Half term places?

[PinkFairy24]

Hi there!

Had a mum come to visit yesterday, she is a primary school teacher. This is a little scary to me with the EYFS as I am just starting!

She has a 3 year old daughter who she needs a childminder for. At the minute she has a childminder near her workplace, but has realised that she can't get a nursery placement there as it is not near home. At the minute she is only paying for term times and says her childminder gets other children when schools are closed. I don't mind doing this as I was starting to feel bad to be charging for half term when I am not looking after the child.

How easy is it though to get mindees outside school terms? I was thinking that most people would have childminders full time to cover the whole year?

Any advice would be brilliant thanks!

Love Claire X x X

[mama2three]

a lot depends on your area. Holiday only mindees simply dont happen here as we have a thriving and cheap afterschool holiday club. Others fill holiday only places , but not around here!

[Maza]

I've had a few offers from teachers but I always tell them that I don't do term time only. If they put their child in a nursery they would have to pay all year round. I know a teacher friend of mine used to carry on sending her toddler to a childminder just a couple of days a week during the holidays (as opposed to full time) so that she wouldn't have trouble resettling her after a holiday. It also meant that mum got some free time to do chores etc. You could suggest that to mum. Don't forget that mum is getting paid whilst she is on holiday!

As for worrying about the EYFS, don't! Unless she works in nursery or reception she is unlikely to be very familiar with the EYFS anyway as she will be using the National Curriculum instead. I used to be a teacher and my former colleagues would be the first to admit this! She obviously contacted you because you sound lovely, have faith in yourself!

[kindredspirits]

I don't offer term time only spaces - I have never once got an enquiry for holiday only care in the 3 years I have been working - holiday clubs are too cheap to compare with my prices so the only holiday work i have ever done is for a child who came to me after school year round - even there parents worked out that the after school club would be cheaper than me

if you don't want to do it - don't be pushed into it - 13 weeks is a lot of the year to loose money.

[Louise0208]

i have 2 holidays only children & have had another 2 enquiries in the past few weeks.

i know how you feel about the eyfs thing my new starter (started monday) and mum is a nursey worker so all my efys, daily diaries etc will be under scrutiny....hes my first 'proper' early years child aswell.

i have 2 term time only & 2 holidays only so its worked out well for me, not everyone is so lucky & will have to charge retainers or go without an fee.

[jojo123]

I too am just starting out, and deciding how to set my fees. I think it is best to charge a retainer for the holidays - the majority of settings do! It's a good idea to offer to mum to still have the child part time in the holidays - the other option is to agree with mum a retainer will be charged unless you do get a holiday placement, and then the retainer could be dropped?

[alison]

All my mindies are term time only, teachers from the same school. I charge them 40 weeks full fee and 12 at half fee, at the two together and divide by 12 and have a set month;y fee.

This has worked well for 10 years, they all expect to pay a retainer.

When I have had an enquiry and a parent didn't want to pay a retainer, I increased the hourly fee by £1, it worked out the same, but the parent felt happy with it!

[helengreen13]

Hi, I have four of my mindees on a term time only contract and an "as and when basis during the holidays" and then have two mindees who are "holidays only" and this suits me great.

[caz3007]

All my afterschoolies were as and when in the holidays and it suited me as I can then spend a little more time with my DS and I wasnt mixing the much older ones with the LO's

[grindal]

My mindees are all term time only. I do not charge a retainer, but did increase my fees to compensate. One of my mums even remarked when she came to visit that although I had a higher monthly fee than other minders she had seen the fact that there were no holiday fees meant over the year it was about the same.

[miffy]

At the minute she is only paying for term times and says her childminder gets other children when schools are closed.


Love Claire X x X

That doesn't mean you will be able to do the same and if you can't then you will be losing your income for a substantial part of the year.

If you do chose not to charge a retainer then consider charging a slightly higher rate in term time to compensate for this.

Miffy xx