Are childminders likely to accept term-time only places?

[birdofthenorth]

Like it says above really! I need someone to look after my 12 mo old DD from September but don't want to pay 52 weeks a year as I work term-time only. Does anyone have this arrangement? Thanks!

The 4 chldren I have at the moment are term time only on their contracts,
this is because the parents dont want to pay 52 weeks per year and prefer to cover most of the school holidays with their annual leave.

Most cms will take a rerm time only contract no problem.

You will probably need to pay a retainer fee for non term time to keep your place open. Normally 50% of your fees. So if your normal term time fee is £100 a week you will need to pay £50 during non term time to keep your place open.

Or the other option a cm may do is charge a higher rate during the term time. So instead of £100 a week you may pay £120 a week, but then nothing during non term time.

This is standard and you will find most cms do this.

I do term time only and holiday only, with no retainers. Just depends what space the CM is trying to fill.

It will depend on the CM. I am happy to take on term time onlys but I do charge 50% of the fee in the holidays.

I have TT only and Holiday only mindees. If I struggled to get the extra work in the holidays then I'd charge a retainer during that time but luckily I can get holiday only mindees so I don't charge a retainer.

I do term-time only with no retainer, but I'm able to do this as I have an evening and weekend job on top of Childminding and this plugs the gaps in pay!

I've never offered holiday care as my own children need me

I do all year care as I focus on non school going children, and have no kids of my own, so have no reason to adhere to school holidays. I have had a teacher as a parent and she paid a 50% retainer during her holidays (about 19 weeks?). I could not offer a space to teachers that wanted to not pay for their holidays, naturally.

I prefer term time only too.

Hope you find what you need OP.

My DS goes to CM term time only, and I had also found another CM (and a nursery actually) who were willing to do term time only, so yes its definitely possible.

I look after 2 teachers children and dont charge a retainer through the holidays. However, I work out their charges for the 39weeks and divide by 52, so I still 'get paid' during the holidays. It works for all of us - they pay less per week and I have a constant income.

Am sure you will find soneone.

Wow so many cms not charging a retainer! lol

I am a parent who works term time only. The CM I use just charges me for term time with no retainer. I often use her once or twice a week in the holidays too, but we arrange that nearer the time.

I charge half fees for under fives in the holidays. Mostly they do come occasional days or week at a time, paying full fees for the booked time and half fees for the remaining time. If a parent has told me in writing they do not wish to use their retained space then I will advertise the place and if I am subsequently fully booked I will refund the fees paid for the time period the place is now unavailable.

I could not afford to allocate one of my 3 under fives spaces to a family only paying for part of the year; it is quite a reduction in income already to accept half fees for 13 weeks.

For over 5s attending school, I don't charge in the holidays. This is because I don't take the same children to school that I collect after school. which means I have more children during term-time than I have space for in the holidays. So they can come on a term-time only basis and then its first come, first served for the holiday spaces.

Thanks everyone this was very helpful!