Paying another mum to take my child home

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A mum of another child in my son's class has offered to take him home from school once a week along with her own daughter because she wants to earn a bit of cash. She'll take him to her house for about 3 hours and give him tea while I'm at work.
When I was thinking about how much to pay I thought it wouldn't need to be the full rate I'd pay a nanny as they're going to her house and she is picking up from school anyway.
Does anyone have any thoughts on what a reasonable offer would be per week please? ( it's not London, average cost area).

Shed need to be ofsted registered as a childminder or this agreement would be illegal, I'm afraid.

Agreed, if your son is under 8 she needs to be registered.

It's a friend helping me out! If it is illegal, it's a law I'm very happy to break.

Well after school club costs £10 for 2.5hrs with a snack not full dinner so considering it's tax free cash and depending on whether dinner was proper so that I didn't need to feed my child at home I would pay £12.

I see your point about it being a friend vs illegal but how would you feel God forbid if there was an accident and he got run over.
Accidents happen or I was paying you to look after my child???

It’s not illegal as it’s only 3 hours.

£10 would be a fair amount but obv can get someone who is registered for that amount but I’m guessing it’s the security of having someone you know rather than saving money

So your friend is going to babysit for you for 3 hours a week?

Erm yes she does, anything over two hours.

Babysitting happens in the child’s home.

Strictly speaking most babysitting is completely illegal then.

Maybe about £10-15? How much does she expect to earn?

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat I’m sure they changed it to 3 hours but I’m happy to be corrected. Will check now

Well in that case the arrangement needs to happen at OPs house.

Or no payment take place.

It would be legal if OP looked after friends child one day in return so no monetary (or equivalent) payment for services takes place.

There are some exceptions to the rule that if over 2 hours they need to be registered-

If you provide your childcare at the home of the child you are looking after, then Ofsted registration is not required, and there are no restrictions.

If the childcare you’re providing is for less than 2 hours a day or no more than 14 days of childcare per year from a specific address. (This equates to nearly 3 weeks if you are looking at weekday childcare).

If you provide childcare between the hours of 6pm to 2am.

If you only care for a child or children aged under 8 whom you are related to. A relative means a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother or sister of a child (or half-brother or sister) or someone you are related to through marriage or civil partnership.

If the children concerned are older than 8 years old, then there are no restrictions.

Oh, FGS, these informal cash-in-hand arrangements happen all the time - that’s how the world works.

OP, I’d suggest £15.

agent of course they do. But no one talks about the exchange of payment.

I would check what a local childminder would charge and pay a little less as she had no tax or insurance to pay

Get 2/3 local quotes and just agree with her

To get around the legality of it give her £10 to cover the child's meal, don't pay her to mind him. This goes on in every street of every town, every day I'm sure.

Thank you for comments regarding the cost. I've suggested a bit more than you say and that's ok, I was worried I'd been mean.
I take the point about if an accident happened that there'd be no insurance if the friend is not registered and can see that if there were, for example, care needs afterwards I could regret that.
Other than that I couldn't give a stuff about the legality. If the law says a friend and I can't do each other a mutual favour for three hours a week the famous cliche is needed.

Our after school club costs £9 for 3:25-6pm. So I'd have said £7.50-10 for a friend who is picking up/informal arrangement. Sorry, guess I came in lower than everyone else! But what a lovely thing for a friend to do. And PP is right, it could be considered playdates and that you're donating towards his meal and craft supplies he uses at your friend's house, if you have no contract. He'd not be covered by childminder insurance but if it was really playdates, he'd be covered by usual house insurance.

So, perhaps you want to talk about (for e.g.) friday playdates, not childcare 😀

Our after school club is £7.50 from 3.15pm to 6pm.

Includes a snack/ beans on toast type stuff

I'd give her £10 a day, but it is illegal and she could get into trouble (you won't) if found out...

If the going rate for qualified insured first aid trained childcare that provides food and activities is £10 why would you consider paying as much or more for someone who has no insurance - including invalidating their own car insurance, possibly has no first aid and will not be paying any tax, NI, registration fees etc? She obviously want to take on more children as she wouldn't be considering doing it for an extra £10 a week less food.

The rule in childcare is 2 hours not 3.

underneaththeash - she could get into trouble if it comes to light especially if a child gets injured even a minor hospital trip for a bumped head or sprain can result in a social services visit, a quiet chat with a worried parent waiting for a brain scan or an anxious child in the hospital has been known to stir up all sorts of problems.

Find out what a rate would be for after school clubs and childminders in your area and then pay at least 20% less imo.