Question for cms about retainers

[JingEllBells]

Hiya

I have asked something similar to this in the past, so sorry for being boring, but I just want to know if you think that my cm (whom I love, btw, so definitely not trying to pick a fight with her) is being fair or not.

My dds have been with this cm since dd1 was 3 and dd2 18 months. She has had them basically full-time (and then working around nursery school, part-time school, and dd1 at full-time school, etc.). Dd2 starts school full-time after Christmas, and so we need to re-do our contract. We decided to take this opportunity to rethink our childcare somewhat, partly for financial reasons (we've recently moved house) and partly because I want to try to make the effort to spend more time with them during school holidays. (I am a lecturer, so although I have things to do during the holidays I am fairly free in how I organise my time and could spend more time with the dds if I was organised about it....)

At the moment the cm has dd1 after school 5 days a week (though in reality we normally manage to pick her up at least one day a week, but it's not predictable, so need the cm to be available) and dd2 every afternoon from 12.00 onwards. What I'd like to do once dd2 is full-time at school is for the cm to pick them both up from school Monday-Thursday, but not Friday (we've worked out that we can arrange this between me and dh). We'd also need her to have them 3 days a week during half term, as I don't get half terms off. However, we wouldn't need her during school holidays. (At present we pay her for 3 days a week full-time during school holidays, although we only use her occasionally.)

Now, I realise that with dd2 starting school it's going to mean a bit drop in her income, and maybe she is disappointed that we're also reducing the school holiday hours. However, we really need/want to do this. She has said that we will need to pay a retainer through the school holidays to secure the girls' place with her. Again, we are fine with this. However, what I'd like to question is how much this retainer should be. She'd like the retainer to be a third of what we USED to pay during the school holidays, which she has worked out as 4 days a week (this is a mistake, as it's only ever been three days, but I'm willing to believe it's a genuine mistake), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. x 2 dds x £3/hour. What this means, in reality, is that we'd be paying her the same through the holidays as we'd be paying her during term-time, which seems a bit odd to me. However, as I said at the start, she is a fab cm, the dds love her and I really don't want to upset her. So before I question this with her, can you ladies tell me what you charge as a retainer through the holidays? Does it seem fair to charge me (even proportionately) for full-days when I am not asking her to work or to be available to work full-days? What do you think?

Sorry this is so long. Thanks.... (Am having to turn computer off for a bit now, but will check back later...).

Bump???

Anyone???

Message withdrawn

I know childminders who charge half rates for holidays and I even know of one who charges full rates.

I personally dont charge a retainer as I take the school holidays as "my holiday" and it then means I am free to be with my DC.

Sorry no help at all

Thanks tobysmum and busybusy. Sounds as if it's OK then. I guess I was kind of thinking that when they were under 5 then obviously we needed to pay to keep their place, as numbers were limited. Whereas once they are both over 5 the numbers are not so vital (I know my cm wouldn't take on her maximum number of mindees, as her house isn't big enough).

So, tobysmum... if you have children after school during term-time, what do you charge them half of during the holidays (iyswim)? Is it half of what they normally pay? Or half of what they would have been paying if you had them all day? (Because I think that half of what we normally pay would have been understandable; it was the half of a full day's rate, even though we didn't need a full day's care, that seemed a bit odd.)

Sorry if I seem curmudgeonly. I'm not really, honest!

Message withdrawn

Thanks tobysmum. Yes, you read it right! I already do pay more for after school (£4 as opposed to £3). Having read your replies and having seen what a big variety there is in what people charge and what arrangements they make, I think that what she is charging us is pretty fair (except that it should be based on three days not four in the holidays, since we've never used her for four days a week in the hols) and it's not worth worrying about. As I said before, we're really happy with her, the dds love her and there is no way I want to change her. And you're right, for over three years she's had at least one - sometimes two - of my children full-time, so with them both being at school it's going to mean a big drop in her income. I'll have to have another baby, I think.... it's only fair, after all... she has a business to run. [dreamy emoticon]

hi jingellbells,

if you have signed a contract stating different hours ( eg full day instead of 3hrs) for holidays, then normally you will pay half of the full day if you decide you arn't going to send the kids.

but if the holidays are just an extra that you have mutually agreed then they are normally just classed as extra hours, so in this case you would be charged half of 3 hrs.

at least that is how i work it, but all childminders run their business's differently. so you need to check your contract.

I'm a teacher too. Dd goes to a cm 2 days a week, and we continue to pay our cm during the holidays, the same as we do during term time.

She is available to work, and therefore, we pay her, even though we don't use her. She is, of course, available if we change our mind during the holidays and opt to send dd.

Our cm has 4 weeks' holiday a year when she doesn't charge us.

Just a thought, the only thing that changes is that she charges £4.30 per hour when dd is there (because she provides food), and £4.00 per hour if dd is not there. Does that make sense?

Message withdrawn

Thanks everyone for this. We've now spoken to our cm and everything is sorted. We're paying the normal £4/hour for after school care during term time, but a retainer based on third of a full day's fee x 3 days during the holidays. That seems totally fair to me.

Point taken about over-5s, shosha. I hadn't really thought it through properly.

The problem with looking at the contract is that we need to draw up a new contract based on dd being at school full-time, and wanted to get this straight before signing it!

Anyway, seems to be all sorted. Thanks to all of you for helping me get my head round it.

Oh, and Happy Christmas!