Need help with childcare

[Nik122]

AIBU To ask someone to please explain their childcare situation, preferably with a childminder. I am going back to work after 7 years and I'm having to get a childminder. I just want to make sure I know what to ask and what is the correct way for things to be done. Such as the average pay? Holidays? Do I pay for Christmas? I'm just not sure. I'm already bummed as it is, as majority of my wage will go on childcare, but I need this job for my sanity. Please someone help!!!

We had a childminder. A lovely lady, who looked after my DC for a total of 14 years between DD1 starting there and DD2 finishing primary.

They were well established and had all the above info when we asked. We paid by the child, per hour. No meals included but snacks were. When the CM took holidays she had it worked into her h6ourly rate and we didn't pay extra. I'm a teacher and the biggest pain for me was having to pay for all the weeks I was on holiday. She charged a retainer rate (50% which later rose to 75%) to keep the place, but we could at any time have paid the rest and used the place.

I liked the home environment and main carer aspect of a child minder rather than a nursery.

First things to know child minders are self employed, they will dictate fees not you.
Same goes with holidays. They will structure what they they charge you for, they may require payment for holidays, they may not.
Childminders differ so it’s aorth visiting a few.
I charge £6.50p/h which inc all food, I am open 8-6 Monday-Friday. I take holiday at Christmas and for 15 other days of the year, I charge for these. My friend is open 9-5, she charges £75 per day and doesn’t provide food. She also doesn’t charge for when they are not open.
As I say visit a few!

Thanks for the replies. Visiting a few is not an option. I live in a small town, granted their are a few childminders but thus are all all up apart from this one. So far we have discussed how much an hour we pay her and she has said it is half that for holidays. I just wasn't sure if Christmas was included, becuae obviously she won't be working regardless on this day. Iv really not a clue though. If only I wasn't with my husband, and I didn't work .. I could get free childcare in a nursery, but that's a different story. This childminder is my only option for childcare, just unsure on what questions I should, if any, be asking.

Ask her if she's got a holidays policy or it should be laid out in her contract.

I have a term time only childminder. She charges by the hour but doesn't provide food only snacks and toast. We don't pay for holiday time or if she choses to close. We pay if the child is ill or we choose not to send her in etc.......

Ask about fees, holidays, routines etc....... also I went on gut feel a lot. I had a really good feeling about her and little one absolutely loves it.

My childminder is fantastic. £4 per hour, in the South East, which includes all meals and milk. I supply nappies and wipes. When she takes holiday don't pay, when we go on holiday we pay £2 per hour, based on the average of how much she's had him in the previous pay period. She's flexible in that she has him two fixed days per week and one day that alternates every week. (I've told her that if this prevents her taking on another child to let me know and I'll change things my end). She invoices every 4 weeks. I want her to move in with me and look after me