Newbie - Do Teacher clients pay for the school holidays?

[SilverCharm]

Hello everyone,

I am having my first parent visit on Monday. Mum is a Teacher and is due to go back in September after maternity leave. Her little boy will be 6 months old and her little girl 2 years old. I have been speaking to her over email and told her I will give her 10% sibling discount off her little girls fees.

Obviously Teachers have 13 weeks a year off, is it normal for Childminders to still charge for the holidays as the Teachers still get paid all year round? Do you charge full rate or half rate?

Also, as a general rule..do you charge a deposit? How much and is that deposit kept for the last week / month you look after their child or is it taken for the first month and they start paying you in advance the month after?

Thanks for any help, I know I may be jumping the gun as she may not even sign up yet but just want to be prepared

xx

[chattercat]

I have a teacher and we have always had just a term time only contract, she will never need their places in the holidays. But I also have school holidays contracts only and they don't pay during term time.

I don't take a deposit but fees are always weekly or monthly in advance.

Just do whatever will work best for you both.

[cathtee]

Hi I wouldn't charge for school holidays either,as you would have a term time only contract, hopefully you will be able to have a holiday only contract to fit in between, I have a few like this and there are not teachers children I find it works very well. hope this helps

[childminder54]

I've had a few teachers and always charged half fee for retaining the child's place. But if I had a child just for school holidays I wouldn't charge but this has never happened. Parents have been happy to pay knowing they had the place when they came back.

[funemnx]

I charged half fee in the holidays when I had a teachers child, I don't charge deposits but do ask parents to pay in advance

[The Juggler]

i don't charge but i prefer not to work in the holidays (I just work 2 days). however, you are already giving her a 10% discount.

If you plan and want to work all year round then I would work out the annual fee (full fee) then take off the 10% then do another calculation taking off 50% for the 13 weeks holidays. If there is not much in it I'd tell her she can either have the sibling discount or half fees in the holidays.

Also when she signs contracts I would ask for a months deposit which you should tell her is non-refundable if she later decides not to take up the places.
THen you can either tell her you will offset the deposit against first months fees OR that it will be kept until the end of the contract as the final payment

[Demonjill]

i have a teachers child but its only for 2 days a week (10 hours) so i charge the same the whole year - my rates are cheapest CM in village anyway

I cant afford to not be paid in hols and dont want to be sitting working out fees for whole year,dividing,multiplying - then they leave half way through and it all has to be worked out who owes what....not for me thanks.


I also think that the summer hols are too long for some children to not come to me at all - its like starting all over agin settling routines etc when they come back after long hols
This way teacher is more likely to send their child 1 day a week (which they do) and she can get stuff done in the house

If it were more hours i would charge a higher hourly rate and then they could pay nothing in hols

[Shar]

I do not charge term time only children for the school holidays.it's nice to have fewer children in the holidays and in the past I have found that if I charge, the parents will bring them so they get their money's worth.
I ask for a month's deposit to secure the place, which will be used as the first months payment.
Good luck.

[Toothfairy]

All my parents are teachers and I charge 1/2 fees for the holidays.
As I see it, I am available to work but they choose not to use me, so they need to pay a retainer.

[miffy]

It really is up to you - you could chose to charge a retainer (usually half fees but again up to you) or you could charge a slightly higher hourly rate in term time and nothing in the holidays.

I always take a month's fees as deposit as soon as they confirm they want the place - I offset this against the first months fees and I am always paid monthly in advance. I make it clear (and also in writing) that if the place isn't taken up then the deposit is forfeited.

Miffy xx