Supply teacher charges

[Karen1]

Hi

I am a new childminder and have had an enquiry from a teacher doing supply work and will only want care when she is working and only wants to pay then, so no guaranteed hours, she has two children, so that would be two places being kept open a day!and some days no children! Which would mean all my under two spaces gone! As have my own son who's three.

What should I charge- should I charge for a min number of hours a week, even if not used?
Should I take a retainer? How much, will also be a term time only contract


I am happy to do ad hoc and term time, but don't want to lose spaces if not being used as wont be able to fill with other children. Plus have a child on a Wednesday now?


Is this just too much hassle!

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[SJ35]

Hi, I'd probably do it but just ad hoc until I filled my spaces. Otherwise I would charge for the spaces regardless.
It's hard when you are setting out but you need to make sure it's worth your while.
X

[karensmart4]

I would say 'Yes I can do that but I need as much notice as poss, and I'm sorry but to be financially practical if a family come along and need regular hours I will have to accept them, but I will let you know if/when this looks like it might happen and give you the option of changing to regular hours, therefore keeping the spaces for your children.

[The Juggler]

i would tell her that you can do it for as long as you have a full time vacancy but after that you can't guarantee her a place when she needs it unless she wants to pay for a min. number of hours per week.

[Mouse]

If you already have another child on a Wednesday, you're not going to be able to take her 2 on for that day.

Like others have said, if I had no other work I would agree to do it on an ad hoc basis. She is free to ask if you can have the children, but no places or times are guaranteed. I also charge a higher rate for ad hoc care.
But I would make it very clear that I could only do it while I had the spaces. If another family came along wanting permanent care, I would take them on.

I can fully understand her not wanting to pay for full time spaces when she might only need you occasionally, but she has to understand that you cannot run a business by letting your 2 spaces be taken up by such a hit & miss contract.

[Karen1]

Hi

Thanks for your replies.

She is very keen, and has just been round for a visit, as she needs to get it sorted before September.

She only wants it for her youngest as oldest in Primary School. so only one of my spaces. and only needs term time only (which is fine with me)

Youngest is currently in nursery and nursery will only take him for set days. he goes there a mixture of morns and afternoons while she works set times. the other times, when she is called on for supply work and she has no care, nursery wont take him.

I said I would be willing to have him ad hoc, but would keep the space open and if a family wanted a permanent position then I would be taking that family on.

I said, if you gave me some set hours per week then I would be more inclined to keep a space open, but she wants to do the two settings, and doesn't want to pay to keep a space open. even though she is worrying about being able to agree to work on the morning when they call, as she wont know if she will have care in place!

not sure how she will work that, as childminders wont keep a space open for nothing, just waiting for her to call with a couple of hours work a week! maybe in the short term, but not forever.

she said she will let me know next week, if she thinks that it would work to call me to use my services on ad hoc days!

again thanks for all your help.

[cockatoos]

I have exactly the same situation. I however work with my husband so we are a bit more flexible with spaces. We charge for a minimum number of hours per month but in fact this family always use more hours than that. They know that the space is not guaranteed though and if a family came along who wanted those days, I would offer it to them first but then they would have to go onto a normal contract. I also charge a higher hourly rate for ad hoc and term time only care.