Some advice please, thank you!

[MUM2BLESS]

Back ground: I deal with seven children from five different familiies. Families who have been with me longer, provide sancks from home. (their fee is slightly lower) For those I provide snack for, their rate is slightly higher. One child does not need snack as only one morning before school per week.

I find that I have to be sending reminders as one family sometimes forget to send snacks. It not easy giving some snacks whilst some are looking. At the same time if I give snacks to those who are not paying for them I could be left doing this. Also its not fair on the paying parents.

Some of the kids are with me until six.

Any suggestions?

Me again.

What is a reasonable price to charge for snacks? ie rice cakes, yogurt/fruit and a drink.

I may have to give parents an alternative solution to this.

Personally I would use this as an opportunity to do a contract review and state that from x date (giving whatever notice period is stated in your contracts) you will be increasing your hourly rate to £y.yy (this could be the same as your existing higher rate or a new rate altogether) and that from this date your hourly rate will include all snacks.
This means all parents are paying the same for the same service & you are not subsidising the forgetful parents. It also eliminates snack box envy where one child wants what another has got.
I have always included all food in my rates for those reasons. Doesn't work for everyone but it does for me.

THANKS ChildrenAt Heart

Not that straight forward as I have just done a new contract for the family. I would need to give notice if I was increasing my fees to include food. Surely I would need to give the parents the option, if they wanted me to do this.

To tell you the truth due to my busy routine I really do not want to have to cook meals for all the kids. After careful consideration I now provide snacks that are easy to prepare but quite healthy.

With mynewer parents I included snack from the start.

Later I will some children having snacks and some just having a drink. Thats what mum wants. I will have to explain that to the kids.

What do you do if the kids who have forgotten their snacks ask for food?

I've always provided my own snacks. Used to do meals for free but now I charge for an evening meal. Out of interest, why would you have to give notice if you increased your fees?

Contract i think states that I would give 6 mths notice of price increase.

I can how ever do a list of muy charges for snack etc for parents if needed.

I had to respect mums wishes for me to only give her kids a drink. Not easy as one of the boys said he was hungry.