Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Flip

Original poster

CM club: Extra charges

17 replies

mogs0 · 20/03/2007 14:52

For the last few months I have been keeping Fridays child free. This wasn't originaly my intention but all my mindees are part time and their days fall over mon to thurs. Now that my son is in reception I actually get a day off where their are no children at all. I have decided that I value this day so much that if anyone wanted me to look after their child on a Friday it would be charged at double time.

Mindee1 mum asked if he could come today for an extra half a day. That was fine then she cancelled at 8am today and asked to change it to Friday. Of course, being the soft touch that I am I agreed and said nothing of the increase in fees.

The contract is due for renewal this month, do you fill in a whole new contract or just look at the orginal and ammend it where neccessary?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

looneytune · 20/03/2007 14:57

Do you have your opening times anywhere in your policies? I do and would change it to show open Mon-Thurs blablabla and then an extra note saying I'd be willing to work the occasional Friday at a fee of £x per hour.

Then on contracts, make a note in the box that gives you room to add things.

I think that's fine! Just like me charging much more for weekends!

StrawberrySnowflakes · 20/03/2007 15:57

i would still charge her the e xtra, mentio it to her before hand and say, do you realise blah blah??..but if your like me you wont...so make sure you put it in writing, say do a amendment to contract form or fees update?

FeelingOld · 20/03/2007 16:27

If you already have it written in your policies which parents have signed they agree to and on their contact then you should charge the hours at the extra rate, but if you have just decided this and it is not written or agreed any where then you would have to charge normal hourly rate IMO.

If not already done so I would get it all written down at your next policy review.

Original poster

mogs0 · 20/03/2007 17:01

Parents don't sign to say they agree with my policies. Should they?

This charge is something I thought of over the last couple of weeks because I love having a day to myself (is that indulgent?!) and haven't worked a Friday since November.

I think I will go over my policies on the weekend and update them and make some notes for mindee1 contract review.

Do you give out a whole new contract when it's reviewed or update the existing one?

OP posts:

crace · 20/03/2007 17:09

I don't think they need to sign the policies, but in the contract it would have stated that Friday's are a different rate? Is that what you mean?

I think you may need to wait until your contract comes under review and then change it? It is a bit cheeky of mum to cancel on the same day and just move to Friday though! Maybe tell her that you have that day off and in future if it's needed it's charged differently?

Original poster

mogs0 · 20/03/2007 17:48

The days swapping is a regular occurance and entirely my own fault for not saying anything about it before. It usually doesn't bother me as I have space for him and he's pretty easy to have around!!

His contract is due a review but at the mo it only says the cost of his contracted hours so will find a spot to list Friday fees.

OP posts:

ThePrisoner · 20/03/2007 19:16

My "Permission-to-do-anything-I-want-to-with-your-child" forms have a sentence which reads something like "I agree that I have received, read and accept ThePrisoner's policies."

Originally, it just said something about just having been given a copy. My network co-ordinator said that they should sign to say that they accept them as well.

FeelingOld · 20/03/2007 19:46

Yes I was told by my ofsted inspector at my last inspection that I should give parents a copy of my policies and that they should sign to say they have received a copy and agree to them.

I understand about swapping days etc and what a pain it can be I just do not see how you can charge extra (by that I mean above your usual hourly rate) unless it is written somewhere and parents have agreed to it iyswim. Not saying you shouldn't do it in the future if it is in your policies/contracts.

If contracts change (charges, hours etc) then I do a whole new contract, if I am just reviewing and nothing has changed then I just get parents to sign and date existing contract to say been reviewed.

maximummummy · 20/03/2007 22:10

i dont think you're being indulgent having a day off i'm sure you deserve it i have thursdays off - well i dont really as my son is 2 so i end up going to playgroup with him and see half my mindees there too!!! i was thinking of being indulgent myself & getting a cleaner does anyone else do this?

dmo · 20/03/2007 22:12

i have friday mornings off and use them to go to the hairdressers/doctors/dentist/town
its fab
if a parent askes me to have their child extra on a friday i just lie and say that i am fully booked on fridays

dmo · 20/03/2007 22:13

oh i have a cleaner 2 days per week
best thing i have ever done
my oven is so clean

Original poster

mogs0 · 21/03/2007 19:31

I have been considering a cleaner for about a year but my family keep telling I can't and should be doing it myself!

OP posts:

maximummummy · 21/03/2007 21:28

i think i'd only need a cleaner for a couple of hours to do downstairs i'd be quite happy @ playgroup for a session while they did my housework!!!

maximummummy · 21/03/2007 21:30

my dp agrees neither of us are desperate to clean! pretty sure i'll be paying though!!

dmo · 21/03/2007 22:10

great family mog
do the cleaning yourself hope they all help

Original poster

mogs0 · 22/03/2007 16:46

Family - as in my sisters and Mum who live 150 miles away!!

After what I have cleaned up today am seriously considering it now, although wouldn't really like to inflict my crap on anyone right now!!

OP posts:

ayla99 · 22/03/2007 20:59

I don't do amendments to contracts, if anything changes I do a new one. On my contracts it states that if they want to swap a day they have to pay for the day on the contract AND the new day. (Cos I can hardly book in someone else for the day they swapped from).

I also have a different rate on the contract for "mutually agreed additional hours" which is higher than the agreed contracted hours. So theres an incentive to have all their required hours in the contract rather than contracting for the minimum and trying to book extra here & there which makes my life more complicated than I want it to be.

There's not a surface around me that's free from clutter, a huge pile of washing up (although I feel like i've been washing up all day) and I've hidden the ironing in the conservatory. Wish I had a cleaner too Was thinking about getting one but dh lost his job. Now he's been at home under my feet for 3 weeks you'd have thought I'd have a tidy house by now ....

Flip