pay for settling in period

[Carolc]

Hi I'm new to childminding and just wondering if anybody charged for a mindees settling in period. I have one wee boy one day a week and he will be settling next week. Xx

[LauraS]

I don't, but only.offer a few sessions of a couple of hours or so.

[Sally69]

I'm new too I start properly on Tuesday, but offered 1 x 1hour and 2 x 2hour settling in sessions for free. If the parents want more then they will be charged at usual rate.

[Carol M]

I offer settling in sessions with parent for free but not unlimited. I charge £5 for each 2 hour session that the child is left with me ( if i have the space).
Carol xx

[JoRo163]

I do one 2 hour settling in session free of charge. If parents want more then they pay the hourly rate. Though nobody has taken this up - I've found that one session is generally enough.

[cathtee]

I offer 2 x 2hr settling in sessions for free and have never been asked for more than that.

[The Juggler]

I offer 2 x 2hr settling in sessions for free and have never been asked for more than that.

i offer the same. parents starting in september have sometimes asked for the odd day before the summer holidays so I hve charged in full for that day

[mummyMia]

I normally offer three 2 hour sessions for free. If I was taking on a child for only one day a week then I would probably cut this down to two sessions.

[tulip0803]

I also offer two free settling in sessions of two hours before the contract starts fully.

I then have a 4 week settling in period once the contract has started, at normal fees, where the normal 4 week notice period does not apply to either me or them to cancel the care.

[Chimps Childminding]

I also offer two free settling in sessions of two hours before the contract starts fully.

I then have a 4 week settling in period once the contract has started, at normal fees, where the normal 4 week notice period does not apply to either me or them to cancel the care.

Same here

[bunyip]

Hi I'm new to childminding and just wondering if anybody charged for a mindees settling in period. I have one wee boy one day a week and he will be settling next week. Xx

Hi Carolc,

Apologies to members who've seen this before: it's one of my cut&paste jobs from an earlier post I did.

Much depends what you mean by a "settling in period".

Some childminders (CMs) offer settling in visits - is that what you have in mind? ie. short visits of maybe 1-2 hours with or without the parent being present. Or sometimes the parent is there for vist 1, but absent for visit 2: to let the child gradually get used to the idea. Trainers and development officers love the idea of these. IME they're a complete waste of time, unless it's just to settle the nerves/conscience of a guilt-ridden parent. TBH you're not going to know if the little one (lo) has settled until crunch time: when mum has gone to work and the lo figures out she ain't coming back in a hurry. If the lo can cope without mum for an hour, all it proves it that they can cope without her for an hour. If the lo screams blue murder for an hour what are you going to do: tell mum they hated every minute? And then what is mum going to do: say, "oh, that's ok then, I'll stuff the idea of going back to work and we'll all just have to life a more frugal lifestyle"?

Anyway, that's my opinion.

I offer settling visits, and very few parents ever take them up. Some CMs charge for these, some don't. A very small number of CMs I know have offered these for free and basically been 5hafted by mums who use them for a couple of hours' free babysitting and never to be seen again. So I'd never offer them until I had a contract signed and the first period's payment in the bank.

I prefer the other option (which is what many CMs understand by a "settling in period".) ie. The first 4 weeks of the contract are effectively a trial period during which the usual notice period does not apply. Either the CM or the parents can give immediate notice if they feel it isn't working out. This can make some CMs a bit nervous, not knowing if the parent is going to end the deal. But I think that's preferable to the possible alternative of finding yourself stuck with the screaming, home-wrecking spawn of Satan for 4 or more weeks and not being able to do anything about it. I include a provision in the contract in case the parent ends the arrangement within the settling in period - I keep £50 on top of the fees for care actually provided. This offsets some of my costs for time spent on paperwork and preparation. I learnt to do this the hard way.

[moggy]

'Visiting period/visiting sessions'- I do no charge, parents stays first time, leaves child for 15 mins, 30 mins, 1hr (3 visits). Does not always go as planned but this is what I offer and has worked well so far.

'Settling-in period' (according to NCMA contracts)- the first 4 weeks of contract, full contract hours and fees. BUT no notice period either side if it is not going well.

[ivy]

When parents first come to visit me with their child , when child is playing and we are talking i don't charge , .
Second visit parents and I fill in necessary paperwork and child plays i dont charge .
Third and any other visit without parent they pay per hour . I am using my time , food , staff etc .