Childminder charges for part days

[Boboli]

Hi - I've just got a new job which is 30 hours over 5 days. I haven't had the conversation with them about which hours on which day yet - to be honest, I wanted 4 days but this is the compromise as they need someone in from mon to fri.

Before I talk about hours with new employer, can anyone tell me if childminders or nurseries would charge me for a whole day if my children did part of a day in childcare? eg if my DCs were in for a few hours in morning, would I still pay for whole day of fees?

This is going to make an impact on whether I accept the job or not!!

Any advice gratefully received. (DD1 is at nursery (9-12) and DD2 is 1 year old).

Round here, childminders generally charge at or around full day rate - because they can't normally dovetail to have other children for the other times and lose money otherwise. Nurseries have higher numbers and more flexibility, so we normally have a reduction, but not half price IYSWIM.

Not sure if it varies by area.

Depends on the CM/nursery. You will need to phone around your local area.

I checked this when I went back to work with DS3. I work 9.30-2.30 (DS1, DS2 at school) and wanted a nursery/cm that I could drop off just after 9 after school run and pick up just before 3, all charged a full day as I'm taking a full days place for another child, I was offered morning or afternoons 7-1 or 1-6 but really love the school drop off/pick up. Ended up paying full days and most of my wage went on CM. But now all 3DS in school love my school hours job

my nursery offers mornings (8-1) afternoons (1-5.30/6) school days (9-3 but for aged 3-5 only) and full days (8-530/6).

A morning/afternoon costs £17, a whole day costs £32 (no idea how much a "school day" costs as when my DD does these they are free as she is 3

Sorry just realised you asked about a few hours in the morning my CM charged £25 for 7-1 morning session

All depends on the child minder. Mine doesn't charge like that and just the hours my Son is there. He currently does 9-2 and I work 9.30-1.30 so all works out perfectly. I know she has some kids purely after school so our arrangement works for us both

I am a childminder and I only charge for the hours that children are contracted to come to me. This means I have a combination of one/two or three little ones at a time. It works for me as I don't necessarily want to be full all the time. Worth ringing round to check....

Thanks everyone - looks like I have some ringing round to do tomorrow!

I think it might depend where you live.

When I was a cm in London, all my mindees did full days (8-6) because their parents all worked full days.

Now I live in south Wales and parents using cms here seem to have more flexible working hours or use family for at least some of their childcare.

I've always charged for the contracted hours. At the moment I have 12 on my books which does make life quite complicated at times but I'd have no work if I only charged for a full day.

I pay my CM for the hours DS is there but it would depend on the area. I love the CM by the way and DS, 1, lights up when he sees her. I used a wonderful nursery with DD but the CM is much cheaper and more flexible. For us this has been the next best thing to having family look after him.