Childminders: Do you charge when your mindie is at Pre-school

[Diddle]

If you take and collect a mindie from playgroup do you charge for the time they are there??

I have a new child starting playgroup and wasn't sure what the right thing to do was. Is there any rule or is it upto me?

I think most minders would charge something (full fee or half fee), but it is totally up to the individual childminder. If a parent is making use of their funded nursery sessions (and therefore not paying out of their own pockets), I would probably charge full fee.

My children have on odd accasions been taken to and collected from playgroup by my childminder and she never charged me for the time they were there. I am not sure what the arrangement was if the child was taken ill while at playgroup - it never happened - but I take it that is what you are thinking of: paying them a small fee for being available in case.

I've never actually had to do the dropping-off and the picking up (in 12 years of minding!), but have had to do at least one of them (ie. the drop or collect). If the parents want responsibility for the child whilst the child is at playgroup (eg. will have child if they're unwell, collect them if they've become ill), then I don't charge anything because I can let that morning or afternoon be used by someone else.

If I am to have responsibility for the child (even though they're not directly in my care), which would prevent me from having another mindee at that time, then I would charge something.

If I do a one-off or occasional playgroup/nursery run for someone, then I wouldn't charge.

Diddle, as you are self-employed the decision is yours.

Lonelymum - Childminders can't usually pick up children who are sick because of the risk to other children in their care. And if the childminder gets sick lots of parents are stuck with looking for substitute childcare or time off work!

The reason many childminders charge is because the child at preschool will usually need the place when preschool is closed, and its impossible to fill the slot with another child.

If I take to & collect from preschool then I charge full fees and the space is available when preschool is closed.

If parent takes child to preschool & doesn't want the space when preschool is closed then I charge from when preschool closes as this enables me to offer a morning session to another child.