childminder club:retainer fees

[kizzypie]

I just had an enquiry about taking 2 children for all school hols and inservice days. Parents coming to visit at weekend to arrange a start date and sort out money etc so she can contact tax credit people to see how much help shell get.
Question is do any of you charge retainer fees for school term weeks, if you do what percentage do you charge and how is it paid - do they pay you full amount in hols and just the retainer during term time or do you average it out over the year so they dont have to pay a big amount every week during hols.
Ive got a term time contract with another child but she doesnt pay a retainer cos shes a friends child and only here a couple of hours a week but ive no idea about holiday time contracts.
As parent coming to visit stays in another town but works near where I live then im not going to see her much during term times so should i ask her to pay through the bank or use the fact that if she has to pay me directly then i will keep in contact with her more and it wont be like total strangers during the holidays as we havent seen each other. Children are primary school age .
Im worrying about all this and she might not even turn up but I want to be prepared and not come across as clueless if she does come.
Any ideas.

I can't help I'm afraid but this will bump it up for you.
My contracts are term time only at the mo and i do charge a retainer in the hols.
I guess you could charge a bit as the next holidays are a few weeks off - but as a token to keep the place so that if she disappears before the hols you get to keep it - maybe a rolling deposit or something?
i'm sure someone with this kind of experience will be along soon

If I were you I would ask for Feb H/T's money up front - then average the rest over the year

I wouldn't charge for the termtime - but oinly as I have teachers children termtime so can make up the difference

You might have to consider a retainer - not sure how much tho'

I agree with Katymac, as I too have teachers children and supplement my earnings with holiday only children.I only charge them for the time they are here and do not charge retainers or anything and the term timers don't pay anything for holiday times either, but then I am a bit of a pushover but saying that I have not had a vacancy for the last five years.Sometimes a bit of give and take goes a long way.

I would set up a "holiday-only" contract, in the same way that I would have a "term-time only" contract. I certainly wouldn't charge a retainer for the school term.

thanks everyone, I phoned her to check what the actual hours were etc, and to have a nosy about why she wants a cm near her work and not her home, turns out she couldnt find one near her house
so ive gave her the details of my friend who has got vacancies and lives near her and shes going to use her instead.My friend just read this thread too and says thanks for everyones thoughts as she thought the same as me and didnt know what to do. Shes going to do a holiday contract like some of you suggested. :-) and the parents quite happy cos it means shell be able to increase her hours during termtime etc and knows shes got someone who can pick them up from school.

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