do you charge for

**daniellecherubs** · 09-11-2009, 11:15 AM

if you as a childminder take time off do you charge for your time off, ie perhaps half of normal fees, would like to know your views please..

**Hebs** · 09-11-2009, 11:17 AM

i take 4 weeks full pay paid holidays, no fee if im off sick

**Minstrel** · 09-11-2009, 11:18 AM

No i dont charge anything. I cant really justify what i would be charging for personally.

**Merry-Minder** · 09-11-2009, 11:20 AM

I take 3 weeks full paid holiday, the only time I dont charge is when myself or my own children are ill. x

**littlepixies** · 09-11-2009, 11:21 AM

i charge 1/2 normal fee if i book off as holiday. i dont charge if i am ill and unable to care for mindie.

Parents again also pay 1/2 fee for their booked holiday and full fee if they dont send child or collect early as its contracted hours and not my fault they have not used the hours.

at the end of the day no matter if your in full time work, part time work or self employed... everyone is entitled to 4-6 weeks holiday. Its down to you what you feel is fair on your self and family as well as the financial side for your mindies.
I do my best to have holiday around parents that way its easier for them. But at the end of the day.. they all get paid holiday so why shouldnt we??

**LisaMcNally09** · 09-11-2009, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by littlepixies

i charge 1/2 normal fee if i book off as holiday. i dont charge if i am ill and unable to care for mindie.

Parents again also pay 1/2 fee for their booked holiday and full fee if they dont send child or collect early as its contracted hours and not my fault they have not used the hours.

at the end of the day no matter if your in full time work, part time work or self employed... everyone is entitled to 4-6 weeks holiday. Its down to you what you feel is fair on your self and family as well as the financial side for your mindies.
I do my best to have holiday around parents that way its easier for them. But at the end of the day.. they all get paid holiday so why shouldnt we??

same here

**little chickee** · 09-11-2009, 11:35 AM

If i am not availiable to work for any reason i do not charge.

**Tink** · 09-11-2009, 11:35 AM

If i'm off there is no charge for the child, I personally don't think it's right to charge if you cannot provide the service, but maybe thats just me

**sweets** · 09-11-2009, 11:45 AM

i charge full fee for their hols, none for mine except christmas and easter when i get one week off paid (2 weeks a year)

**Nat78** · 09-11-2009, 11:46 AM

I charge half fee for maximum of four week when I have my hols. No fee if I cannot provide care due to illness of myself or my children. Full fees if mindee has hols, is sick or has days off with parents/family. I know some that don't charge fees for their hols but build it into weekly minding rate charging a little bit more so over the year accumulate holiday pay that way.

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 09-11-2009, 12:42 PM

Full fees from parents if they do not attend through sickness or holiday

2 weeks paid holiday per year for me

nil payment if I am sick or my children are sick and I am not open

**merry** · 09-11-2009, 12:57 PM

For my holidays, illness, days off I don't charge. Not all parents can take time off when I do or have friends or relatives to step in, they may need to use another childminder/school club etc and have to pay them, and not all parents get paid for their time off either, 2 of mine don't. I do charge full fees for their holidays etc.

**miffy** · 09-11-2009, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by DebbieS26

Full fees from parents if they do not attend through sickness or holiday

2 weeks paid holiday per year for me

nil payment if I am sick or my children are sick and I am not open

Same here!

Miffy xx

**Chimps Childminding** · 09-11-2009, 03:08 PM

I don't charge anything if i am off! Like someone else said some people have to find alternative child care so could have to pay twice if i charge when not available. I charge full for child/parent sick and half for their holidays up to 4 weeks - any over that are charged at full!

**singingcactus** · 09-11-2009, 05:36 PM

I don't charge if I take time off. I am not available and so there is no service to charge for.

**Pudding Girl** · 09-11-2009, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by daniellecherubs

if you as a childminder take time off do you charge for your time off, ie perhaps half of normal fees, would like to know your views please..

No fees for my sickness, holidays or odd days off. I am not available so don't charge.

Full fees for the parent/child's sickness, holidays, odd days off.

**Straws** · 09-11-2009, 07:41 PM

I dont charge if I have time off for sickness or holidays, full fee for their holidays sickness, Parents prefer it this way, as I think if a childminder was paid for sickness they would always be wondering if we pulled a fast one.

Straws xx

**janminder** · 10-11-2009, 06:30 AM

Just 2 weeks paid holiday at normal rate. No fee for days off or sickness.

**Madminder** · 10-11-2009, 10:46 AM

When I first started I didn't charge for my own holidays and only charged half-fee for parents hols but when I did my DCP and got talking to other minders I discovered that I was in the minority! At my next pay review I sent all my parents a letter telling them my new rates and also stating that I would now be taking two weeks paid holiday a year. I offered them the choice of paying me in full for two weeks or paying me half-pay for four weeks and they all chose the latter which is much better for me too, and none of them complained at all.
I always took my holiday in term time as I have no children so didn't see why I should pay premium rates for my holidays! Also, I used to earn a lot of extra money in the school holidays from the over 5s so seemed silly to be off then. Now though, I only work for two families so I can end up with only 2 weeks on full pay out of the 6 weeks, plus my own two weeks on half pay in June so I now try to get my families to take the same two weeks and I have those as well. This means I am on full pay for all but 4 weeks a year rather than what could be 12! Hope that makes sense?!

I don't charge if I am sick but do if they are.

**Curly Quavers** · 10-11-2009, 04:10 PM

I take 6 weeks at half price per year -

2 Christmas
1 - Easter
2 - Summer
1 - October

Any other time I take I do not charge for. My holidays are important to me and my own family and I don't see why I shouldn't get holiday pay just because I am self employed. I give parents my dates at the beginning of every year so they should be able to get the same holidays off. I feel I give them plenty warning.

Everybody is different though