I'm just doing my December invoices. I'm an after school CM. School finishes on Fri 17th at 1.30.

[kroff]

Is that technically a work day for me as I fetch mindees at 3.30 ? I am availeble to work. Mums might fetch their own DC at 1.30. I can't think if it's a work day for me or not.

Thanks

do you want to work it?

I don't mind working it, it's a normal day to me. Won't all cm's be working on that day ?

You are organised, I have not done Novembers as yet. I deal with three families.

Do you find that the parents let you know what their plans are in advance or at the last minute?

I will give a little reminder of the early finish. The Infants finish a different time to the juniors as on different sites.

Are you prepared to collect them at 1.30pm if so charge (plus a bit of overtime for the extra 2 hours for those you do collect.

If mine finished early then I'd still work (if needed) but charge the extra hours. If the parents didn't need/want me to collect early then I'd charge my usual after school rate as that's the contracted hours and I'm available to work. If I couldn't/wouldn't pick them up at 1.30pm then I'd say I'm available from the usual pick up time and they'd need to be brought to me (but I WOULD work so that wouldn't be a problem)

HTH :)

Yes I'm prepared to collect them at 1.30 but will probably be asked to do that (or not) about a week beforehand.

What I want to know is do I assume that that Friday is a working day for me seeing that school closes at 1.30 but I don't start work till 3.30.

I send out my invoices in the middle of the month, to be paid one month in advance on the first day of the month.

Mumtobless - do you not charge in advance then?

Thank you. Another question.

I usually have them till 6pm. If parents want me to pick at 1.30 and keep them ..say till 5pm, do I still charge the hour from 5 till 6 ?

Normally I of course would but does the fact that school closes at 1.30 not 3.30 make a difference. You see I just can't work out in my head if it's a working day for me or not.

If it's not then I can't charge for that hour and if it is then I can. IYSWIM

Didn't realise you START work at that time. If you're happy to start earlier then I'd tell parents now that you need to know whether or not you are required that day as the pick up is earlier, that you need to know NOW whether or not you are starting work early that day as you have no mindees until after school.

If they say yes they want you, I'd charge the extra 2 hours on top of the normal contracted hours (if they pick up at 5 you dont' change anything as you are available to work - look at it this way, if you had one family wanting to finish early and another not, then you're officially working until 6pm. If all wanted to leave early, I might have said ok, I'll only charge 1 hour extra as I'm getting an early finish - does that make sense). If they don't want you, I'd just charge the standard after school fee.

At the end of the day, it's up to you what you do unless anything specific is in the contract.

I would do what looney said - Charge as a normal day + 2 hrs extra for early pickup. (It's a normal day for me, because I am working full time up til Christmas Eve)

I do not charge in advance looneytune.

I will do the November invoice just before the end of the month. I also have to take into consideration if a child does not come to me for any particular reason ie sick or on hols. I charge half fee. One of my mindee is off this week therefore I will charge half fee. I find this works well.

Hi, I would include your usual charge from 3.30 until 6 and say as school finishes earlier you are willing to pick up at 1.30 for a charge of £x but that you must be told by x date.

You are available to work from 3.30 until 6 and it is part of your usually contracted hours. If the parents don't want to use you that is up to them, but they should still pay.

My childminder charges until 6 - sometimes I pick up as early as 5, sometimes closer to 6 but I always pay until 6 because that was what we agreed and she is available to work.

Similarly if I decide not to use her (for example I finish work early and am able to pick my DCs up from school) I would always still pay her. Anything else would be very unfair to her as she has to plan her income.

Thank you all for your advice.

Sunshine, I wish all the parents were like you. You're spot on !

I would check with them, don't assume they are picking up their children at 1.30 from school.
Where I CM, the school shuts at 3.30pm,a nd the workplace where the mum works is closing at 1.30 too and that's it till New Year for her,, and the dad is off that day, and I assumed that they would be picking up the children then (1.30) and then I'm off till 4th January, but no, it seems I was wrong to assume, as the mum isn't picking them up till 5pm