to think £5 an hour for a childminder in the suburbs is a bit steep?

[HidinginaHardHat]

We were interviewing several childminders today and the average price was around £5 per hour, i'm more used to paying around £3 an hour.

I appreciate they have to earn a living like the rest of us but when their hourly rate is nearly the same as mine is that really fair?

I probably am BU really aren't I.

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

£3 per hour?? For someone to take total care of your child? That's less than the minimum wage.

[milkybarkidsgirlfriend]

I think that Realy good, my friend pays £6!!! She only has a choice of one however!

[Punkatheart]

£3 an hour? Of course you are joking - as that is below minimum wage. Do you mean babysitting?

[foreverondiet]

Well they can look after 3 children at once, so multiply by 3...

Wouldn't expect to pay a nanny more than £9-£12 an hour so yes £5 for a childminder does seem steep.

[HidinginaHardHat]

£3 per hour per child which when the childminder can have up to 6 mindees in their care soon adds up to far more than the NMW!

Childminders can start from as little as £2.50ph in the area I used to live (newly registered ones)

[microfight]

£3.00 an hour
They can only have 2 or 3 toddlers total can't they? and don't they provide food and nappies?

[MrsKravitz]

That sounds reasonable. £6 here and I am up north. Mine used to get £14 for 4-5.30pm

[TidyDancer]

I think £3 is way too low tbh. So yes, YABU.

[GypsyMoth]

You expect to pay less for childcare? I dont get that, I really don't.

[HidinginaHardHat]

microfight i've never known one to provide nappies, some provide food, but never nappies and never formula.

[LordOfTheFlies]

See that HardHat you're hiding in? Buckle it up real good I think you might get a load of CMs on her baying for blood.

No idea what CMs charge, mine went to nursery and the cost for 2 (with sibling and NHS worker discount )was more than my mortgage.
Thank gawd those days are over.

[PippiLongBottom]

My childminder is £3 ph. That is the going rate round here. That includes meals, snacks, and all outings.

[HidinginaHardHat]

ILoveTIFFANY yes I do when my wage is not much higher :) and we're not eligable for tax credits.

[Shakirasma]

£3 per hour for me too. Well above minimum wage when they have more than 1 child. During the school holidays my childminder has 7 kids for some tim during the day.

Not a bad earner at all if you can fill up to capacity. I certainly couldn't afford to pay £5 per hour, I'm on minimum waye myself!

[HidinginaHardHat]

lordoftheflies :o I love a controversial thread I do.

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

Wow, it doesn't really matter what others are paying them tbh. I can't think of any other service that you get for £3 per hour, let alone the care of your children. A plumber costs about 10x that.

Not having a go, I genuinely didn't realise that childminders were so cheap. DD goes to nursery which is a whole other ballgame.

[Bearcrumble]

Round here (SE London) they all charge £6 an hour (for babies and toddlers so they can't have more than 3 at a time).

[Nixea]

£3.50 an hour around here, or £3 if they're newly qualified. Midlands-ish.

[GypsyMoth]

So you expect a cm to cut their rates to suit each parents salary then?

If you aren't getting tax credits why? Earn too much?

Yet scrimping over your child's care?

[nervatious]

They can't have 6 all day, only 3 who are under school age - the rest would be for only before and after school, maybe 3 hours each. Also if they have their own kids these take up a space so they earn less. A quality childminder who wants to provide outstanding service has loads of overheads too - you can't look at what you pay as a wage because the childminder will put a percentage of that into the business.
If you want to pay £2.50 per hour you have to ask yourself how much is the childminder able to spend on improving the service, expenses, resources etc. Especially newly registered ones - they need to do this more than established ones. For £3 per hour expect a lots of telly watching and not much craft work, reading books, playing with toys or going out and about as all these cost money - which if you pay the going rate, the childminder will be able to do as a matter of course. YABU.

[HidinginaHardHat]

ILoveTIFFANY no, but to be more affordable £5ph per child they can have 3 full time and then several more during the school run time (8-9 and 3-6) is a bloody fortune imo.

When taken into account both salaries, yes, we are on the line for tax credits, literally by a couple of pounds. We are, however, having to spend what feels like the income of a small nation on rail fares, but thats a whole other moan!

I'm not 'scrimping' i'm simply shocked that the price difference is so huge when other, far more experienced CM's charge far less, and it seems Nannys aren't far off in price!

[Andrewofgg]

YABU. They will charge what the market will bear. Wouldn't you?

[nervatious]

Plumbers round here are £60 per hour, and no-one complains that they don't have the right to earn more per hour than others... childcare is the most important job in the world! surely?!!

[Shakirasma]

I can assure you that my £3 per hour childminder provides an excellent level of care for my son. They are out at groups every day and he has no shortage or craft activities etc whatsoever.

That is the going rate round here. There a several childminders serve this area and they all charge the same. I couldn't pay more for one if I wanted to!

So I think the op asked a very sensible question assuming she comes from a similar area to me