Schoolies

[newbie]

Just a quick question....if u do school run contracts, do you automatically charge full days in the school holidays whether they are coming to u or not? At the moment I look after a full timer with a contract mon to fri. He is starting school in sept so his hours will change but then in school holidays does he return back to his normal full day hours??? Or can they book school hols as and when they want them????

[Roseolivia]

For my schoolies I don't charge in the holidays but that suits me because i'd rather not have them and just have under 5's in the hols. I think what most people would do is just charge half fee (fee from Sept) retainer through the holidays if he doesn't come to you. If he does come to you charge what he uses.

[AliceK]

For school hols I will charge them for their contracted school hours / days eg 3 x days 3pm - 5pm and then if they are attending for additional time in school holidays then they get charged for the hours they attend in the hols. I always give parents a sheet with the dates on and ask them to write on there what days and times they need their child to attend in the holidays and make it clear I need the form back asap as I only have limited spaces. I have 4 EY's children and 4 under 8's school children so obviously they can't all attend full time in the holidays.

xxx

[newbie]

Sorry AliceK can i just clarify on this:

My schoolie will b 7am till 9am and then 3pm till 4.30pm. During the school holiday break do I charge for those hours??? And then top up if they do the full day???

[AliceK]

Sorry AliceK can i just clarify on this:

My schoolie will b 7am till 9am and then 3pm till 4.30pm. During the school holiday break do I charge for those hours??? And then top up if they do the full day???

Well that's what I do but some childminders would perhaps only charge 50% of contracted time and then obviously top it up if the child does attend all day. On my contracts my parents have ticked that they require care during school hols so I charge them for their contracted hours whether it's school hols or not. (and top it up if neccs) If they had a term time only contract it would be different.

xxxx

[bunyip]

To be totally honest, you can do what you like - but if you do something the clients don't like, then you may not have a contract to worry about.

I offer schoolie-clients a choice:

1. Reserve the place in the hols and pay for it at full whack.
2. Pay a retainer to reserve the place for the hols with an option to top up the payment if a day is actually used.
3. Don't book anything = pay nothing. In this case, ad-hoc care may be available if needed, but with absolutely no guarantees.

In brutal business terms, I find it reasonable to expect my level of commitment to be matched by their level of cheque-book usage.

All of this assumes a need for full-day care, as that is what my clients would need. I tend to take account of which option they go for when we're negotiating the overall fee. ie. If I know I'll be earning money in the hols too, then there is room to maybe charge a little less in term-time.

Don't forget about inset days: find out what is needed/expected for these when you discuss the contract. I find almost all parents (and many CMs) forget about these until the first time one is looming on the horizon, then both parties assume they're going to get what they want when they never even bothered to discuss it any earlier.