Options?!

[maybeau]

I'm actively looking for a full time job (after fitting my part time job around family life) but the cost of childcare is really concerning me. I have a 5 year old dd (so am still pretty new to this), and have managed to juggle care while I'm at work in the school holidays up till now. After (unsuccessfully) looking for various options (clubs etc) she has just started at a Childminder 3 mornings a week at £4.50ph. I have an agreement with the CM that it'll only be for the summer holiday unless I start a new job in which case she will hold my daughter's place.
So if i get a FT job I enter into a 12 month contract with the CM where I tell her what days I need (m-f), and she reserves them throughout the year. (The holiday care is automatically the same days as term time). 6 weeks of care works out at £1080. Over a grand for a month and a half. And that's just for summer holidays. Now, I wasn't expecting it to be cheap as chips but I just don't think i can do it. How does everyone else manage? I can't even dilute paying childcare with family babysitting because you have to pay for the place regardless of whether you send the child in or not. It's this usual for all Childminders?
I'm open to any thoughts!

Is what usual for all childminders? Paying if you don't choose to use the space? Yes of course! How can the cm earn an income if everyone just dips in and out of her service paying when the feel like it. Presumably you want the space kept available to you, and this is essentially what you're paying for. The cm is not taking any else on because of her commitment to you.

If that's not what you're asking I apologise. It wasn't clear.

Thanks for your reply. Yes that is what I was asking. I'm just a bit confused because If someone had a job that ran to term time, they'd still be paying for holiday care even when they're off work? My first impression was that to still pay nearly £200 for a week when the child might be with family or on holiday for the sake of "saving their place" seems excessive. Especially if the child is with them every single other day of the year. The commitment is still there - It's not exactly dipping in and out. I just wanted to check if this was usual practice for Childminders. Even some kind of "family time discount" would seem appropriate. Also if this kind of childcare doesn't work for some people, what are the alternatives? Seriously! First timer here! Teach me!

Some childminders may offer a term time only care option. Each childminder runs their own business and decides their own fees.
That would only work for parents who did not need any care on days school was closed.

So just say one week you need Mon Tues weds and the next week you need weds Thurs Fri. Although it's not your fault, the childminder has to save those days and can't give them to anyone else as you may need them. Of course if she's charging full fee every day then you're more than welcome to use it. It does seem a bit steep at £200pw for before and after school?? All childminders do it differently though. Personally I have children who's parents work shifts and I just save them the space free as I prefer to not be full every day so it's worth asking round.

I do offer a term time only contract for those who need it but that's because I can 'sell' the other weeks to those need holiday only care. I don't offer discount for 'family time'. My ratios are low and limited and I need to earn from them each and every week to support my own family and bills. Same for most CMs I would imagine. Would you be happy for your boss to announce random weeks you wouldn't be needed and therefore wouldn't be paid for? If this doesn't suit the client then of course they are free not to use the services the cm is offering.