advice please on fees !!!!

[boo70]

Hi I look after a little girl full time, but she is starting nursery one afternoon a week soon. Would you still charge the same daily rate to keep place or reduce by number of hours away. Thank you

Hi Boo70

If it's a full time space and the child is at nursery 5 mornings/afternoons then i charge for the whole time so i would deffo charge for the afternoon she is at nursery.
hth

Thanks for the advice,child starts nuresry next week and the mum has already said that money will change next week as i will be having her less hours, and because i was not sure i did not say that it is still a full time space she is taking. Thanks again.

No problem Boo.Explain to her that as it's a full time space you will not be able to get someone who wants 1 afternoon a week to make up the loss of fees and thats why you charge when children are at nursery.I'm pretty sure most if not all minders do this.Someone else may come along and tell you the same hopefully.
Good luck

Yep, me

One of my mindees goes to nursery every morning and I am paid the same!! I am on call but even if I wasn't, I'd still charge as I couldn't fill the space! It's very normal to charge if you're a childminder who needs to fill your vacancies!

Is she around to collect the child if needed? Is she expecting you to have her dd when it's nursery hols? If she is expecting to have you then EVEN MORE reason to charge!

Good luck :)

I on the other hand do not charge for when my mindee is in nursery. Though i do charge full time fees in holidays and if i was to be ever called to collect him I will charge from the moment i get the call and his parents understand this. Though it dosent effect me much because even with going to nursery 4 mornings a week he is still with me for 42 hours!! This is how I won him over his old childminder who was only having him 1 day a week at the time but wouldve charged a full 55 hours even in term time so sometimes it pays to be flexible. :)

I also don't necessarily charge if child is at nursery.

If I am only doing the drop-off or the pick-up (not both), then I've often been able to "let" the odd morning/afternoon to people I know who want a few hours to themselves without children on at ad hoc basis.

If parents are working locally and are prepared to be the emergency contact if child is ill, then I am also able to let that space.

I have to say that it has taken several years for me to build up to the level where there are people who may want these odd spaces. I think that all new childminders registering tend to get advised that they should charge.

I'm in a similar situation at the moment eldest mindee is about to start nursery in september (9am-3pm) I'll be taking him 3 days and picking him up the other 2 and having to keep the place open for holidays (I'll have him about 10 hours a week) I tried to charge her for the full day as I don't think I'll be able to fill the hours but she refused, we came to the comprimise of her paying 1/3 of the time he's at nursery.

All the childminders I know charge full time when the children are at nursery and only change it when they can be classed as a rising 5

Why didnt you stick to your guns and say these are my rates and they are in line with other childminders?