CMs - Adhoc Childminding Policy, please can you give me your thoughts......

[looneytune]

I've drafted the following but want to make sure it makes sense before inserting into my handbook. I know it sounds a bit all over the place with regards to fees but is it clear? Any other advice? I'd very much appreciate your thoughts as I'm suffering with brain fog at the moment . Thanks.

I offer an ad-hoc service (depending on availability) for those parents/carers who only require occasional childcare or for existing parents who require childcare outside of their usual contract (i.e. if contract is for ?term time only? and care is required during school holidays, and vice versa). Please note that I cannot exceed the child ratios set by my Ofsted registration and my Public Liability Insurance. Ad-hoc bookings can only be accepted when a space is available.

Bookings can be taken over the phone or by email, however I require a deposit of £10 per day in order to secure the booking, or the full amount if the booking is for childcare before the 1st of the following month (i.e. when my next invoices are due). Here are some examples below to make this more clear:

Example 1 ? a booking request is made on 15th for care starting on 29th of the same month, you will need to pay the full invoice amount to secure the booking.
Example 2 ? a booking request is made on 15th October for care starting on 29th January, a deposit of £10 per day is required to secure the booking and the remaining amount will need to be paid BY 1st January (invoices sent at least a week before). If the remaining amount isn?t paid in time, the booking will be cancelled.
Example 3 ? a booking request is made for the following day, if a payment into my bank account cannot be made that day, cash for the full amount is required when dropping the child off.

Before I am allowed to care for a new child for the first time, I am legally required to have several permission forms completed and signed. Please note that if you make a last minute booking, you will need to allow time to complete these when you drop your child off. Alternatively I can email these forms for you to print and sign at home, you must remember to bring them with you otherwise I will not be able to care for your child.

The fee for this ?adhoc? service is the same as standard childcare except for the non-refundable deposit for booking (this will be deducted from the full invoice amount).

Seems clear to me. You are definitely getting paid before you look after the child, with a deposit to reserve the place if plenty of notice.

Much like booking a holiday Deposit and full payment before you go, if you are travelling in less than 6 weeks full amount due up front.

Maybe it is just me but I had to read the bit with the examples through about 5 times before I could make any sense of it .

Personally I would make it more simple. Something along the lines of a £10 booking fee to secure the place and payment in full at least 48 hours in advance (or at drop off for last minute bookings).

I get that you want to align it with your normal invoices but I do think it makes the whole thing complex!

Thanks both.

I know, I wanted to keep it simple but it wasn't for my own benefit I did that re invoices, it was because I've just had adhoc bookings from one family right through to July next year and if I just charge full whack to secure the booking, that's a massive amount for them to pay me right now which I know they will find hard. That's why I wanted to do invoices monthly so they don't get hit so hard.

Not sure what to do now. Just know they will be upset if they get a big bill now but they want to know the spaces are booked - I've had this mindee since they were 8 weeks old and they are nearly 5 now so long term family!

It makes sense to me! The examples make it nice and clear.

Maybe if you are worried about this particular family being confused, talk it through with them?

I have very simple rules for ad hoc bookings - payment in full on booking, no refunds once booked, and no changes to times etc. In fact for somebody I knew and trusted and in your position with a long term arrangement I think I probably would agree something along the lines you are suggesting, but I would make it a special concession and a variation to my standard terms and conditions rather than changing my standard terms and conditions if you see what I mean.

I think your examples make the paragraph above easy to understand. Personally, I don't find it confusing.

Thanks again.

Jodyisagirlsmane - not worried that family will be confused, more that I just wanted to get the wording right and making sense in general (as much as it can with what I propose).

minderjinx - if I thought I'd have a lot of adhoc bookings I think I'd go with your kind of system but tbh, it's mainly 2 families I adhoc mind for so I wanted the policy set in more for that reason. Both families have children now at the same private school so the adhoc care is usually odd school holidays (for one of them) and the other is contracted for holiday only care as per public school dates but now but has booked various term time dates (as private schools get more hols) when my school aged children are at school. I just wanted to make sure I have some kind of booking system now as although I adore my longer term mindee and their family, they can change their mind on occasion and I don't want to turn the other mindee down to find I'm no longer needed and the other person has found alternative care. I may change the policy again in the future if I think I'll be getting adhoc bookings from other people but tbh, I'm pretty full most of the time.