To say something about this increase in fees

[flowerpot77]

Hey all, just wanted your opinion on whether you think I am being unreasonable for saying something to my DC's after school club... was told yesterday that they are increasing the fees from 6 pound a day to 8 effective september. I have 3 DC who use this service and have calculated that it will cost me an extra 30 pound a week, 120 a month. Money I cant really afford, would i be unreasonable to say something or is it a case of tough cheddar? (i thought she was gonna say its gone up to 650 or 7 quid...!)

it is a big jump in costs

would it be cheaper to employ a childminder?

Gosh that's a big jump, they should of staggered it a bit throughout the year,

That is a big jump.

When dd was in private nursery they did similar and we had to find alternate childcare as we just couldn't afford the extra.

That's really expensive. It's £20 a week for my dd.

I dont really know how much a childminder costs - maybe its something i need to look into. Thing is the kids enjoy it there, they have made friends from other schools and I feel confident (and less guilty) leaving them there while I work.. this is going to sound really dense but ive been trying to work out what percentage increase it actually is! anyone know?

Noqontrol - where abouts in the country are you if you dont mind me asking?

How many hours it it for?

Is it for

They walk them down from the school (school day ends at 315) and then I usually collect them at 5 but they can stay until 6.

Flowerpot it's a 33% increase or a one third increase ..... (2 extra £ on a starting point of 6)

How many more years or terms will you need all of em to be in the club? Is anyone moving schools soon so you may go down to just 2 in the club?

It might make a diff to your decision if it were for just one more year , or one more term.......

Percentage increase is 33.33%.

I am north west and out out of school club is a similar price iirc.

I use a childminder for wrap around care and it is way cheaper and a better environment IMO.

I does seem a huge rise (33% by my reckoning). I'm on the Management Committee of an After School Club and our annual rise was only something like 5%.
Is it a privately run club or, like my dd's one, a charity with parents on the Management Committee. If it's the later, it might be worth speaking to them. Good luck.

At dd's school it's ten pounds a day, that's from 2-6 or 3-6, but it's the same price if you collect them earlier. Unless they are just staying from 2-3, then it's £2.

Heck, that is a big rise. If only wages went up by a third each year eh ?

You've nothing to lose obviously by querying this (i.e. asking why such a big rise is necessary) and/or trying to negotiate something which is affordable. If you have three children there then potentially you're in quite a strong bargaining position as the club stands to lose a lot of business if your kids leave ... and I wonder how soon they'd fill the places at those prices.

My dd's is £4, I think the fact that you have 3 children using this service means you have the opportunity to ask for a discount.

You can get an inexperienced Nanny for £8 an hour, and that'd be for all three kids!

I hate being that one moany parent, but i feel like i should say something...

Im not actually sure who owns the nursery, its set with a large college in Kent... maybe worth looking into.

*within

Definitely worth looking at who owns the asc and if it is run as "not for profit" or otherwise. You may find that the club has been running at a loss or has been heavily subsidised because tbh (reading you are in Kent) £8 for an after school club still seems pretty cheap!

i know redskyatnight, which i guess was the reason i initially went for it. Its just finding the extra money. Can anyone recommend a CM in and around Gravesend who could help?

As a percentage it is a big increase but if they were only charging £6 before I think it was amazingly cheap. Ours is £12 a day.