CM Club: What should I do about keeping space open???

[looneytune]

Hi

As some of you know, just before I moved house at the end of last year, I asked Ofsted for a variation to have 4 under 5's 3 days a week as mindee's mum was pregnant. This was granted for the children named on the request.

When mum was pg she said she'd probably want me to start with baby once they are approx 2 months old. Baby is now 7 weeks old and I started doing adhoc childcare for her from 5 weeks. Never charged retainer to keep the 3 days a week open as this baby was the 4th under 5 so I wasn't actually loosing business iykwim.

Now I've had a change in circumstances. Mindee 1 who's been with me over 1 and half years (since I started) leaves me on Thursday as off to school far away from me. This means that from when they leave, I won't need the variation for 4 under 5. So I will (until baby comes properly) only be working Tues, Wed, Thurs with baby's sibling. So as it stands, I will have a full time vacancy and another on a Monday and Friday. I'm loosing almost £700 a month from full timer leaving so money is going to be VERY tight. I sort of need to know when this baby is starting with me properly as I have a big gap in money. What would you do? I know mum is up in the air about what her plans are going to be but I've no idea what this means? (as in could she maybe decide not to have baby with me as may not work?????) Would you normally charge a retainer in these circumstances?

I just don't know what to do? What do you think????

If you've got this far and understand what I'm saying then well done and thanks!

LT x

Its a hard one ,but i think i would explain to mum about the numbers and try and pin her down, i think for your own pocket you will have to charge a retainer , chances are that the mum will make a quick decision if she is having to pay !!! hopefully

I must admit, I think I'm going to have to do that. Do the rest of you agree?

That brings me onto the question of retainers! Never charged one so don't know what to charge. IF baby comes on board as mum first said, it will be 3 days a week, 6.45-6.30. My normal rate is £3.80 an hour but I've told them they can have discount of xxx when she starts. At the moment, I'm charging £3.50 an hour for the adhoc care. What do you think about the retainer?

Thanks

Agree about the retainer.

I wonder if the mum's 'up in the air' as she may be thinking about not going back to work?

I've never charged a retainer either, so will watch this with interest.

I have never had to charge a retainer but when i asked around as a had a possible term time only baby , i was told 50% and if you are a NCMA member in the members handbook it says : on a members survey
full fee = 6%
Half fee = 52%
other specified amount + 5 %
hope this helps

I did wonder about her not going back to work now she has 2 but on the other hand, they run their own business in the city and she went back when baby was less than 2 weeks old (took baby with her) so it's not that she's not working as such. She currently works from home when I don't have baby and my thoughts are she may be looking into staying at home and getting a nanny or something? She says she does want me but she keeps saying different things which worries me. Of course I totally understand them looking at all options (if that's what they are doing), I just need to make sure I don't loose out as I am turning lots of work away for full timers at the moment.

Thanks Charmedhay, that was very useful. At the current adhoc rate, it would be £42 a day normally so if I charged £21 a day x 3, she'd have to pay me £63 a week as a retainer.

Now I just have to find the guts to bring this up! Trouble is, we do most of our communication via email so wonder whether to email about it or arrange to speak to her? Oh, I hate this side of childminding!!

BTW WanderingTrolley & Charmedhay, I don't regonise your names as been away from MN for the last few months. Are you fairly new? If so, welcome Mumsnet I've been lost without it since we moved!!!

So does everyone agree that I should contact her about a retainer IF she wants the space saving? And 50%?

She's just emailed me so I need to respond and wonder whether to mention this in my reply?

Thanks

Hi looneytune, if you haven't already replied to this mum then yes you need to let her know about the other child leaving and need to know about dates for baby starting on a proper contract or she will loose the space. If she is not sure on dates then you have to agree on a retainer fee to keep the space.
I have charged half fees before. but certainly wouldn't go below 1/3 fees.
Do you keep a contact number of the others that have phoned you about spaces, if so get calling them if mum backs out.

Thanks mumlove, will reply to her email and mention this. It's the way we tend to communicate and at least it will all be in black and white for her to see!

Yes, I have a waiting list so can contact the others again if she won't pay or doesn't want the space anyway.

Can't believe how things can change so fast. At the end of 2005 we were in a desperate situation then this time last year ended up filling vacancies all at once. Now going from what should have been a very healthy income of approx £1700 (once baby on board and if mindee 1 wasn't leaving) a month down to less than £550

I really hope she does want to keep using me as if she doesn't and she removes the sibling, I'll be back to no mindees again, just like that! All part of the job though isn't it!

Thanks

I know what it's like.
I lose one to school this sept 07. 2 sept08 and 2 sept 09.
Thats if nothing else happens in between so I am starting to think about it now. but they are all part timers so I will keep my fingers crossed that I can replace them when the time comes.

Hi LT
I would def email mum - explain your situation and that u need either a retainer or u cant gaurentee the space and ring other mums to fill it.
At the end of the day its our business and we cant be too nice to mums as they dont always repay us back when they 'change their mind' which i know they are entitle too but we suffer from that.
Be strong and hopefully she will agree to 50% retainer.
Good luck hun and let us know how it goes

Thanks

Just emailed her now and hopefully she'll understand. Will let you know what she says. Just hope she doesn't decide to let me fill the space as that suggests I could end up loosing her 18 month old

Oh well, will see what happens!

Thanks for the advice girls!

Good News - mum TOTALLY TOTALLY understood - PHEW!!

Bad News - had a sneaky feeling that this is something she's thinking about - maybe getting a nanny so can get help with chores etc. and they would live in so cheaper for her.

Result - Rang round / emailed round ALL people who've enquired recently to let them know I'm available. So 1 full time vacancy for now and also, sibling would obviously go if this happened so I'm expecting a 4 weeks notice coming soon. This will me going from full to NO MINDEES all since Xmas

Feel sick with worry but glad I found out!!!

I'm glad you now now what might be happening. It's all the not knowing that I don't like. Parents seem to think that we can mind read some of the time.

Yeah, the not knowing was getting frustrating. I still don't know about current mindee (the sibling of the baby) but I'm presuming she'll go so I MUST get some work or I'll be in big trouble! I allow for loss of earnings etc. but just didn't expect them all to go at once

At least you know as crap as it is you can get out there and hopefully as notice comes in you will have a lovely mindee waiting just for you {fingers crossed}

hi Looneytune, just saw this, what a nightmare for you..i thought business would be booming this time of year with all chlidren going up classes and new children startin nursery, but im in same boat..just rang c.i.s to see if the have any enquiries, but nothing, not in this area anyway..have listed loads of ads everywhere i can think of but nothing...mindee 2 is still paying notice until end of next week so im hoping something comes up here too..good luck to you

Thanks SS and sorry you're in same boat. I'm lucky that although I turned away a lot of enquiries recently, I kept the contact details and rang/emailed round last night. Result - 1 meeting on Friday afternoon and another on Tuesday afternoon.

So hard to imagine not having mindees, especially with 4 under 5's at the moment! It can all change at once but I'm trying to stay positive and remember I've been here before and then loads of mindees came at once. I need this to happen again NOW!!!

Good luck to you!

I'm off now to take a 7 week, 18 month and 2 3 year olds out for a walk before it rains again!

Catch you later

thats good news then..fingers crossed..have a nice walk

Cheers, you too!

I hope mindee finishes her snack soon so we can go out before it rains!