Holiday care

[Wendybird]

I am thinking about advertising for school holiday care and just looking for some advice really. I don't have any schoolies and the local school has an after school club which also does holidays. They are, of course, much less expensive. However, there is a large employer near me where most employees don't live locally. And, I would only be looking at 2-3 max as I have two of my own and littlies most days. So my questions:

1) what rate do you charge? Do you have a charging structure (like charging per half day rather than per hour)?

2) What do you do with them? I have little ones myself and a small garden - I think I would need to be out more and have more structured activities than I generally do. Do you take them on day trips or other special activities?

3) What are the pitfalls? What am I not thinking of that will make my life difficult if I do this?

4) Food, I keep reading about how much more older kids eat - should I ask for packed lunches or provide myself (I currently include lunch and snack in my fee for regular mindees)?

Any insight or experience would be gratefully received. I think, if I can get this right, that it would be a good income boost for me and be good fun for my regular mindees and my own kids.

Thanks,
Wendy

[Becci26]

Hi Wendy,

I am going to be offering holicay cover for school children, I haven't done it yet so can't help too much but I plan to charge £25 for a school day (8:45-3:15) or £35 all day - I usually charge £5 an hour so is quite heavily discounted but my thinking on it is that it will all be an extra income boost. Plus, on a personal level I would have been prepared to pay that for my daughter but could not stretch to £45/£50 and would look for an alternative.

Sorry if that doesn't make much sense!!

[onceinabluemoon]

If you want the holiday work there is a good chance you will have to undercut the play scheme as parents usually seem to go for the cheaper option. Here no childminders can get holiday work as the play scheme only charges £20 a day!!!

[Twinkle-Toes]

I charge £3p/h so £30 a day normally.

I run a 'holiday club' for school age children and I charge £20 a day. This includes all meals and trips....

This may be the cause of why I'm always skint though!

[Wendybird]

Hi Wendy,

I am going to be offering holicay cover for school children, I haven't done it yet so can't help too much but I plan to charge £25 for a school day (8:45-3:15) or £35 all day - I usually charge £5 an hour so is quite heavily discounted

Yes, this is the same as me - I was thinking of charging around £30 / day - which is quite a discount and only slightly more expensive than the holiday clubs, but seeing it as an income boost really. I don't think I'd be happy to do it for less as I was planning on some nice trips out and things and I'll be out of pocket if I do it for much less! I was going to start advertising soonish I think and just see if anything comes of it. I'm going to register DH as my assistant so he can help on day trips. I was thinking I could do a nice trip weekly and regular outings through the rest of the week. There is generally a lot going on locally - so this shouldn't be too difficult.

[mushpea]

I just charge my normal hourly rate, we normaly have a trip out during the day even if it is just a walk round the houses for a bit of fresh air and a break,, we go to parks a lot and they spend a lot of time in the garden. as for food I give them a sandwich, fruit, a snacky thing like breadsticks or rice cakes etc then a small youghurt or a fairy cake if ive made some,,, kids only eat a lot if you let them or you could ask parents to send a lunch. I dont do evening meals in the hols as I dont want to have to hurry back from a trip out to cook,
I dont structure the day but go with the flow,, if they start to get bored then I might get somthing different out or get out some puzzles or an activity or if they ask I will do what ever it is if possible.
holidays for us are much more relaxed than the normal week.