debster]

I charge nothing for my holidays as I Feel you cannot charge for no service but if they take holiday I charge half fee I want to charge full fee because a nursery does but all minders in the area do half so I have to follow suit really to keep business . That said for term time only contacts I charge full for any time off during term time.
I only allow 2 weeks at half fee pro rata and then full fee there after.
If parents do not have to pay at all for there hols then they will take liberties believe me. You are a business not a charity remember.

[The Juggler]

put it to your mum like this. if she offers reductions for parent holiday what happens if both parents take their full work entitlement - so say 5 weeks each - that's a lot of lost income.

they are going to be planning on paying you anyway, but if they take holidays their work will still pay them so they'll be no worse off (unless one of them is self employed).

If you wanted to be really nice to them, just try and take your holidays (at least the summer one) at the same time.

[C&A Childcare]

Thanks everyone, you've really helped. Our business has already cost us so much already I really agree that we can't afford not to charge or the family could take their child out of our care whenever they want (given notice) and we'd be stuck then.

[AgnesManch]

I charge full fee when child on holiday and im working and half fee when on holiday at the same time
its just depence how you feel about charging them and the mindees in a future

[Monkey26]

I charge half fee for my holidays and half fee for parent/mindees holiday xx

[sarahjane]

I charge nothing if I am on holiday but full fees if parents take holidays, I give my holiday dates out way in advance and alot of my parents take their holidays at the same time as I do so they don't have to pay me for not being here which is fine by me as I lose nothing from this.

[traccy2817]

Hi Everyone

I dont understand why so many of you dont charge for holidays, Everybody is entitled to 5.6 weeks holiday per year.. I choose to take 4 - 2 weeks summer 2 weeks winter but i feel its wrong if you dont charge parents as normal..

The parents themselves will all get holiday pay from their employer so you are just as entitled!!! please 'think about it' why shouldnt you charge, you are entitled to a break with pay just like if you worked for a company.

Most parents are off work but still getting paid by their employers so you too charge them as normal or else its a false eccomony....

I never used to charge - but after having it all explained to me by another childminder it made me realise just what i was entitled to, you have to think of yourself as highly regarded and in demand..

[The Juggler]

Hi Everyone

I dont understand why so many of you dont charge for holidays, Everybody is entitled to 5.6 weeks holiday per year.. I choose to take 4 - 2 weeks summer 2 weeks winter but i feel its wrong if you dont charge parents as normal..

The parents themselves will all get holiday pay from their employer so you are just as entitled!!! please 'think about it' why shouldnt you charge, you are entitled to a break with pay just like if you worked for a company.

Most parents are off work but still getting paid by their employers so you too charge them as normal or else its a false eccomony....

I never used to charge - but after having it all explained to me by another childminder it made me realise just what i was entitled to, you have to think of yourself as highly regarded and in demand..

lots of my parents are self employed so no holiday pay, or term-time only schoolworkers who don't get paid for time off in term time, hence my change from charging to not charging.

[Demonjill]

I charge nothing if I am on holiday but full fees if parents take holidays, I give my holiday dates out way in advance and alot of my parents take their holidays at the same time as I do so they don't have to pay me for not being here which is fine by me as I lose nothing from this.

This is what i do ....but cant give dates out too much in advance as never know when hubby will be on hol ....give at least 4 weeks notice though as per contract

I couldnt afford to have half fee or no fee when people of as they might then be off much more and then where would that leave you??? Some would not abuse that system but others ??????????????????

[GC2802]

I Just don't understand how anyone can try and justify trying to charge a fee for childminding when they are on holiday.

Yes, people who are employed get paid holidays but in no other industry do self-employed people get paid if they don't work.

Also, parents have to then take their holiday allocation when their child minder does so why should they have to pay for the inconvenience of having to take their holiday around their childminder.

Generally my partner and I have to take seperate weeks holiday to cover this so don't even get to holiday together.

I 100% agree that parents should pay if they take holiday as the childminder is prepared to work for that period and that is not their fault. But to pay for them to take holiday when you will then either have to pay someone else as well or take time off to cover them is wholly unfair.

[samb]

I also charge full fee for when I am open and nothing when i am closed. I know a couple of childminders in my area who charge full fee all year and take 5 weeks holidays themselves. I don't feel I can charge for when I am unavailable. I have a parent who is about to take both children away for 3-4 weeks. I will be charging full fee as I couldn't afford to just let parents have payment free breaks whenever they want. I have child a 27 hours a week and child b 25 hours a week so really can't afford to not. I do feel awful cos thats a lot of money for them to pay for nothing but have to keep putting my business head back on!

[Chimps Childminding]

I Just don't understand how anyone can try and justify trying to charge a fee for childminding when they are on holiday.

Yes, people who are employed get paid holidays but in no other industry do self-employed people get paid if they don't work.

Also, parents have to then take their holiday allocation when their child minder does so why should they have to pay for the inconvenience of having to take their holiday around their childminder.

Generally my partner and I have to take seperate weeks holiday to cover this so don't even get to holiday together.

I 100% agree that parents should pay if they take holiday as the childminder is prepared to work for that period and that is not their fault. But to pay for them to take holiday when you will then either have to pay someone else as well or take time off to cover them is wholly unfair.

i have to agree with this!! In my view if I am not available I can't charge!! At least one of my parents uses another cm when I am off as I tend not to have my holidays in the school holiday as my sons are adult, but parent has baby plus schoolie so has her holidays when the schools are off - If I charged for my hols she would end up paying twice