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Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

Is my childminder overcharging me?

69 replies

Changeymcchange · 08/03/2014 12:13

Name changed for this, not sure whether my childminder is a mumsnetter.

I've used the came childminder for over 10 years, and a couple of things have bothered me recently, just thought I'd see what everyone else's opinions are and decide whether to tackle it.

Childminder is self employed, yet has 6 weeks a year of paid holiday. DH is self employed and doesn't get paid holiday. As far as I'm concerned this is in her contract so I've always paid it without question.

My childminder has my 2 children for 2 1/2 hours a day, 3 days a week (after school) she gives them an evening meal. So that's 15 hours a week. During school holidays she has them for 30 hours a week in total.

I don't actually know the hourly rate as my contract averages out the extra hours during the school holidays so I just pay the same rate every week.

All of her holidays are taken during the school holidays (2 weeks at Easter, 2 weeks in summer and 2 weeks over Xmas)

I pay just under £700 a month, does this seem reasonable?

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BloominNora · 08/03/2014 22:11

Those costs are horrendously high given you can't use her at all at Easter or Christmas and for 1/3 of the summer holidays.

I know costs vary hugely but round here three days a week of holiday club plus 3 days of after school club for 2 kids averages out at about £257 a month.

RandomMess · 08/03/2014 22:06

If things are really tight then you could ask for her to not implement her usual annual increase? Or could you ask for a term time only contract and use different childcare in the school holidays?

Original poster
Changeymcchange · 08/03/2014 22:04

Elethomel, don't take it personally, the main reason for me paying sick leave is because I'm too lazy to work out the deductions Blush

OP posts:
Original poster
Changeymcchange · 08/03/2014 22:01

Thanks to everyone for their contributions, in all honesty We're horribly skint, we're cutting back as much as we can on all our bills but the cost of childcare is our biggest monthly bill by far and when we're struggling to heat our house and feed and clothe our family it's hard to look at the cost of childcare objectively.

I'm pretty sure the childminders rates are reasonable, all of my friends use free childcare through their families but that's not available to us, so I shouldn't judge our outgoings by other peoples.

My only gripe is that the 6 weeks a year paid holiday is always during school holidays and it would seem that the bill is worked out at 39 weeks a year at 15 hours, and 13 weeks a year at 30 hours, If I wanted to split hairs I should ask the childminder to work our bill out so that the holiday rate is an average of the 52 weeks and not an average of the 13 weeks at the much higher holiday rate. I don't think it's worth upsetting an otherwise great relationship over a few quid but DH thinks otherwise. I couldn't imagine sending the DC to any other childminder as she's so fantastic for putting up with DS

OP posts:
Eletheomel · 08/03/2014 21:43

change I didn't realise I was such a bad employer for not paying sick leave Shock

I'm surprised my CM hasn't released herself from the chains of my employment before now...

HSMMaCM · 08/03/2014 21:30

The rate sounds fine. If she didn't charge holidays, she might charge a higher rate, so the annual amount would probably be the same.

TheScience · 08/03/2014 21:26

OK, in that case just over £4 per child per hour sounds fine.

However, the holidays sound unreasonable to me, but you agreed to them.

Original poster
Changeymcchange · 08/03/2014 21:17

And I've always paid my childminders sick days as any good employer should, even though they're in the contract as being unpaid, firstly because there have been so few sick days (at a guess, less than 20 in the last 10 years) and secondly because I respect that sometimes people are unavoidably ill.

OP posts:
Original poster
Changeymcchange · 08/03/2014 21:13

Apologies for not coming back to this sooner.

The total hours during the school holidays is 30, so 15 hours per child.

DS started school in September, so I'm hoping the bill comes down a fair bit by then as the averages are worked out from April to April.

Both me and the DC love the childminder, she's really good with them, there have been one or two issues over the years but that's to be expected over such a long term relationship, I just wanted to gauge the opinion of other mumsnetters before I decided whether I was paying over the odds. I don't want to risk upsetting an otherwise great relationship by complaining about the cost if the general opinion is that it's a fair price.

OP posts:
Eletheomel · 08/03/2014 19:42

I pay 3.50 an hour (for one child) with snacks (and trips to cafe's, ouytings etc,) but no meals.

I pay a variable rate though, it's not 'averaged out' over the year.

And I don't pay for holidays or sick leave (CM has 6 weeks usually, but last year 7 weeks and maybe 7 this year) but if you agreed to the paid holidays (maybe you thought that was the norm at the time? Or you needed childcare fast and so you agreed to her terms?) you're stuck with them, unless you change CM.

If she's been looking after your kids for 10 years though, you must rate her as a CM, so maybe you don't mind paying a wee bit more for the quality of care she provides?

OutragedFromLeeds · 08/03/2014 14:09

Well I'm assuming, the OP is using the same system as for term time, so 30 hours is total, 15 hours per child (i.e. double what it is in term time). Obviously we need the OP to confirm that though.

NickNacks · 08/03/2014 14:08

Well th op says in total so I would assume it's 30 hours in total.

Quinteszilla · 08/03/2014 14:08

Yes, that is exactly what I will do.
I will buy you lot a round!

Quinteszilla · 08/03/2014 14:07

I am just confused.

I should go and get myself a chocolate cream cooler in Starbucks. Grin

Quinteszilla · 08/03/2014 14:07

But what about the 30 hours? Are these for both children put together in the same way, or should that be 60 hours? Confused

OutragedFromLeeds · 08/03/2014 14:06

I wasn't shouting, I was exclaiming. Those are exclamation marks, not shout marks Grin

OutragedFromLeeds · 08/03/2014 14:05

Childminders are paid per child, per hour. The OP is paying her to work 7.5 hours looking after child A and 7.5 hours looking after child B, a total of 15 hours.

If you divide the total by 2, you can very easily find the cost per child (unless she is randomly charging more for one child than the other, but there is no indication of that in the OP).

Quinteszilla · 08/03/2014 14:03

No reason to shout at me, Outraged.

Quinteszilla · 08/03/2014 14:01

But she is not doing 15 hours, she is doing 7.5 with two children.
We cant find the rate per hour per child, or indeed the rater per hour for two children if we mix it together.

But we need the OP to clarify how she is thinking it, as we dont know if she is adding together the holidays to 30 hours per child, or for both children.

OutragedFromLeeds · 08/03/2014 14:01

7.5 x 2=15 Quint RTT !! Confused

IDontDoIroning · 08/03/2014 13:53

2.5x3x2= 15

Quinteszilla · 08/03/2014 13:51

It is not 15 hours, it is 7.5. The children are there 3 times per week, for 2.5 hours

IDontDoIroning · 08/03/2014 13:49

15x39 (basic hours) =585
13 less 6 =(available school holidays) 7 x30 =210
6 weeks holiday at 15 (her holiday at basic hours) = 90
885 hours per year
700x12= 8400
8400/885 = £9.49 per hour (for 2 children)

HappyMummyOfOne · 08/03/2014 13:29

Self employed people usually build into their rates to cover for holidays, sickness etc. Theres no way I would pay somebody for six weeks for no work in return, lack of paid holidays is one of the down sides to self employment.

It sounds very expensive but depends on the area. Our after school club charges £6.50 for three hours after school care with a sandwich, juice and fruit.

ThatBloodyWoman · 08/03/2014 13:28

I was paying nearly that 5 years ago with no meals.