If anyone could advise me I be very grateful

**maryp0ppins** · 31-10-2010, 02:28 PM

I charge £3.00 per hour per child. I do not provide any meals, just snacks, juice, after school snack or if it's a mindee's birthday I have a little tea party.

parents have been happy with this & sent lo's with packed lunches for the day, but I sent a questionnaire out recently & a few of the parents mentioned they'd like me to feed their children.....

Do you think I'd be daft to start providing food now after 3.5 years of not doing meals, or do you think it may be a good step forward??

I was thinking if I did start cooking an evening meal charging £2.00 per day per child for an evening meal/desert....does this seem to expensive??

If I could have some input as to what everyone else does it may sway me into being a meal provider!!!

**PixiePetal** · 31-10-2010, 02:41 PM

I do meals if they stay later than 5.30pm as the very little ones can then go home, play, bath, bed. If I had a houseful with some to feed and not others it may prove more difficult but usually only have 1 or 2 - my kids are teens who eat later with us.

Older children I don't do evening meals - 9 and 11 yr old holiday care siblings - they can eat with parents later - just like we do!

I am upping my fees in the new year to include food so I don't need to work it all out.

**mushpea** · 31-10-2010, 02:52 PM

I used to do meals but with 8 children to cook for and look after it was manic so I stopped doing them and told parents that they can either cook at home or send a pack lunch type tea then their children could have school lunchs,,,, all parent were quite happy with cooking at home and what a relif it was not to have to cook evry night as now i have more time to do stuff with them.

**rickysmiths** · 31-10-2010, 02:53 PM

I would say if you are happy to cook meals and the parents have indicated they would like it then go ahead.

I have always included food in my hourly rate so not charged a meal rate.

I would just make sure you cost a meal as accurately as you can and decide on the cost.

If I charged for meals I would add the costs onto the monthly bill and it would be non refundable if a child was off sick or missed a day or was picked up early and so missed a meal. After all you will have done the shopping and stocked your cupboards in order to do the catering. I would also have a 4 week notice period to stop having them. I think this would be similar to school meals except I think they have 1/2 a terms notice to quit.

**FussyElmo** · 31-10-2010, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by rickysmiths

I would say if you are happy to cook meals and the parents have indicated they would like it then go ahead.

I have always included food in my hourly rate so not charged a meal rate.

I would just make sure you cost a meal as accurately as you can and decide on the cost.

If I charged for meals I would add the costs onto the monthly bill and it would be non refundable if a child was off sick or missed a day or was picked up early and so missed a meal. After all you will have done the shopping and stocked your cupboards in order to do the catering. I would also have a 4 week notice period to stop having them. I think this would be similar to school meals except I think they have 1/2 a terms notice to quit.

Two weeks at our school and the nursry and foundation classes can swap daily.

I would say it was entirely up to you. If you want to cook then do so. Dont think because the parents have asked you have to. How many children what will they be doing when you cook your meals etc

Lady Haha · 31-10-2010, 04:06 PM

Its an awkward one! I have always provided all meals within my hourly rate too. The only problem I can foresee here is that if you decide to go ahead and charge extra for meals, then some parents will take you up on it and some won't, meaning that you will be cooking for some mindees while others just get a snack.....could seem mean, not to mention you are creating a whole new job for yourself by cooking meals as well as doing snacks!

Could you maybe do meals for everyone and up your hourly rate to reflect it, but by doing so risk losing a couple because parents aren't happy with this?

Or, of course, you could just go on as you are, explaining to the parents that you have given it alot of thought but for the above reasons, it wouldn't work in practice. Some times I wish I didn't do meals, simply because I can never please all the mindees at the same time and end up chucking loads away. If I was charging per meal, I think the parents would get funny if I didn't provide something their child liked all the time.

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 31-10-2010, 04:30 PM

If a lot of people are asking then I would consider it as it would give you an "edge" over after school clubs

I charge £2.50 per meal if that helps.

**flowerpots** · 31-10-2010, 07:33 PM

i offer meals and charge £2.00 per meal (to try and persuade parents to bring packed lunches) parents thought this was reasonabl and all of them are happy to pay it, its worked out well though because i have to feed my own ds (3) and dd (1) before the mindees go home anyway.

xxxx

**maryp0ppins** · 31-10-2010, 08:17 PM

Thanks guys, still undecided really.

I only have 3 after school kids now as some have left & they are not everyday (2=Monday after school, 1=Wednesday after school & 1=Thursday after school)

The others are two 8 months (one 5 full days a week the other 3 full days a week) & one 3.6 year old 3 full days a week

Then a new baby starting after Xmas 2 full days.....

I'm going to send a news letter out I think asking for input regarding price & if they're all interested.

**Playmate** · 31-10-2010, 08:29 PM

We include 3 meals a day in our daily rate. It seems something that parents want and alot have chosen us because we offer this service. As there are 20 - 30 CM's on our estate we are always looking for something that gives us the edge

**mama2three** · 01-11-2010, 08:32 AM

I include meals in my daily rate too . I often wish Id never started , especially now lunchtime is a rush since session times changed at school.
If You decide to charge then I would go with the same rate as school dinners. The parents would pay for school dinners regardless of if it was something their child liked , so should be the same for you.

**Tinglesnark** · 01-11-2010, 09:30 AM

when i first started i included meals and it was such a nightmare for me, parent would complain if meals didnt include particulars - i fed too much or not enough of whatever it was blah blah so i gave up doing it and im so pleased! i offer snacks and drinks in the price and am happy to give a more substantial snack akin to a high tea if the child will be with me later than 5.00pm but i wont do cooked meals for them - i huff and puff making them for my own family lol!

dont let them make you feel that you have to offer it, only do it if you feel that you want to and if you know it wouldnt cause you too much aggro!

could you perhaps think about meeting them half way and offer high teas with sandwiches, cakes, cocktail sausages and salad but not actual cooked meals?

i dont know if that would be any use but good luck!

**singingcactus** · 01-11-2010, 09:33 AM

I have just stopped providing food of any type here. I am so fed up of all the paperwork, rules and regs that are now involved with minding that I am cutting back on doing anything that involves other agencies and inspections or money (where possible). I am not registered as a food business anymore, I am no longer using a digital camera for my business anymore so not registered with those people either. I'm just trying to make life simpler and free up more time for me to enjoy being a minder again.
So even if parents asked me to cook for their little ones, I will not be doing it anymore - but I don't work until late in the evening so no meal would be required.