standardising/setting fees?

Just wondered if any of you who live in a small community or with a strong network of childminders 'set' your fees or your charging policies so that it is a standardised rate?
I don't charge for holidays because I have 2 children of my own and it suits me to encourage parents not to come, BUT as it turns out I tend to get lots of holiday care. However, my colleague doesn't want to go 16weeks with no pay but had a hard time from a potential parent because they'd spoken to me first, so expected her not to charge! I think its fair to pay for a service you use that is your own choice to leave vacant for a portion of the year. Other parents pay for their holidays or maybe get half fees but this is for 4 weeks - NOT 16! i am now thinking of charging half rate if they choose not to take the place so it is still reduced fee to encourage them to be term time but without completely undermining my colleague iyswim
We are also talking about raising our fees as the going rate is £3.50 and has been for some time but we think if we go in line with each other and that the higher rate is the 'going rate' then it is fairer to parents who then don't feel hard done by maybe.

I find it very strange that you're concerned with what other childminders are doing. Why should I care if a childminder in the same road as me wants to charge £4ph whilst I charge £5, I believe my services are worth the fees I set it's irrelevant what others are doing.

You are self employed and don't need to adhere to what the others are doing, set your fees and policies as you please...not for other childminders benefit!!

I completely see what you are saying Tatjana but I do know some childminders who work closely together as groups of even up to 10 or more and set prices the same so they are all on a level playing field, regardless of Ofsted gradings etc.

They say one of the benefits is that it helps parents to know that they all cost the same so they can focus on who they prefer rather than trying to beat them down on price.

If it works for you... I suppose is the moral of that one :D

I'm in a childminding group in our small market town, there are 12 of us in the group and we all charge the same hourly rate, apart from one who charges more but she only has one child at a time as she has twins of her own.

It works for most of the time, although work has been quiet for a while in our area and one person is undercutting everyone else - this they can do as we are all individuals and there is nothing the rest of us can do about it.

As far as holidays go, some charge for them some don't, so we differ a little.

I think my situation sounds similar to yours Sarah-Jane - small town and a total of 12 childminders. we all work closely together and support each other by sending enquiries to those we know might have a vacancy on that day. I guess it might be different if there was less business to share!

When I started I thought about charging £3.20 and they persuaded me not to undersell myself and start on the same rate as them - £3.50. When I pointed out that my childminder for my son only charged me £3.20 and I didn't feel it was appropriate as a newbie to come in and charge more than her especially as she is so brilliant and experienced they were horrified and told her it was about time she put up her fees and stopped seeling herself short!

I'm not suggesting that we would all be exactly the same in all circumstances and I know that we all offer slightly different services but I don't want to undercut other childminders and I don't want to undersell myself either!! I do doubt myself sometimes that I should charge as much as those that have been doing it for years and are much more experienced than me but I work extremely hard and think I do a good job - as do Ofsted and the parents. I think it would be strange if half charged say £5 an hour and others only £3 - there will always be a 'going rate' for an area I think so it seems to make sense to fall in line with each other to a certain extent. There is also an element of catch up as well - 1 charges £3.70 and I am hoping to put my rates up to that (-not because she charges that but because thats what I've judged for myself to be an appropraite level for me to hekp cover my costs a bit more) but she will soon be putting hers up to £3.80
While I will make a decision based on me and my business and my service I feel when informing parents of rising cost to them I can say due to rising cost/ expenses and also to bring me in line with what others charge.

While business is ok I have spaces to fill from September and I certainly don't want to outprice myself or make parents think I am unfairly overcharging them.

There will always be 2 trains of thought on this one!
Personally, where I am, we as a group, do talk about what we are charging, as like Sarahjane said, it's nice to know that we all have the basic rate that's the same. Parents then get to choose on merit not cost.
I will also explain to prospective parents that while i have my set of charges, each and every childminder has their own as they are all self employed, so, for example... while I may charge half for all holidays others will charge full for yours and nothing for theirs. Each childminder is unique and has something different to offer, I'm very crafty, while another is very outdoorsy etc. but at the end of the day, we are all offering the same service...looking after children in a safe and secure environment helping them to learn and achieve.

There is a basic rate here too but we each have our own selling point with regards to fees
A doesn't charge retainers ever
B charges a small retainer
C has a sibling discount
D offers tto contracts no holiday retainer

It gives parents a choice to find what suits them best and we as childminders offer what suits us best.

We all provide different levels of service, and include different things, I think this should be reflected in the fees. We dont do school runs so little ones arent being dragged out 2 or 3 times in all weathers, we make home cooked dinners, we include lots of outings at no extra cost, we do children's parties etc. We also vary our fees slightly depending how flexible the parents needs are, so if they are part-time they may pay more than a full timer. We do look at what others locally charge but set ours at what we think our service is worth. Value yourself as a unique service :)

At the end of the day no one really knows who charges what when it comes down to it... A group of CM's may agree to set their fees but what is stopping one of them saying to a parent "Tell you what, I will offer you X price instead" What a parent and CM agree is between them two. I would be a bit wary of setting my fees in line with other CM in case this happens.

My fees are based on what I can afford, what I think I am worth, what I can offer. I would hate to think a group of other CM's can say right let's all charge £X. What works for one might not work for another... That is just my own personal feelings on setting a standard fee.