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.

Actually, do they have any paperwork to do on school aged (after schoolers)?

cm did paperwork on dd and ds when she has him,both school aged.(dd sn hence the nappies)

Mine 5 and 7 (idn;t know about the 8 stuff altinkum,this thread is interesting)

Aww it is lovely when they have that bond isn't it :) which is why CM's are so invaluable and perhaps they should get more government assistance?

But your extra £3.60 per week, multiply that per hour over a full time working week and it soon mounts up more so when you factor in more than one child. Yes i would love to be able to pay NMW or more for childcare, but we will never be able to afford to do so.

Perhaps it should become mandatory for schools to provide wrap round care? (not staffed by teachers before I get pulled up on the hours teachers work!) especially with all this new "Family first" and "get everyone back to work" bollocks the government keep spouting.

What sort of paperwork?

only three on that list need doing regularly though.

Your policies should be set upon the time you sign the contract and should only be changed if there is a huge change in the household or a new regulation has come into force.

Medical forms and permissions are on an adhoc basis unless you care for a permanently poorly child, and then, a blanket consent can be put in place.

Much of the paperwork can be done once and left.

Policies are done as a one-off surely, as are contracts

As for the others...medical and medicine assesments rare or am i missing something

Don't forget the SEF. The SEF takes HOURS. Some childmminders do daily diaries too.

The whole minimum wage issue is irrelevant. Childminders are self employed - families hire their services: they don't employ them.

cross post hiding thanks i thought as much re regular paperwork

I pay £3.50 per hour for my childminder.

Hmm, I appear to have missed 6 pages when I posted that reply, apologies.

Carry on...

It's the learning diaries (or learning Journeys) that take the most time, along with planning.

I never saw any paperwork on mine, except for the initial policies and contract

oh and the bill

I pay 5...thought it was reasonable but then one of my dc's does nursery so thought that was the going rate....ds only does post school hours there.

MrsK, EYFS covers til the end of reception, the CM should be formally observing and assessing the child's progress from birth til then. After the end of reception there is no requirement to assess/observe.

littlepurple I find it hard to believe they do that for after schoolers who may be there 30 mins or 2 hrs

Much of the paperwork is done by the NCMA going by past CM's so again minimum effort on the minders part.

Also daily diaries. These always seem to peter out after 3 months with a new minder...

boysarelikedogs thanks...mine went in reception and year 1 so that explains it

OP, the answer is simple: if you resent paying a Cm then don't bloody do it. Get an au pair or nanny or nursery or stay at home.

Simple. there is no law saying you have to use a CM. take it or leave it.

in fact, NO ONE needs to use a CM. easy peasy and all that!

So do you all REALLY think£5 is too much to look after and nurture your child?To me this is the saddest thing?Surely a child is the most important thing to be looked after in your life??

I think most people even with tcs would struggle to pay a fiver per hour per child. It is a lot of money and I dont think its parents choosing not to pay it