how to charge ???

[1michelle]

Hi All

I have a client coming next week who wants holiday care only she has made it very clear she dose not want to have to find a different childminder each holiday and wants some one who will commit to this my question is should I charge her to hold the space open for the holidays ? If so what should I charge ? Please help

Thanks
Michelle

[joannetalbot]

hi michelle

if she's looking for just holiday childcare then when you come to do the contract with her just state on there that it'll just be for holiday cover and not during term time.

you would have to agree with her at the very beginning what days/hours she requires so that they could be put onto the contract plus what hourly rate you will charge. she would then have to stick with this arrangement. i normally charge full pay for any absence of the child so if she decides not to send the child on a contracted day you will still get paid the full amount.

If you start as you mean to go on then it prevents any misunderstanding later on plus you can reassure her that because it says on the contract that childcare is just required for holiday time then she'll know that she can rely on you to have that space available for her child so that she doesn't have to keep swapping and changing. does that help????? jo x

[The Juggler]

if she was on a full contract she would only have to give you 4 weeks notice to cancel so what I would do is get her to sign a contract for holiday only care at a min. number of hours/days per week -whatever suits you and her THEN have a booking form and ensure she completes this and fills it in 4 weeks before each holiday confirming what she wants and that in signing the form she agrees to pay for the holidays regardless of whether she then uses them or not.

just a thought if she is dead set against alternate care what will she do if you take annual leave during the holidays hon?