Childminders Club: Contracts for School Holiday Care.......

[HellyBelly]

Morning

As most of you know, I am fairly new to all this and am starting to learn from my mistakes. Actually, mumsnet has been great so my mistakes are only little ones and I can review contracts in 6 months anyway (put this thanks to mumsnet).

ANYWAY.....I took on 2 brothers last month, the 19 month old is 2 days a week all year round and the 5½ yr old is the same 2 days but just for the school holidays.

The mum asked me yesterday to up these to 3 days a week. I'm preparing new contracts and just wanted some advice re: the school holiday care. I want to be able to budget the extra school hols money and at the moment, my contracts just have 'school holiday care' in the extra box. Do parents always know what weeks the holidays are in advance therefore be able to let these dates be written into the contract? OR, do they only find out a little bit before they come up?

Do any of you have children for JUST the school hols (i.e no school run)? If so, how have you done your contract?

ANY HELP WOULD BE GREAT AS USUAL!

ThI haven't done holiday only but I've done term-time only and I put in the contract that the dates refer to the dates my local primary school is open. I state the name of the school in the contract.

Or you might want to get your own list of dates from the school secretary or website and attach that to the contract.

I also state whether the place is available on staff training days (if you look after children from different schools you might end up double booked) and on occasions when the school is unexpectedly closed (snow, boiler breakdowns etc).

Brilliant idea - will put the name of the school and state that care is required for all holidays at that school.

Not quite so sure about staff training days and school closures? If staff training days are planned in advance then that should be no problem but last min closures would really depend on my holidays, planned activities etc. My other concern is that IF I got a school run one day and that only wanted me term time then my numbers would be fine UNTIL I was needed for these extra possible staff training and closure days IYSWIM. Anyone have this situation?

Any advice?

Funny how one question leads to another!!

I would suggest you put in the contract that care is not available on school closure days but tell the parent they might be able to book this as an "extra" day depending on the circumstances that day.