Pay for childminders

I am a childminder and I charge £2.60 per hour which is the going rate round here. Remember if you have 2 kids at the same time that's £5 per hour. I do it because it fits in with my kids (I am here to take to and pick up from school and here in the holidays)and I would not be able to get a job anywhere round here that would allow me to do this, so you do something you enjoy which also gives you a bit of extra cash, if you really need more than that you need to get a 'proper' job and then find childcare for your own kids. My parents (especially the mums) do not earn a lot of money in their jobs (about £5.60 per hour) and they pay me £2.60 per hour so they are also working for only £3.00 per hour so I would not dream of charging them anymore.
I know some parents earn a lot of money but you can not charge one parent a higher rate because they earn more can you?
My parents provide nappies etc, I provide snacks and drinks and I also charge 75p-£1 if they require me to provide a cooked meal.
I love being a childminder but I agree with you we are not paid well, but we all knew that before we started it didn't we?

I agree KM and RTKM. We are paid a pittance and expected to be Mary Poppins. The parents think we do it because we love all of their children so much, not because we need to earn a living....

I really don't know why parents think it is fair to pay so little for someone else to look after their most precious part of their family

And then spend money {twice as much} to a cleaner/gardener/etc

I don't do it for the money

Well obviously unless you charge more you can't possibly be doing CM for the money can you?

I do it because I love looking after children and teaching them

It makes me feel quite when I hear of CM just being paid £2 per hour

I think that is really taking the mick

My hairdresser only paid £1.75 per hour to his.

This is an important job so why not pay more?

So as long as it somebody else that earns under the min wage that's OK......

BTW my Hrly wage (after expenses) this year will be £3.04 - and I regularily have 4-6 children.

I want the minimum wage.....

But

Would they agree to be paid such a low amount for their work?

Of course not

So why do they think it is ok to pay for someone to look after their child as a job and to only be paid half the minimum wage?

I don't really see how they see it as being fair

If you have 2 children, and pay more than £3 per hr each - then if you earn the minimum wage you loose £1.15 an hr.

But if you are on a salary paying a reasonable wage then your c/mer should get a decent amount....but then there would be 2 (or more) classes of childminder one to ordinary workers(ie you or me) and one for proffessionals......

But 'most' parents want to pay as little as possible

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I don't know why

I can understand if CM have lots of mindees cos then they are all added together but when only 1 or 2

Why agree to be paid approx half the minimum wage per hour

Why think it is ok to pay so little?

We are told because of their wages are so low but don't understand how it is then worth it

girly girl

I am a childminder and charge more but I only have one mindee because that is what I want to do

I think it is scanderlous that cm are paid less than cleaners or gardeners or window cleaners

It is like we are not worth as much.

So totally agree with you

Girlygirl, I think round here that a childminder rate is pretty much the same as it would cost to send them to a nursery if you worked out the hourly rate there. I childminded for a while, but have to say I found it completely exhausting! I liked the idea of not having to worry about paying for childcare for my dd by working from home and having her with me. But in reality I didn't get to give her much attention as the other baby I was minding was quite demanding, and as a result I felt awful and that I was neglecting my dd. So I jacked it in. I'm not trying to put you off, but it is very hard work.

But then you'd have 2 pay 4 childcare if U have yr own child... most cms have their own child(dren) 2 look after, 2. It's completely flexible, u choose yr hours & holiday (&clients, too). My cm is worth more than £2.50/hr per child, but I dont earn that much more myself.

Where I live the going rate is £3 per hour, and thats what I pay my childminder. I provide nappies and wipes, she provides food and pays for playgroup sessions.

I charge £3 an hour and I'm considering putting it up. Although I am quite expensive in the area, I remind parents that (to some extent) they get what they pay for......

Don't woory about offending people...I think that's what Mumsnet is for...sometimes

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funny thing is MI at the same time as I was childminding, DS was going to a childminder one day a week .. his cost me £25

Hi

I get no help with chilcare (i have 3 sons under 3)

I pay my friend £200 per month, I supply all food for the boys, snacks, nappies, wipes sweets etc.

they are unabke to work for medical reasons so welcome the extra cash

If it wasn't for them i would not be able to work as unable to afford a childminders fee.

When I work a sat and sunday only I found only 1 childminder to take on the boys as it was weekend I earned £120 per weekend, childcare would be £100

Surprisingly I never used the childminder

Agree, but that also depends on the going rate. I would find it difficult to pay £100 a day, and would therefore look for another childminder who charged less.

If there wasn't one, of course, I'd have to stump that up [shudder at thought of £400 a week]

you set your own pay though

I took one baby, for one day for 10 hours (8 till 6) and charged £50 so that's £5 an hour

people pay what you think you're worth, or they don't

No offence at all here, definitely. I completely see your point. It's a vicious circle, paying for childcare - £30 a day times two is a fair bit per week for us, but I know my childminder isn't exactly rolling in it (and she does take several kids, but then she's been in the business for about 20 years!).

Hi I live in london and charge £4ph. All 3 of my parents pay it although I also give a £1 discount for the 2nd child

I don't think you have offended anyone girlygirl. I understand what you are saying in that to charge less than the minimum wage per child you would need to make sure that you had enough children to look after to earn a living from. IYKWIM

Don't be daft.