Advice on Payment please!!!!!!

[boo70]

Hi just wondered if anyone might tell me if this is reasonable: I have mindee 10 hours a day, going to nursery in september, mum taking her so now will have her 6 hours a day, so have reduced money for these hours and added a 2.50 a day pick up charge from school. Does this seem fair only mum complaning about pick up charge!!
Also still wants a full time place for any school hols, so am i limited to take another full timer as this would put me over on numbers when hols arrive. Any advice would be graet Thanks

hi boo, i have a mindee who was with me before going to nursery (started in jan) and i now charge half fees whilst child is at nursery...9.00 till 11.30 and full rate rest of day. i actually think you are being too generous! you are well within your rights to charge full fees while child is at nursery if mum wishes you to keep a place open for hols.

Do you think so smeeinit, i did think about that but she thinks that it is just an hourly thing and has allready said that will reduce money by hours child at nursery before i could explain terms!!Signing new contracts tom and really struggling with how much i should charge her.But the more i think about the more i feel this will go against me in taking on another full time mindee.

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thats true it is a full time space, i no she will argue this do you know of anywhere i can get this info in black and white as i know this is what she will want!!1 Or do i just tell her my terms and see what happends.

boo i think you need to be clear with the parent in question (in a polite and tactfull manner of course!) that you cannot possibly fill the 2 hour space that the child is at nursery and therefore that is why you NEED to charge a fee. you really cannot be expected to keep a place open for a child all through the school term with no kind of fee being paid. after all this is your living not just someting you do for kicks!
excuse my rant but this is a subject i get soooo with!

Thanks for the advice thats what i am going to do, like you say i really cannot be expected to keep a place open for a child all through the school term with no kind of fee being paid.Thanks

Am dreading it though!!!! need to get tougher i think!!!

hope it all goes ok for you boo, i dont personally know of anywhere you can get this info in black and white,the notes on back of ncma contracts are quite usefull and really helped me out when i needed it when i first got registered. wish you loads of luck.

Thanks smeeinit, let you know how i get on tom!!!

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i know its difficult when the buck stops with you isnt it?!!
i dont look forward to contract time but have realised over time that if you are not assertive and put your views across honestly then you tend to get the p taken out of you! well in my experience anyway!

yeah good thought ncma handbook........worth a look ay!

Really that would be useful Thanks HappyMumof2. Going to have a look now.

Yes quite new to this smeeinit and allready doing things for free that i know i should charge for!!!

boo its so hard when you first start out but places like this are great for getting advice,wish id known about this site when i first started! dont forget the ncma are there to help you 2.

When exactly are you minding the child? Is the mum is taking her in the morning and then asking you to pick her up at the end of the nursery session?

Yes found this site a life line for information!!!

off 2 get my tea boo......please let me know how you get on 2mra.
fingers crossed for you!

Normally have child from 7.45-5.45, will now be having her from 11.15-5.45, thats why finding hard to charge anything as its not just the two hours at nursery that wont have her for.

Yes thanks for your help smeeinit, let you know tom.

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If someone rang me up and asked me to collect their child from nursery at 11.15am, and to have them until 5.45pm, then I wouldn't be charging anything whilst that child is at nursery.

If you would be the first port of call if she needed picking up early (illness, for instance), then there is an argument for charging something whilst she is actually at nursery.

Again, as she wants you to keep the space available for the school holidays, then you could ask for some kind of retainer (or full fee if that is what you feel you should get).

If you took on another child, you could always write to Ofsted and ask to have a variation to be able to have an extra child for the hours you need (don't hold your breath!)

What is the "pick-up charge" for?

Be very careful of your car insurance - if you are charging to "pick up" you may be liable for paying "hire or reward" car insurance.

That's really expensive

I checked with my insurer about this - they said is not hire & reward if you are only transporting minded children.

I quote 40p per mile plus my time as a childminder during the journey. And you need to consider that parents of other mindies may not be happy about their children being stuck in the car while you are picking up/dropping off.

I would charge for a 6 hour day plus half fees for the hours she wants to reserve for her use in the holidays.