London Childminders - advice please!

[wheresthepopcorn]

Just wondered if I could pick your brain on this. The childminder I have seen wants £70 to do the hours from 8am to 6pm. If we take Monday to Wednesday (3 days a week) she wants to be paid Bank Holidays. She includes breakfast and snacks, I am to supply lunch and dinner, nappies etc. She also wants a non-refundable upfront payment of a weeks wages to secure her services. (this is not payment for the childminding, more like an upfront one-off fee) Is this the way it normally works in London? Advice please!

I meant £70 a day in the above post

I see nothing wrong with this. I you don't like the CM's fee's, charges and terms, approach other childminders.

If

Just wondering why it would be different for London?
They sound like standard terms and conditions to me.

I would charge the same daily rate but include all food and nappies.

I don't agree with the upfront payment though, unless she knocks it off your final invoice when you leave?

Hi all, I just found it necessary to mention that it's London so you can advise whether the fees are reasonable.

I wouldn't charge for bank holidays if I didn't work them either.

I think it is relevant to mention London insancerre because rates vary so much around the country. For example here in Ayrshire where I stay the average for a CM is £3.50 an hour so a 10 hour day would be £35 so £70 seems expensive to me. But of course it depends on teh going rate in your area. Some CMs charge for meals, some dont. My DH is a CM and I would love it if he could get £70 a day

With 3 pre-schoolers full time this gives a gross income of over £50,000 - and that's before after-schoolers and holidays. And she wants you to provide meals as well??? And pay for the privilege of looking after your own children on Bank Holidays??????

Unfortunately childminders in many London postcodes can charge more or less what they like it seems (this seems particularly so in SW London IME); £7ph or even more is not unusual. I'd expect meals to be included as well though, and if you do Monday-Wednesday you will be paying for a lot more Bank Holidays than someone with Thursday-Friday. What happens about holidays and other closures I wonder?

Have you looked into a nanny share?

is she open on the bank holidays she is charging you for?

I am in herts (just north of London) and I charge £60 for a 10 hour day but that includes everything (all meals, nappies, outings etc)

And yes, London is very relevent - there are many factors impacting on London more than any other area of the country as highlighted in this report by the Daycare Trust.

CM is not open on bank holidays. It would just be holiday pay.

£60 per day (for the hours you want) seems to be the going rate in SW London (Wimbledon). Most do not supply food or nappies.

I found CMs charging £70 per day but I think that is a bit pricey (I don't blame them if they can get it - but you should also look around further as there may be others just as good if not better a little less pricey). I found someone a bit cheaper (than £60 per day) with lots of experience who I am very very happy with.

The bank holidays thing is quite standard near me (North London) - or it'd be standard fee if you don't use the service, double if you do. If you don't like it then don't ask her to work on a Monday - choose different days. £70pd is very reasonable for a 10 hour day - if you were being charged an hourly rate I'd expect it to be more like £75.

The weeks wages sounds slightly more unusual - is it a retainer because you need the service some time in the future? If so I'd say a half-monthly-fee per month is more usual but, as you'll know, CMers are self-employed so if this is what the lady is happy with then its up to her - and up to you whether you use the service.

Meals/nappies etc - varies by CMer. At least with you providing them you'll be happy with what your child is getting/using.

Far more importantly, did you like the CMer? What quality of service does she provide? Will your child receive high quality care/ go on exciting outings/ play with a variety of exciting and stimulating resources? Would you feel confident leaving your child with her?

I am in SW19 (Wimbledon) and charge £65 pr day (8-6), which includes all freshly cooked meals etc. except nappies. Deposit refundable against last month of care.

So yes and no... some things are standard, but as we are self employed we each have our own ways of contracting. Hence best to look at a few. Good luck! :)

I am aghast at £70. Is it a wealthy area? I'm in SW16 and the most anyone here charges is £50, most are more like £40-£45. And the upfront payment is news to me too and I've done a LOT of shopping around. My fab CM charges for 2 weeks holiday per year and takes another two weeks unpaid. We don't pay her for bank hols. It does seem like the one you've found is at the costly end of the scale, but I guess it all comes down to where you live. If that's what she charges, presumably people there can pay it. Although I'd be favouring a nanny if fees were creeping that high, esp for more than one dc.

Have you compared this against the cost of a (live-out) nanny? Our first nanny (had nursery experience and 3 years nannying experience, and basic qualifications) came to us earning £8.50/hour gross (this was 3 years ago). And that was an increase on her previous salary.

We are in SELondon/Kent borders.

(BTW, we have a different nanny now who is more experienced, has more qualifications, and is to be frank a much better nanny, and she earns more than this.)

I know that there are other employers' costs and other expenses to add on top, but if you're considering paying £7/hour to a childminder, which would involve you getting the child there and back, and you're providing meals and nappies, the extra cost of a nanny (or a nanny share) may be worth it to you.

I paid £45/day in NW London plus nappies. No non-refundable deposit but I paid fees in advance.

Have you seen any other CMs?

Until Christmas I lived in tooting (Sw17) and paid £5.5 an hour with meals inc but not playgroups, nappies or wipes. We didn't pay bank holidays.

Update: I managed to get the deposit to be refundable. I must say that we are with her 3 days a week and she has turned out to be really good. I did go and see another childminder just to compare.