CM club: Do you charge while mindee is at part time school?

[Amylouise]

I usually charge for a full day if a mindee is at pre- school during contracted hours. For mindees at school I charge before and after school.

I have a girl starting reception next week and the school has an induction process.
For the first week and half they go 9am- 12pm so I am charging full for this, as if it were pre- school.
But then there are 3 days where she will be at school 9am- 1pm. I'm not sure whether to charge for a full day or just charge while she is with me, as if it was full time school.

What would other childminders do?

Message withdrawn

i would charge half fees while she was there for the 3days.

If she counts as an under 5 (which she will unless she is actually 5) then I think full as you can't really put someone else in the part day

But if you can fill that day easily then of course you can't charge

I'm with Katymac, if can't fill the space as still classed as under 5 then I would charge. If however they were classed as over 5, I wouldn't.

Thanks for your replies.

The girl is 4 so only classes as over 5 once she's at school full time.

I have this situation every September as the school I collect from takes children into Reception when they are 4 years old, and they go for half days until half-term.

I actually only charge for the hours that I have them - I've usually had the children for quite a long time anyway (some from when they were babies), and usually continue having them until they move on to secondary school.

It may not be good business practice, but I pride myself on "continuity of service."

If I had a new enquiry from a parent requiring just half-days at first, then I would still work the same (assuming that I had the vacancy).