Advice Please

[kpnuts2006]

A parent has enquired about looking after her two children aged 10 and 8 taking them to school in the morning and picking them up from school totalling up to 14.5 hours a week. Im new to this but currently have a 9 month old baby 16 hours a week which i charge £3.50 a hour. Would it sound reasonable to charge £6 an hour for the two children. I have said this to the parent but they are only paying £65 a week where they are now and has asked if i could reduce the price. have any of you come across this and what would you do in this situation? Advice please. Thanks

[smeeinit]

i charge normal hourly rate during hols,i care for siblings and it does work our at £70 per day but believe me i earn it!
the way i look at at is that i do no less work for a 2nd child so i should get no less pay,and in the hols i do alot more with the after schoolers than term time as we have all day together so i dont reduce the hourly rate!
and you must remember as tan and dmo said,most parents get help thro tax credits with their childcare costs.

[dmo]

i charge £22 per day in hols for 9 hrs max
over 9 hrs occurs a £3 per hour top up

i also go out lots with the children in the hols and parents provide spending money

what i do is plan my days out and have 2 expensive days out (farm, zoo) and 3 non expensive days out (museum, park)
i then print a list of the planned says out with a colum for things needed (swimming kit, bucket and spades) and a colum with how much they need (£5 towards entrance to zoo, £1 for ice cream)

i give this to parents 3 wks b4 hols so the parents can budget for it

[kpnuts2006]

Her current childminder is quitting and has just give notice. I think that she is pretty desperate because the other childminders near me dont pick up from her children's school and I dont have any other commitment to schools. So to be honest she is probably more desperate than i am to mind her children

[kpnuts2006]

Also she would like me to have them in the school holidays which will be for 11 hours a day. Any suggestions on the prices that you can charge per day. I mean to charge an hourly rate seems a bit much as this would then be £66 a day.

[ThePrisoner]

I also don't do a reduction for siblings. As smeeinit says, I certainly wouldn't do any more of a reduction unless you really are desperate for the work (and I mean desperate).

Do you know how your hourly rate compares to other minders in your area? Are they currently paying £65 to another childminder in your area - if so, why are they looking for a new minder? (£65/week for 14.5 hours care is only £2.25 per hour!!!)

[kpnuts2006]

thank you for your responses, yes she has asked me to provide meals and transporation within that price. I mean the school is a mile away and she wants me to take them 4 mornings and pick them up 3 evenings. I mean she saw my advertisement and my website and it states that i do actually charge £3.50 for part timers and i think that i was being reasonable reducing the rate too. Really dont know what to do, need to let her know tomorrow

[dmo]

as your new to this dont be taken in by parents most get help with childcare from tax credits
i charge £3 per hour for before/after school
i have 2 children i have after school for 20 mins their parents pay me £6 per night to do this as they cant do it themselves
what i am saying is we provide a sevice and if the parents need us they will use us
if your parents whats childcare for £65 then she will have to look elsewhere.
mose the prob she will use you for your full pay if she is desparate.

[Tan1959]

I too do not offer a sibling reduction & would charge full hourly rate for both children. I certainly would not agree to reduce to £65, why should you? presumably you are trying to earn a living?! yes I know I sound harsh but you are not a charity

Have you been asked to provide breakfast in the morning?
Have you been asked to provide Dinner or afternoon snacks & are they included in your hourly rate?

Don't be taken advantage of, parents may be able to claim a proportion in tax credits anyway

[smeeinit]

if it was me i def would not reduce the money unless you are absolutly desperate for the work
i would not have even done a reduction for the 2 of them in first place,i only do sibling reduction for full timers.
imo i think its downright rude of them to ask you to further reduce for them when youve given them a perfectly decent reduction anyway!