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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

CM's do you pass on expenses to parents?

14 replies

Saz73 · 28/07/2006 06:17

Thought I would ask the question, I currently don't pass any expenses onto parents. But this week has cost me a fortune, took mindee's to soft play, wanted icecreams, drinks and snacks.

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jellyjelly · 28/07/2006 08:08

Yes for non normal activites and some groups but i have a cheaper rate. The older ones get pocket money for a drink, toy etc

LoveMyGirls · 28/07/2006 08:09

i am very aware of what i spend as i only charge £2.50 per hour and i buy a drink/ snacks while we're out and it costs me £2.50 for eg then thats an hour i've worked for nothing practically so im very careful. i dont think you can pass on expenses once you've already paid for it iyswim.

if you're planning a trip and ask in advance for the money or if they have objections then you can discuss alternatives. This is what i've done.

Also i take packed lunches, snacks and drinks depending on where we're going and how long we're out for.

examples of costs

soft play - i charge entry fee
strawberry picking - i charge for what they child picks and send them home with them.

sometimes if we're traveling quite a way i will add petrol and parking (if parking is expensive)

i do my research to see how much things will be so i can cover at least half the cost.

claddersfamily · 28/07/2006 08:22

I pass all expenses on to the parents for trips in holidays. I occasionally buy ice creams out but its easier to tell them they can have them when we get home (cheaper as bought in bulk and less mess in the car!!) If i didnt pass on expenses it would have cost me £29 to take my 6 mindees to a soft play area nearby! I would be almost working for free! I send a list out at the beginning of the holidays with 10 places we could possibly go then the parents tick what they are happy to pay for and i work my days out around that.

vix1 · 28/07/2006 08:28

Thats a great idea about sending lists out of activities etc. to see if parents would like their children to attend and pay etc. Have you got any other good tips?! Im hoping to set up next year, so I may be on here asking lots of questions!

Original poster

Saz73 · 28/07/2006 08:31

That's a good idea claddersfamily. I think I will talk to parents tonight and go through the trips that I had planned for this holiday. Thought I would ask the question as we went to a softplay centre yesterday and it cost me over £30. Originally wasn't having lunch there but mindee's were really hungry and I'm too soft can't say 'no'.

OP posts:

dmo · 28/07/2006 08:50

i send out lists also at the beginning of the hoildays
in the list it states the date,activity,what the child needs and how much it will be
i am preparared to pay £1 entrance to places for my mindees plus an ice-cream/drink but then parents put the rest to
i am soft and love to treat my mindees thats why i thought of the list this summer as asking for money well in advance will prepare the parents for what they need to budgit and the children come in now in the mornings prepared and ready to do the activity stated

ThePrisoner · 28/07/2006 18:29

I don't charge parents for outings unless a child comes just for the one day. I managed to pay just under £50.00 today for 5 mindees and myself to visit a play-barn, and also paid for lunch, drinks and icecreams.

It is obviously a lot of money, but the amount of money I have made this week alone with these children means I still do well out of it.

I tend to regard this particular day out as a "thankyou for giving me the work" type of treat!! It's the most expensive place I visit in the holidays - other trips tend to involve picnics, parks and woods!

Original poster

Saz73 · 28/07/2006 18:52

Thanks ThePrisoner. Today we played in our cul de sac on bikes and one mindee actually said he had more fun today than yesterday. Will do this more often and like you make the soft play/expensive outings a 'thank you' treat.

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maggi · 30/07/2006 16:52

My cm always surprized the children (and parents) each day with where she was going that day. It became very expensive especially as my 2 were only afternoons and she would demand me to drop them off in the morning or she would not have tham at all. She demanded that I just hand over an extra £20 per week. She offered no receipts or even a record of her expenses that this money was covering.
I'm not naive about how quickly that £20 would be eaten up. But as someone on a very tight income and in fact during the summer holidays I was making a loss £30 (£50 if cm expenses included) for the privilage of going to work. I found her system really frustrating. I was going to work to have someone else do all the enjoyable outings with my 2ds. I had no choice at the time.
So ... as a parent I'd like a list or options of places to go and prices and I'd like a break down of expenses. Some warning of where they were going would have enabled me to provide swimming trunks instead of being offereed a bag of wet underpants that they had obviously had to use instead. Please keep parents informed.

ayla99 · 30/07/2006 17:53

I use an outing/trip form that tells parent where we are going, what time they need to drop off/pick up and request for payment. I usually ask for cost of their child's admission plus contribution to petrol/bus fare and I provide picnic & ice-creams. I don't charge for any extra childcare hours (eg, if we are coming back later than the child is usually collected)

I don't do many of these trips - there's plenty to do for free - last week we went to a different park each morning. Police & Fire Stations are usually happy to schedule a visit from childminders and the libraries are doing Reading Mission this year.

SlightlyFamiliarPeachyClair · 30/07/2006 18:05

My CM hasnever asked for a penny. She takes them to a sodt play each week which is included in fees (it's £2 a child inclusive drinks / snacks / coffee for her) and she takes two children, possibly more in the holidays. Otherwise he goes to libraries, pet shops (his fave), parks, garden centres- free places that he loves. If she announced a surprise trip with expenses I would have to keep him at home, as I am a student and my bank account has her fees exactly in it now and nothing else (I don't get my September childcare grant until October)

motherinferior · 30/07/2006 18:15

My childminder doesn't; she charges probably a bit more than many of you (I pay £31 for a day) and also puts it against tax as a legitimate expense.

dmo · 30/07/2006 18:44

i have a couple of children afternoon only
if i plan a day out for the other children i include the afternoon children at no extra cost to the parents as they havent asked me to have them extra hours

ThePrisoner · 30/07/2006 22:47

maggi - I am appalled that you had to put up with a childminder like that!

Like dmo, there have been odd occasions where I've wanted to go somewhere on a particular day and we might not be back at the usual time - so long as the parents are happy with it, I have kept the children later but certainly not charged for it as it is my choice to do it.

And wet underpants!! I am gobsmacked.

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