Would you charge before and after school-ers a retainer in the school hols

[Hollylou]

Gosh I feel as though I am always on here banging on about retainers! Just wanted to check if any of you charge a retainer of some sort in the school hols for your before/after schoolies? Obviously if parents want to use you for days in the school hols then they pay for it...but what if they don't? Not sure what is most appropriate when schools are closed so wanted to check.

I don't think as a parent I would expect to pay it - though I do expect to pay it while ds1 is at pre-school, guess I better check this with his cm!

Personally, I have term time only contracts and full time contracts, so in answer to your question, No, I don't charge retainers. There is only one mindee who I have during the holidays who is a schoolie and the extra money I earn from him, more than makes up for the term time only ones.

Thanks both - I must admit I don't intend to be charging retainers for before and after school children in the holidays. I have two with me at the moment and don't charge in hols (unless they actually come to me) but met another local childminder recently who told me she did still get paid in the holidays for a child she picks up from school, even though he doesn't come to her. If he does come to her then she charges the extra on top of this. I was a little surprised at this as if you're contracted to pick up before and after school only then surely it doesn't seem fair to be charging parents when the schools are closed and the pick up not required...unless of course they want to use you for days in the holidays...which is a different matter.

Gosh, put like that, I think its a bit cheeky actually. Surely, those parents don't take all the school holidays off, so they must have to pay for childcare twice iyswim.

no i wouldnt the other cm sounds cheeky imo

i normally get different children in for the school holidays so it evens out

actually i think i read this incorrectly, i thought you meant would you charge a retainer during the school day when you do the before and after, not for the hours you actually have them but in the hols when they aren't there.
in that case i WOULD expect to pay a retainer (but only to pay the normal rate if he goes).
ds will have before school in term-time and all morning in hols, but if he didn't go in the hols (if I were a teacher for example) I'd expect to pay the retainer for those hours during the hols.

I don't charge retainers during school holidays - I have some children that do term-time only, and other children who do holidays only. As dmo says, it evens out.

re the other cm i would expect to pay say 50% for the hours of before and after school drop off but if the child actually came to me in the holidays i wouldnt expect to pay a retainer on top of normal fees as they would be using their place.