Childminding & teachers' holidays

[CarrieG]

Thanks to all who posted advice when I was asking about getting a mate to childmind on a 'trial' basis - you've convinced me it's a no-go! If he wants to set himself up as an official childminder (& he's mulling that one) we might look at it again, but atm we're looking for someone registered already.

My question is: I'm a teacher, & I'll have ds at home during holidays - what's the usual arrangement for childminders in these circumstances? Obviously the childminder's running a business & there's no reason (s)he should sacrifice their income for 13 weeks of the year unless it suits their own circs - but equally we're looking at a skint couple of years so would rather not pay if we're not sending ds.

Do you get childminders doing 'term-time only' by choice? (Maybe because it fits with their own kids' holidays?) Or do you negotiate with the individual childminder for a school holiday discount, or just grin & bear paying full whack all year?!

[KathH]

hi - my kids have been going to a childminder for 8 years and at the beginning when sorting out hours etc they could go she said she would work out a weekly fee then take off her 4 weeks holiday and then any other weeks hols ie if i didn't want them to go in school hols and she would divide over remaining weeks so although i pay her the same every week - i hope this makes sense! With my sister, her partners a school teacher so their son doesn't go to his childminder in the school hols and it was agreed at the start they would just pay for weeks he actually went. Basically i think if you come to an arrangement with minder that suits both of you. Hope that helps.

[KathH]

sorry what i meant to say in last message was although i pay her everyweek i actually pay her less every week than someone who's child did the same hours but went to her in the holidays.

[Moomin]

I'm a teacher too. My childminder only charges a retainer (£10 pw) for each week of the school hols that dd doesn't go. She also takes 4 wks holiday which I don't pay for. hth

[pixiefish]

When i was looking at a childminder she was going to charge me full whack every week. There were 4 weeks I could take as holidays but I still had to pay 1/2. Its the same with a lot of teachers I know (although some still use the childminder during holidays!)

[AuntyQuated]

i'm a childminder and a teacher.

i only childmind during term time and charge nothing during school holidays.it suits me.
but htink i am rare, most charge at least a retainer. if your dd/ds is young it isn't a good idea not to send him/her for long periods of time otherwise you will have to go through the whole settling in time again.

your lEA list may make it clear who only does termtime etc

[alibubbles]

I look after children from 4 independent school tteachers, so even more holidays!

I charge half during the holidays, but calculate my fees adding up all the weeks at half fee and all at full fee, add together and divide by 12 to make a monthly fee. This is paid by standing order in childcare vouchers so the teachers then save a further 11%.

My contracts state that the place is available with 48 hours notice in the holidays, I do request that I can have a little one during a long holiday period so that the relationship can be kept going, else we'd have to have a settling in period again. Having said that, all my littlees have had no problems returning after 8 weeks summer hols.

Some people do not charge for holidays as they do not wish to have their mindees during the hols, some will jjust take a deposit to be used against future fees, but to secure your place, it comes down to personal preference of the childminder.

[hana]

I used to pay 1/2 for the week

[goosey]

I will childmind term time only if requested to and do not charge for the school holidays. It suits me to have a break, and as my step children often come to stay during school holidays I prefer term time only.
It really is a question of just keep on looking and asking questions.

[janeybops]

My childminder doesn't charge me for school holidays at all. She takes school age children during the holidays to replace my 2. However I think this is quite unusual. Most of my colleagues in the same situation pay half during school holidays.

[KangaMummy]

I am a childminder and I only work with families from DH private/independent school.

So therefore I only work term time when DH and DS are at school.

We have another house at the coast that we go to in the holidays so I do not want to work

I would rather have the long holidays abroad or by the coast than have the money.

Each childminder is different though

Other childminders probably will have to pay mortgages etc so would want retainers or holiday fees. Which is fair enough.

I think that you ought to talk it over with them as all our circumstances are different.IYSWIM

[KangaMummy]

Also the CMB I have his mum works strange shifts and so some weeks I do not work at all.It would therefore not be fair to charge by the week or day. So I charge per hour.

Each hour is split into 15min chunks. So have Time In and then Time Out {btw OFSTED gave me a GOOD for my inspection and agreed to the way I worked out the hours}

CMB granny works at DH school so she looks after him in holidays.

With other teacher families I have charged by the hour because of parents evenings and HOD meetings after school so then after 4.15pm it is overtime. At DH school parents evenings start at 4.30 until about 6.30/7pm. So therefore a day fee would not be fair. Also 1 teacher didn't do games on Mon/Wed so collected after lunch so again not fair to pay all day.

This is only in my Circumstances and my Opinion

we are all different

so please try to find one that suits you and everyone will be happy.

As long as you are fair and respect the childminder and her family circumstances and the way she/he works I am sure it will work out OK

Good Luck

[CarrieG]

Thanks everyone, that's really helpful! Will ring round the list of names I've got tomorrow. Just wanted to check that wanting to go 'term-time only' wasn't going to be a massively outrageous faux pas.

Point taken about long break AuntyQuated - might try for a 'one day a week over summer hols' arrangement maybe.