Flexible child care

[zsecrett]

Hi,

I’m looking at setting my own child minding business up , which will be run from
Home. I’m in the process of registering with ofstead and completing the courses I need . I currently work shift work and I found it a struggle to get childcare that was on a rotational basis and would take before 07:30 . This is just a survey really to see if people would be interested in a child minder that would accommodate shift workers? I live in Hill Head , Stubbington , Hampshire .

Thank you

Zone

The problem with shifts is that they do take a space for the full week and they do leave you earning a lot less than minimum wage if you don't have other children in on those unsociable hours. Until you actually start work its hard to come to terms with exactly how much work is involved in child-minding as opposed to caring for your own or having a playdate, This means that if a cm istaking children for a 7.30 to 6pm 5 day a week place they need to easily add an extra hour unpaid per day to set up clean down plan do paperwork etc before getting on with their own chores and family life. Once you have done these hours doing extra either side or weekends for only one child taking in about £2.50 after costs can be sole destroying and have a real effect on family life....assuming that on top of this you are not doing continuing training accounts and clean downs due to mindees coming in sick which take up even more of a valuable few hours family time.....so consider what you offer and how much it will cost your family and energy levels.

There is always a demand for flexible childcare. Healthcare workers, emergency workers (police, fire, ambulance) and military are just some examples of shift workers. Without doubt you will have some of these near you!

I appreciate that there are extra demands to offering flexible childcare but the benefits would be families would stay with you (as so few other providers offer this), you would be very in demand, and you could also charge extra for antisocial hours.

Best of luck with setting this up.

Hibbledibble.

Thank you for your helpful comments . I work in the ambulance service myself and know what a nightmare it is to find childcare Around shift work. Hence why i'm considering a change of career . Thank you for your reply :) x

You will have an ever-changing revenue and won't be able to plan your finances properly. Some months you will make a lot, other months a lot less, but the bills will keep coming.

Fees for childminders are usually set per child, per hour or day. If you charge say £6 per hour, then at the times when you only have one child you will making very little money, well below the minimum wage. If you accommodate people on shifts, then that's the danger - you will be working very, very long hours for little money. Hence why childminders tend to be open from 8-6 or 7.30 to 6.30. I personally wouldn't work for less than minimum wage.

You are probably better to go onto local sites and ask if there is demand in your area, and perhaps contact your local families information. Perhaps consider just an out of hours service and see if you can get a handful of regular clients who may not use you the rest of the time which could then run alongside something like a Monday to Wednesday day time or wrap around plus school holiday service. This would give you down time and a regular income as well as meeting any demand for shifts which you could then build up if people wanted it.....the problem is always getting initial business. I live near the airport and a major hospital but have only once had an enquiry for out of hours shifts in 24 years,

There is a cm near me who caters for shift workers, but she is rarely full and can’t take extra dc in as they would clash shifts, I have no idea how she makes her business profitable tbh. I would think about saying the shift workers have to guarantee you x amount of hours each week so you know you have some income coming in each week even if it isn’t a full time wage.

Ok , makes sense. Thanks for all your comments x