New Starter - working out fees etc - please help :-)

[madge7]

HI Everyone,

Have an enquiry for a new starter, he is 16 months old and his mum wants me to have him on a mon/tues/wed.

Two of those days he goes to nursery until 1pm, mum wants me to pick him up and have him till 5.30 (mon & Wed) and 8pm on a Tuesday.

I charge £3.00 per hour and £4.50 per hour after 5.30pm. (I know thats early to start charging time and a half but the parents around here are all forces and tend to finish earlier anyway).

Do I charge something for the mornings he is not with me as he is taken up my allowance?? If I do charge, from what time do I charge from 9am?

Please help I am sure the answer is simple but I just like to clarify etc.

M
XXXX

Madge look in the email and find Under 5, i put this in my pack to parents

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.

and charge accordingly.

depends if she wants you when nursery is closed
i pick up a little boy term time from nursery at 11.30am but in the hols mum wants me from 9am so mum pays me from 9am when her son is at nursey

1pm is a graet time to collect as you could have another child mornings only. explain to mum that you are advertising the morning space and are unable to offer it to her unless she pays you

Thanks again, but what if he is not with me BEFORE he goes to pre school and i just do the pick up, shall i word that phrase slightly differently?

if mum wants the space in the holidays then charge reatiner love as you still cant let the space term time.

when i say word it differently, I mean like this

A child who is at pre school is a under 5 and if they are with a childminder before and/or after pre school

if you will be primary contact ie:mum wants nursery to ring you when hes there, i would cahrge full day, tricky one, as if you dont drop ff, he's not really your responsability until you collect him is he?
try and get mum t list yo as primary contact and emphasize that she wouldnt want to be coming out of work if her LO needed to come home cos they were wet/scraped knee etc..then i would think you could charge full day??

Good wording madge

If you are only being asked to collect him at 1.00pm, then that is when I would charge from.

I assume that he wouldn't be your responsibility on those mornings, so you are free to look for another part-timer.

Thanks for your replies.

Based on that his mum will need me in the school holidays, I therefore cannot advertise for mornings for another child, (plus he doesnt go to nursery everyday so i cant advertise anyway).

On school holidays she needs me from 8.30am, do I then charge retainer from 8.30 - 1pm and then full price from 1pm when I have him during term time.

M
XX

I would agree with your last thought of charging the retainer from 8.30am and full price from 1pm. This sounds very reasonable to me!

Hi madge7
I agree with your last post and charge a retainer 8.30 - 1pm. Then the hours are reserved for her and to pay full fees when she uses that time.