Is this normal for a childminder?

[hcbelle]

Hi all! First post but a long-time lurker while waiting to become a mum (due 12 Feb!)

I'm just posting after a chat with my mum who is a registered childminder in London. She has been doing this for a couple of years. I gather her rates are in line with our area of London and she has always worked from circa 8.30am until school pickup which works as I have a school age brother with some SEN.

Long story short- she has just been contacted by a couple both working in the City who have a baby under a year old. They are looking for childcare from 7.30am to 6pm daily and have specifically said they want a nanny but can't afford one so looking at childminder instead. However, they are offering 60 per day for these hours. I'm not sure whether this is a completely standard rate or not for a child this age and over 10 hours of continuous childcare, even for childminders. I'm sure anyone would like a nanny at a childminder's rate, but it seems like peanuts for a 10 1/2 hour day with a young baby! That said I'm no expert on the whole thing, just have some nanny friends whose job would seem very similar, but they get paid around twice as much!

Any thoughts anyone or am I just being over cautious for her?

The difference between a nanny and a childminder is that a childminder has several children in her care and a nanny just one. A childminder coul have 3 preschool children in her care at the above rate so making £18 an hour, whereas you would pay a nanny a higher rate £10-12 an hour to ensure sole are for your child

Yes it's normal for a childminder to be paid less. My daily rate is only £30!! Although I'm not in London. As Brie points out I could have 3 preschoolers at £30 a day each which makes it a reasonably paid job. Also, I'm not employed by my parents which means I have a lot more freedom than a Nanny would. A Nanny would, I presume, be given quite specific instructions for her day, I can decide (within reason!) what I want to do. Oh and I also get to look after my own kids while I work. So really they don't get 'a Nanny for a childminder's rate'

What BrieAndChilli said. I paid £50 for 8am-6pm in London 3 years ago, so £60 sounds about right.

Our london based childminder charges us £50 for a full day which is 8am-6pm, for baby under a year, so sounds comparable? We provide meals and she provides milk and fruit for snacks. She's looking after two other children at the same time (though over one). I do think it must be very hard work but she doesn't seem to feel that way!

Thanks everyone, just wondered- I take my hat off to CMs!!

It shouldn't be what the parents are offering but what your mums hourly rate is that matters

If she charges £5/6ph hr then is roughly in line with what the family want to pay

If she normally charges £7+ then either she drops her rates or the family pay more - £7ph for those hours would be £73.50

A lot of childminders would charge a higher rate for an early start, but equally many childminders would offer a small reduction in hourly rate to parents booking long hours. It is as Blondes said a question not just of what the parents are willing to pay but whether your Mum is happy to work for that. If she is working those hours anyway, an extra child may be a bonus.

My CM is ace! She works with other assistants so can take up to 18 children at any one time.
She is paid £35 a day from 7am to 6pm and gives my child his breakfast, lunch, dinner, all snack, provides nappies and wipes - even lends spare clothes for accidents despite me sending a chNge of clothes in - and takes them on regular trips to soft play, library, woodland walks, themeparks even! She do does the school and nursery runs up to 4 times a day for nursery to two different towns (having assistants helps).
She is in great demand and realised this after my son started at 8 months old. Though I had booked him in before he was born. Siblings also have priority. I booked DC2 in dusting July 2014 to begin November 2015. She isn't due to be born for another 9 weeks!!!!

Childminders are cheaper than a nanny as they can have numerous children so their earnings are made up per child whereas a nanny gets just one payment and can't take any more children on to increase that. £60 a day sounds fine for London as its an expensive place so you would expect to pay more.

As others have said, your mum is self-employed as a CM so should decide on what terms she offers a place to this couple, what her hourly rate is and payment terms. I would be especially clear in this situation as they may have friends who have nannies, and might be more familiar with a nanny / employee relationship! Providing your mum has a clear contract setting out holiday, sickness policy, charges for lateness then I guess they will get the picture...

I'm in London, within a few km of the City and childminders local to me charge more like 7-8£ per hour or 70ish for that kind of long day. You could call a few (or your mum could) to compare their rates and figure out what is normal in your area. Local authorities have family information service listings and some childminders will list their rates in there so you could even just take a look.

That sounds like a reasonable rate.

Where your mum is in London however makes a big difference. Daily cm rates where I used to live were around 60, in my new area (still central London) they are around 40-50.

It is up to your mum to decide whether she wants the extra work or not. What does she usually charge per hour?