Question about my own CM?

[Laura176]

Hello everybody,

I am pre-reg at the moment and am still working, so my children attend a cm....my cm has recently changed her fees and I wondered if I could have your opinions

My 1st child is 3 and attends nursery every afternoon, I drop her off to cm at 9:15am and cm takes her to the nursery at 12:15pm ....... I then collect from nursery.....My cm now wants to charge £25 per day for this. (which is her daily rate)

My 2nd child is 5 and attends full time school, cm charges £12:50 per day for him during term time (when he isn't there) and £25 per day in school hoildays.

My issue at the moment is .... I understood that the £12:50 for my son was to keep the place open and therefore if care was needed cm would be available - however, on 3 occassions now I have asked her to have him and she has said she can't because of various reasons - therefore I have had to arrange alternative childcare but also pay cm.

In addition to this £25 is a day rate, I asked if she could have my daughter for an extra hour one day and she declined saying that she would be over her numbers!

Surely if I am paying a day rate (even if she doesn't have my daughter after 12:15pm) she should be able to take on another child because in effect she is getting 2 daily rates for one place?

I am a bit confused really and would like some advice - I am trying to decide on my own fees and it has made me look into this a little more.

Thanks in advance

[Laura176]

Oh...I forgot to say - even in school holidays the children are with cm from 9:15am - 1:30pm as I only work part time

[beccas]

yes if she is charging you then she should be avaliable for your childcare.

[Laura176]

Thanks Beccas,

I thought the same - I wasn't sure what to do about the days that she said she couldn't take my son even though I am paying the £12:50, maybe I shouldn't have paid that??

Especially as one of the days she couldn't take him because she had booked to go to the hairdressers at 12:30 (as soon as she dropped my 1st child at nursery)

[Laura176]

And another day she said she could take him but would be unable to take my daughter to nursery as it meant she would have too many children for the car!!
My daughter - 3
My son - 5 (still classes as under 5 though I think)
Mindee 3 - 3
Mindee 4 - 3
Mindee 5 - 4
And sometimes another mindee - 4

Actually, I think she may be over her numbers anyway .... I can't wait to start minding myself

[tashaleee]

Personally I dont feel your childminder is correct

On your 3 year old the childminder appears to be charging you for a full day even though you are collecting her after nursery and you, I guess, would be the emergency contact rather than the childminder in the afternoon. In 'normal' circumstances the childminder could easily take on an afternoon only child (if she had a suitable enquiry). The only thing is that Im reading in the school holidays you need the childminder til 1.30 so you have a cross over of 1 1/4 hours and she can easily state (and probably truely as it would be difficult) she cant take on another child at 1.30 and therefore charges you the whole daily rate.

With regard to your older child as they attend full time school I do not know of any childminders who charge a fee whilst the child is at school. Maybe someone else on here will say they do charge this. For me, I only charge for school holidays if a child attends full time school and I am not required to take or collect from school. Also this child falls into the 5-8 age range so is in a different ratio.

If I were asked to have a child I had a retainer for being available and couldnt then I would consider refunding this money to the parent.

With regard to the extra hour one day a childminder is always free to refuse, though personally I would do it if I could as Im sure many of us on here would.

[doodles]

It depends who is responsible for your 3 year old when they are at nursery?
Personally i dont have a daily charge, i just charge by the hour. I wish i could get away with charging £25 for my lo that comes for 4 hours but his mum would tell me to Haha!!
I wouldnt pay it.

[Alibali]

If you're paying a retainer that space should not be made available to anyone else, it's your space. Also you should be able to use it as and when needed, but possibly with some advance notice according to contract?

Have a chat with her, I'm sure you can sort it out. She may just be a little confused.

[Laura176]

I am a bit to speak to her now as I have paid the £12:50 on 3 ocassions now when she has not been available.

Does my son still count as an over 5, even though he was only 5 in November? Is that because he attends full time school?

[marzi]

And another day she said she could take him but would be unable to take my daughter to nursery as it meant she would have too many children for the car!!
My daughter - 3
My son - 5 (still classes as under 5 though I think)
Mindee 3 - 3
Mindee 4 - 3
Mindee 5 - 4
And sometimes another mindee - 4

Actually, I think she may be over her numbers anyway .... I can't wait to start minding myself

If she has all these children at the same time surely she must be over her numbers? I thought it was only 3 children under 5? Unless she has a generous variation of course.

[mama2three]

if i am needed on a day when a retainer has been payed then i am available - but do need a fair amount of notice as obviously i need to plan all those appointments , shopping trips , even social things for when i have no mindees! has she given you a set amount of notice you need to give for her to be available?
your 5 year old and possibly the 4 year olds too will be classed as over 5 's for ratio purposes once they are at full time school - so she may not be over numbers with 3 3year olds.

[sandy64]

hi if your lo is only there in morn and you never need her to pick up or hols why dont you ask her if you could pay a half day rate as shes filled your pm place already i charge a full day over 4hrs with a meal i know everyone is different but it does seem unfair if your paying for a place when its not available. it does seem alot for your son too. maybe you need to sit and try and sort it. when will you be up and running as a childminder?

[Laura176]

All of the 4 yr olds in her care go to nursery and are picked up at 11:20am, so are not in full time education & after school (when my 2 have gone she has 3 children over 5)

I am just waiting for my first aid certifiacte number to put on my ofsted form and then it will just be a matter of waiting for ofsted to visit and the CRB, so I am aiming for 2 months?? Is this unreasonable?

[Heaven Scent]

Are the 4 year olds listed in full time education? If so then they count in her 5-8 year old ratios. If not she is seriously over her numbers even if its only for a short period of time.

There is no question about it but your son is definately in the 5-8 year old group he is 5 and in full time education - what I think is confusing you here is the fact that he still falls in the EYFS age group which means the minder should be doing obs etc but not as many as the school have main responsibility for her.


If the minder is charging you a retainer to keep a places open for your children then no matter what they are your spaces and if she is required to have them then she should do so at the drop of a hat - no matter what she has planned you are paying her for that priviledge - if she doesn't want to have to provide this service then she should cease charging you. I don't agree that you need to give too much advance notice - it would be polite and respectful for you to do so if possible - but in an emergency should not be necessary. If the minder has no intention of working certain hours/days then she should give you advance notice - again unless its an emergency - Also if she is not prepared to work for whatever reason then she should not be charging you a retainer for that day. If she has arranged to go shopping or for a haircut and you've been paying her well then tough she needs to cancel she's had a lot of money from you for work she hasn't done and so when you do need her it is her duty to be available.


I'm a bit confused you said somewhere that you paid the £12.50 on 3 occasions and she has not been available - does that mean you've only paid it 3 times or does it mean that despite you paying the £12.50 for her to hold the space open for your child every day.


Does she take your school age child to school? If not why are you paying her £12.50 per day in term time. I've never heard of a minder chargeing a huge retainer for term time so that they can offer the place in the hols - I have however heard them charge the opposite - I charge a family of 2 teachers £5.00 pw retainer during the hols - its because of a family not paying me my notice after the 6 week holiday.

[Twinkles]

What does your contract say ?

Why are you paying £12.50 if your son is at school ?

She may have a variation for the extra children.

I disagree that the place should be available at the drop of a hat ( or she'd never be able to plan anything ) but it should be available with adequate notice - again waht does your contract say ?

Why should she not go to the hairdressers if she has no children booked in ?

As for paying £25 for your youngest you do need the place in the holidays don't you ?

[Tired]

Even paying a retainer you should have to give some notice if you want to use the place, or else how could she go to toddlers, day trips etc with the others if she had to sit in the house in case you needed her "at the drop of a hat"

However, if you give her enough notice (this is hard to decide, but I would say 24 hours) she should have a space for your son. If she is selling that space to someone else, she shouldn't be charging you for it.

where do you live?
When I lived in Guildford cms there charged 50% for school aged children whilst they were at school, but I've not heard of it anywhere else.

[Heaven Scent]

I know she should be able to go to the hairdressers if she wants to but if someone paid me 12.50 per day and I didn't on condition that a space would be available for my child as and when they occasionally needed it then i'd have cancelled the appointment I make all my appointments for outside my minding hours and those I cant I arrange for the beginning and end of the day give loads of notice - she is on to a good thing and should appreciate it.
Also by the sounds of it she is over subscribed so how she had no children is a mystery.

This all seems very very bazar to me altogether.

[Heaven Scent]

Even paying a retainer you should have to give some notice if you want to use the place, or else how could she go to toddlers, day trips etc with the others if she had to sit in the house in case you needed her "at the drop of a hat"

However, if you give her enough notice (this is hard to decide, but I would say 24 hours) she should have a space for your son. If she is selling that space to someone else, she shouldn't be charging you for it.

where do you live?
When I lived in Guildford cms there charged 50% for school aged children whilst they were at school, but I've not heard of it anywhere else.

If you are paying for the space it should be for you so why cant it be available when you need it - I don't mean you should judt turn up with your child without discussing it with her - shurley you know when your child is not at school unless they are sick and then a minder is not to be expected to care for a sick child. The space only needs to be avaialble on you contracted days though.

As I said in my last post its very bazar.

[Hebs]

you pay the £12.50 for your child yet when asked is she could have child she has said no 3 times??

she does have the right to say no at short notice but doesnt have the right to still charge you for it!!! as to charge for the space it has to be available or refunded she cant have it both ways

advise her to become a member on here we'd soon set her straight

[marzi]

you pay the £12.50 for your child yet when asked is she could have child she has said no 3 times??

she does have the right to say no at short notice but doesnt have the right to still charge you for it!!! as to charge for the space it has to be available or refunded she cant have it both ways

advise her to become a member on here we'd soon set her straight

That would be a warm welcome indeed. Membership should be compulsory for all CM's, that way the rubbish ones would have no excuses! I love it here