The niggly bits......I need a bit of help really.

[madge7]

Hi Everyone,

I am a newish childminder as you prob know and have taken on some children on a temporary basis and learnt alot really, I just need some clarification on what i should be charging etc....

Child aged 3 - i have him from 7am, take him to nursery at 12.30 after I have fed him breakfast, snack and lunch, my normal hourly rate is £3.00 per hour - how much should I be charging, bearing in mind i have his sister too (under 1) from 7am till 3.30pm?

My total cost for this day to the parents is £36.00 ?? Am i undercutting myself?

Do you charge extra for early morning?

Should I be charging a retainer? if so how much?

Should I be charging for food?

What else am I missing....

Some days I run them both to different places in the afternoon, one to an auntie, one to a freind, I dont charge for petrol.......should I?

I wont change the contract now mid way but I am only contracted till the end of march with this one but the mum has indicated she might want me for longer. I am allowed to re price it all as it is not her paying me at the mo its a charity for the forces etc.

Please help guys and gals.......

xxxxxx

this is what I would be charging:- 3 year old I would charge a half day (£16) for 8-12.30 and the 1 year old hourly rate £3.60 from 8-3.30. Double time for each for the hour 7-8 am. Breakfast £1.25, lunch £1.40, snacks no charge.
If using car parents are charged 40p per mile for each journey they have asked me to do - such as preschool drop off or taking home. If I'm going to park or somewhere that I've decided to include as part of the days activities then I don't charge the parent petrol.

However I have made huge reductions at times when I haven't got any mindies. Especially when you're starting out you want to build up some positive parent references. But you don't want to keep it so low that you can't afford to stay in business.

ho Madge I have apolicy I give to parents of children at preschool/Nursery

UNDER 5?S IN OTHER SETTINGS

A child is counted as an under 5 by Ofsted until they are in full time education i.e. at school for 10 sessions a week.

A child who is at pre school is a under 5 and if they are with a childminder before and after pre school, and require a fulltime space during the holidays they therefore are taking a childminders full time space. As such you are required to pay retainer fee for the time that they are at preschool, as the childminder cannot then fill the part time that they are at pre school.

I dont charge petrol, or food, but i do charge £3.25 a hour, which is about normal here. All my food charges I set against mytax bill, so if I charged for itI would end up paying tax.

But if you dont earn enough to pay tax, charge for it.

Put all your petrol involving the children on you tax bill as well.

i would charge £3 per child full day esp as sister is under 1, and the boy is only in nursery half day, then i would charge a set amount for drop of ie to nana's(maybe closest) £2.00, to aunties (farthest aawy £4.00 and so on.
i also charge and extra £1 per hour before 8.30 and extra £2.50 per hour before 8.30 but depends upon your market?!

i WOULD BE CAREFUL ABOUT CHARGING MILEAGE TO THE PARENTS (opps sorry for ahouting)

My car insurance would be invalid if I charged for mileage (ie the parents) so do be careful