After school pick up charges

[CountingSparrows]

Just after some ideas please; I've recently asked my cm if she could collect ds1 from school and keep him until 5pm, and she is not sure what to charge for this. School is about a 10 minute walk, collect at 3.10pm, and keep him until 5pm. I hope I can afford it as she has ds2 who is really happy with her.

I just wondered what you cms out there would charge (and do you do reduced rate for siblings?)? TIA

I charge £13 per evening. This includes pick up, snack, drink, dinner, pudding and care until 6pm.

I do not do sibling discounts.

Oh and I'm in Berkshire.

Crikey, not much then. Would £10 be fair then, till 5 and no food? (I provide snack)

It would generally be two hours pay or thereabouts, some childminders will charge a session fee for after school pickups, others will charge hourly.

We pay £5 p/hr for ds2 so £10 sounds right then. Thank you very much.

Am I undercharging then?? Eek!

I charge for three hours for pickup anytime 3pm to 3:30 and staying any time up to six, including tea if wanted. I know someone else who charges £15 but without tea, and another who charges £25 for before and after school (all Berkshire). I don't do sibling discounts, but I would offer a small discount for 5 days/week.

£20, we can't afford it

What makes you think she will want £20?

I charge £18 from pick up to 6pm inc food and don't offer sibling discounts.

I charge a minimum of £20 for a school pick up too, it may seem a lot but it does mean you are able to work a full day which will net you a lot more than£20. No reduced rate for siblings, ever, they get the same care, same food and same attention, the place could also easily be offered to another client at the full rate due to scarcity of places, especially after school as the local clubs are closing due to not being able to get enough qualified staff.

Your other choice is to go part time and pick up your son yourself, which I am sure would be a much bigger financial loss.

I try not to do after school as it is the time when the littles really need me as they are tired and hungry and I find the after schoolers are full of excess energy and can upset the balance in the setting, hence only offering it to children who have been with me since babies.

It may be worth every penny especially as you already have a child with the childminder, your children are together in one pace, good for them easier all round for collection etc

She said £20. I understand the sibling thing, not sure why I wondered about it really! I am pt anyway and don't earn much. I work from home so will juggle my hours to finish early and make up the time another day. I know that sounds easy but it's a fiddle as lots of other people i work with are affected but it'll be fine, I just would have preferred him to go to cm that 1 day a week. I could also try to arrange some reciprocal childcare with other parents as I could collect other days.

Thanks for your answers. I do appreciate my cm and don't want to exploit her, nor do I think it should be 'cheap', I just can't afford £20 extra p/week.

You sound a lovely parent and I would feel you are good reason for warranting a concession As your cm has your Ds2 as well, hopefully she may be able to compromise, I would if I had the other sibling and the family had been with me a long time. ( I have done it for a token round up the bill by £5)

are there any afterschool clubs he could go to that you could combine with another parent collecting him 1 or 2 days?

I charge a min of 2 hours and my hourly rate is £4.50 (Berkshire) so my charge for this would be £9, no sibling discount. £20 is steep!

It's not steep for this area (Surrey). It's what I charge and I know others charge more.
It's petrol and food that force our fees up.

£20 is ridiculous!

I charge £10 per child per Evening. From 3.15 to 6pm. (I'm in Yorkshire though).
Includes drinks and light tea of toast/ crumpets/ sandwich and yoghurt and fruit.

£20 is not ridiculous!!

Do you run my business? Do you offer my service? Do you operate where I live and travel miles for school pickups?

The school pick up I do is a 30 mile return trip, I get 15 miles to the gallon if I'm lucky! Add in 2 crumpets, a handful of blueberries, strawberries and a banana, oh, and can I have a yoghurt too please, I'm barely covering my costs, but it is a service for a long standing client.

I agree with Tanith, but would add that it is the cost of buying, insuring, heating and generally running a house large enough to childmind in that is the real killer in London and the South East.

I'm in West Sussex and charge £5.25 an hour after school so would be £10.50. £20 would be way more than any minder could/would charge round here.

Tanith
I hadn't read your comment about your charge of £20 for after school. I missed it.
So it wasn't directed at you! I wouldn't dream on commenting in your personal business.

It was at the OP's confirmation of her CM's price.

But £20 is a lot of money wherever you live. And it is no wonder some people cannot afford to use childcare.
I certainly wouldn't pay it!

Thanks everyone. I only need 1 night a week and he was in after school club (@&3.50 p/hr!) but he really hated it. We are just juggling hours/favours and managing for now.

FYI it is a 10 min walk (at most) and I provided a snack last time. It is just until 5pm and the only other child she has that day is my ds2, so no dragging loads of little children out into the cold, petrol or food costs. Just the inconvenience.

Still, it is her business and I respect that. She must charge what it is worth to her. It does mean its out of our range though!

That's my point: you're comparing two different services in different areas and expecting charges to be broadly similar. You don't actually know anything about the childminder in the OP, yet you said her charges are ridiculous and you aren't really in a position to judge that.

Fudgesmummy says she charges much less than that; she also has the children for less hours than I would - 2 hours instead of the 3 or 4 I would expect. Some are even later.

I'm reading about light teas and snacks: here, it's a snack when they get in and a fully cooked evening meal.

You see what I mean?

I'd do it for you for a tenner!
And provide some toast, yoghurt and fruit.

Where actually are you? Someone may be able to help?