Fees for 24 hour care

[Lazytoad]

Hello childminders! I'm after some opinions on fees for Childcare for a child that stays overnight, for anything up to 7 days at a time (so over weekends too). Said child is 7 so therefore at school in day, but I am still responsible, ie am emergency contact for incident or illness. I take the child to classes/clubs after school if something is on, do all their washing and obviously all other care involved in looking after a young child. How much do you/would you charge? Thanks

I'd charge my hourly rate from 8-8 and then about £40 for overnight with them being abut older and hopefully staying in bed? So approx £80 a day

That seems very low to me but I have no experience.
Is this a pure one off or will it be a revular thing

Depends on your area too, I'm Yorkshire so lower than London etc, but I couldn't commit to the after school stuff with other mindees.

Not a childminder - but as a parent I would expect to pay for this service your normal hourly rate whenever the child is awake and actively in your care (say 6am to 9am and 3pm to 8pm so 8 hours on school days, 14 hours on non-school days) and half your normal hourly rate whenever active caregiving on your part is unlikely (i.e. when at school or asleep).

Trying really really hard not to don any judgeypants when considering why a parent would want this for their child, but I'm sure they are doing their best whoever they are.

Thanks. This is a regular thing but on "as and when required basis" so could be 3 days in a month or 15 days in a month. Not London rates. Obviously all meals are included too. No other mindees but I do have my own children so after school stuff can get complicate, but I always get her to her clubs. Currently charge £50 a night (have increased fees only twice over 4 years). Am I being unreasonable to think this is nowhere near enough. I think parent believes he pays very well.

Thanks Iris, it is a difficult situation for the parent.

Personally I would charge £10 min an hour. So £240 in 24 :)

I would charge all day not just put of school hours if you're responsible all day.

Is that £50 per 24hr period or £50 on top of what you are already charging for general day-time childminding? I would think £50 is definitely too low if the former, but a bit steep if the latter.

I have had one or two occasions when I have had to take unpaid leave from my day job when she has been ill and off school and the parent did offer to reimburse me but it's the bigger picture really. Sorry, I didn't come on to moan just to see if people think I am justifed in wanting more money for what I do.

£50 for each 24 hour period Iris, no hourly rate. When I did look after other children a few years ago my hourly rate was £5 per hour.

As a parent I think Iris is on the right tracks. Not sure where you are on what your normal hourly rate would be but, using £5ph, then it would work out at £80 if it was a school day:

6am - 9am = 3 hours @ £5.00ph = £15
9am - 3pm = 6 hours @ £2.50ph = £15
3pm - 8pm = 5 hours @ £5.00ph = £25
8pm - 6am = 10 hours @ £2.50ph = £25

Obviously if it is a weekend then it would cost more as all hours would be charged at £5ph (or whatever your hourly rate is).

As a parent, if you charged me £80 for a school day I would consider that that is the low end of a nanny rate which is comparable to the job you are actually doing for the time you are looking after this child, although you are actually paying for the food too.

Thanks Dysgu and others, that gives me something to think about.

I think £80 a day sounds right.

I do normal hourly rate for 0800-1800 and £70 overnight. All double time at weekends. I don't take them to clubs etc. Berkshire

Given that your normal hourly rate was £5p/h then yes I agree £80 per school day would be about right, going up to £100 for a weekend/school holiday day or any school day when she was off-school sick (would be £95 by the above formula but you'd be needing to do more activities to keep a 7yo going for a whole day) - but pro-rata it for any day which wasn't a full 24 hours. Adding on another fiver or so to allow for all the driving if there a lot of after-school activities wouldn't be ridiculous either. I don't think £50 is fair remuneration for effectively adding an extra child into your family 24-7 and all the hassle that entails, it's not the same as simple evening or daytime childcare.

i do normal hourly rate till 7pm then bs/sleepover fee of £80 a night-so works out around £180/200per 24hrs but im a nanny

although at school 9-3 you are still on call so need to charge

what do other cm do, if have before/after school child, do you charge 9-3 or 7-9am and 3-6pm for example so 5hrs

I paid babysitter £150 when we went to a wedding - and we were home at midnight!

Thanks all for your ideas.

I was charging 70 a night 20 years ago as a student, these prices sound very very low.

Yes, don't people give babysitters about £50
(not us!)

Recently did full care for a weekend. Charged 7am-7pm @ £3 pr hr and 7pm-7am @ £4 pr hr.........night time was more because I had to check child regularly (baby)

My day rate 8-6 is approx £50, and overnight I'd probably (never having done so) charge time and a half, so £150 for a 24 hr period.

Ok, so now I just have to pluck up courage to approach the subject! (Sounds pathetic I know but father has become a good friend and I'm very uncomfortable discussing money).