Childminders Club - Late Fees??? What do you put?

[HellyBelly]

Hi again

So far I have drawn up 4 contracts since childminding and I haven't put anything about being late on any of them as I'm a softie like that. Anyway, 3 of my contracts are about to be renewed (they want me to work more days) and I've decided to be a bit tougher as some of them have taken the mick so far so I want something in my contract to cover me. One thing I want to put is a charge for lateness. I may decide not to charge if it actually happens (depends on circumstances, how late etc).

I was shocked to hear that some nurseries charge £20 for every £15 mins they are late . I don't want to ask for huge figures like this but would like to find out what you childminders do about lateness????

Any idea's on how to word it etc?

Thanks

deffo charge for lateness will look it up what it says.

One family I had drove me up the wall always being late. Overtime starts at 4.15pm which was 35 mins after they finished work IIRC and it was a 5 - 10 mins drive

It was a year ago so can't remember exactly.

But was either double time or 1.5 time

IMHO it is very very rude

Esp. when there are no public transport or traffic jams between their place of work and you.

You know i am quite tough about this from the start now because from when i was getting mucked around the next time i slapped it on i was told that they were not going to pay because i didnt charge it from the start. I got the money. Since i started doing it they have not been late.

I charge £5 for late payments but £10.00 per 15 minutes.

I would advise to start as you mean to go on and not offer and once off forget it.

I say

Late payments will be charged 5.00

Persistant lateness without prior knowledge/agreement will incur a penalty charge of 10.00 per quarter hour.

Great!

By the way, something I should have asked is what about early drop off? During the hols, one of the mums has dropped her 2 off 20 mins early a few times. She always says she'll be early picking up and she is, but I've sometimes been chucking breakfast down my neck and it ruins my nice cup of tea I was enjoying before the rush!! IF this continued once they are back at school, it would annoy me. Do any of you have a problem like this? Have you put anything in contracts about arriving early??

Jellyjelly - thanks for added info about late payments - I've had this too!! Do you state £5 in total for lateness or £5 for every so many days late??

I would start the contract from when she has been arriving and to when she is at the latest. I quite often dont get breakfast or finish lunch when they arrive. I say to parents that wouldt they like to pay the extra 15 mins if they dont know what time they will be back rather than paying the late payments fee. They take the 15 mins.

My forms say 5.00 but i may change it to every day when it comes to review.

I'm clear on the lateness thing. One of mine reckons she'll be here for 5pm but I'll say if she thinks she could be over, it would be better for her to pay the extra 15 mins or so instead of a late fee (as you rightly put jelly!)

I'm still unclear on the arriving early though. I think it's just because she hasn't had school run for older one in the mornings I've had them so far (due to hols) so come next week, it may well end up being the hours she has in the contract. She used to be a childminder and has actually told me to toughen up with her friend who also uses me so I reckon I could have a little casual chat with her and she what we can work out!

Any others who have late PAYMENT fees? What should I put????

On my contracts I have put that I will charge £5 per day for late payments. I have never had to apply it yet though cos I invoice them in plenty of time and write on the bottom of it the date it is due by so they do not have any excuses for being late with payment.
As for being late picking mindees up I have never had to apply this either (I state a charge of £5 for picking up late + hourly charge or part of for how much time they are late), the only time my parents have been late picking up is when they have arranged it in advance, same with arriving early, only ever happened by prior arrangment.

I tend to have a "setting in" period when a child first starts with me. We may have agreed verbally on the drop-off/collection times, but this two weeks can show up if we've got it right. If a parent is always collecting earlier/later (they might have underestimated the time it would take to drive across town?)), then I can suggest putting a different time in the contract.

I do have it written in the contract that late collection, unless previously agreed (which would be at the standard rate), will be something like £5.00 for up to half an hour.

However, there is a world of difference between a parent who is habitually late because they've popped into the supermarket, chatted late to a friend etc., and a parent who has had some kind of work emergency, or an occasional unavoidable delay.

I do have parents who work in professions where there may be an work emergency, and it would be nigh on impossible to ring me to say until much later.

If you have parents mucking you about, put it in a contract and charge them, or even suggest an early revision to the contract. If you have parents who do not deliberately cause you grief, I would still write it in the contract but you can choose not to charge the extra money. I would still make them pay for the extra time though (at the usual rate).

Being early to drop-off - again, if it is an occasional indiscretion, I would charge the usual rate, make a joke about charging them double time so they know that they're a bit early, but let it go. If they are always late, I would change the contract.

Phew, that was a long one, and I am supposed to be getting ready to go out for dinner!

I charge £25 for late payments - there is a space for it on the NCMA contracts

don't open the door until 8am

It is mega inconvienient if they arrive Early in morning

They wait in car until 8am

Charge overtime if they come early as well.

It says before 8am or after 4.15 overtime charges will be payable IYSWIM

Great feedback as usual!!

I will put in the contracts what I decide but I will use my own judgement and decide whether or not I actually charge (if I decide not to then that can only look good can't it, having nothing in the contract and then insisting on more would make me look bad iyswim)

These have all had their settling in periods - just a couple of parents situations have changed so drawing up new contracts for the extra days.

Feelingold - are yours pay monthly contracts? just wondered as these are currently weekly so I'm trying to work out when I could invoice them in advance? Maybe I'll change these ones to monthly too?!

Theprisoner - hope you're having a lovely meal! I've just had a tarot reading and am ready for a nice drink and chill out (just got to change tv channel as dh has it on some really boring!!! )

Thanks again everyone!

bump for feelingold

Hi HellyBelly

I have one mum who pays me weekly in arrears cos she gets paid weekly and works different hours each week so we both find this easier. I give her the invoice on a friday morning and she pays me when she picks up later that day.
My other parents pay me monthly, 2 in advance cos they have set hours and I invoice them on the first monday of the month and expect payment by the friday of that week. Other 2 pay monthly in arrears cos one is a doctor and the other is a senior radiographer at local hospital and their hours can vary so I invoice them on the Monday of the last week of the month and expect payment by friday of that week.
Sorry, all sounds a bit complicated doesn't it but cos my mums have such varied jobs and hours I find it too complicated to work out them all paying me in advance, but never been paid late yet and if they started to mess me about over payment then I would think about changing things.

Hope this helps.

Late Payments - £5 per child per day PLUS any expenses I incur as a result of late payment.

Late Collections - £2.50 per 15 mins before 6pm/£5 per 15 mins afer 6pm, £45 fee at 9pm.

Arriving Early - double time

I usually waive fees for "first offences" if people are usually prompt.

Had one lady kept arriving 10 mins early, so I kept her waiting at the door (& in the rain too). When I spoke to her about it (I suggested we bring start time 15 mins earlier & told her cost) she said the existing contract was fine & arrived at agreed time after that.

Thanks feelingold, that's just what I needed! I have some weekly and some monthly so I think I'll do it like you! Hope you don't mind me copying

Thanks everyone for all your help!! I feel much more confident about these things knowing what other childminders do. Good old mumsnet!

Fro a mothers point of veiw (one who has a cm) I find you all are quite harsh!! Late payment equates to a fine - no problems, but 10 mins early once or twice!! In the holidays I am paying my cm from 9 - 6, but I have to arrive at work at 9,so they are always dropped off 15 mins early. However I often pick them up 15 mins early, and yesterday even though we'd paid I played hooky and took them to the beach

Surely it is a bit of give and take? Or am I just lucky to have a cm who is flexible?

I'm probably as flexible as they come but have never had a job that is so physically and mentally demanding as this this one and my alarm clock is set to allow me exactly enough time to wake, make a cup of tea, shower, dress, get ds up and washed and dressed, feed myself, ds and dog, and a quick check of playroom and children's area before my first mindee arrives. A 15minute early arrival is not a problem if it is scheduled and I will accommodate most requests but if unannounced it does throw me out a bit and can seem like an intrusion.

If my 7.30 arrived 15mins early - I might cry

The door would be locked

And if my 6pm pick up was late......without warning - I would cry

10.5 hrs is plenty

Don't get me wrong evenif I am early it is NOT early - eg 8.45, we are never the first

However are mums really always taking teh p??

But if my 1pm pick up was 15 mins late - I'd have to tell my 1pm start that she couldn't leave to go to work.....

My 9.15 tried to drop off at 8.55 - I wasn't there I was on the school run and arrived at 9.13....they didn't do that twice

Crunchie - being occasionally early isn't a major problem, unless it happens to be the first child of the day! I calculate to the nearest nano-second how late I can stay in bed but still have time to get dressed, vacuum downstairs, have breakfast, tidy-up anything not done night before ... those early ten minutes could mean seeing me in all my glory from the upstairs bedroom window and the house in complete darkness!

I don't charge for late payment - but know minders who do. Believe me, when you have parents who end up not paying for work done and owe their minders a mint of money, and then do a runner, you soon get wise to it and end up penalising all other parents to ensure you don't get messed around.

Also, as you are supposed to be at work at 9am, I'm a bit surprised that your minder hasn't done a contract for a starting time of 8.45am, especially as she is responsible for them at time.

And, just to be really contentious - if I was contracted to do 9-6, then that's what I would expect to be paid for. If you arrive 15 minutes early to collect, I still expect to be paid till 6pm. If you arrive 15 minutes early to drop off, I would charge you for those 15 minutes. I don't do contracts that state "I will mind for 9 hours per day and you can turn up whenever you want." (... need another minder here to put this into better words please!!)

I am struggling to put this into words that don't sound harsh - I offer (I hope) a very friendly, home-from-home childcaring service, and I don't want to come across as too business-like, but the fact is that I am running a business. The parents I mind for have become close friends, and I dearly love their children, but it is still a business. I will always be flexible, I do not always charge for occasional unexpected early starts or late collections, but I also don't want to be taken advantage of (and I don't mean you Crunchie!!)

I do understand and infact chatted to my cm about it, having read this thread earlier I apoligised to her for coming early a couple of times. She told me not to be so daft!!
The thing is that it is a bit adhoc as in the holidays she has only done 2 or 3 days a week for me, and maybe one of those I have dropped off early!! I feel really guilty now!!

She is lovely and I am always saying she is too cheap (she is the cheapest in teh village!) and that she needs to charge more £2.50 a day for 1st child, £1.40 for 2nd child (HOW CHEAP!) she also does meals at about £1.25 a dinner. She also takes them out and buys them things!!! I get so cross and offer money. Or give her some if I know they are going to the zoo or beach (just a £1 each or something 'in case')
I thinkI am really lucky to have found her, some of her kids have been there for 7 or 8 years!!

I too have no problem with mindees being dropped off early or picked up late as long as I know, it only takes a phone call or text message to arrange. I am afraid I am like most of the others, I allow myself just the right amount of time to get ready in a morning and arriving early means I would still be in my dressing gown (I get up at 6.30 and first mindee arrives at 7.45). Believe me if they arrived early and caught me without my hair tied back and without my make up on the poor kid would be scared half to death .
I am flexible but will not be taken advantage of.

But it is very very inconvieient if someone arrives on your doorstep 15 mins early

Imagine if the childminder arrived 15 mins early at your house to collect the mindee

How ready would you be?

What about if your boss arrived at your house for a meeting that you were expecting to start at 8.00 but he arrived at 7.45

And you had your own children to get ready for school etc.

As well as running a business we have families as well

My business hours are 8 until 4.15.

everyone is happy with that

Flexiblity goes both ways and so does politeness and consideration IMHO