CM Club: Fees and Charges

[moonstar04]

Do you as a childminder adjust your charges if mindee is collected earlier than contracted times?????

I have a mindee whi is contracted till 5.30pm but is regulary picked up between 45mins and 20 mins early on each day. Should I be refunding the diffrence or should I let it flow as is contracted hours agreed?

Definately dont refund. You charge for contracted hours and if early then great. I do however allow a certain amount of lateness if they are early alot ie i wouldnt charge if they were late once after going 20 minutes early for 2 weeks. IYKWIM

They are paying you to reserve a slot of time for their child and its their decision whether or not to use the whole of it, so you are quite justified in charging the full fees.

You could, if it suited the parents, do a new contract with an earlier pickup time but then they would lose the option of picking up at 5:30pm which they might want to do from time to time.

I have a couple of families like this, and like bonkerz I would waive the late collection fee. But other families who arrive exactly (or a minute after!) their contracted time I would charge late fees every time they are late.

I agree with Ayla & Bonkerz

I used to regularly collect my children early, say 15 or 20 min early and never considered asking for that portion of money back!
and on occasions when I'm a bit late, it all evens up.

I was asked when taking on Mindee2 if I would give refunds for them picking up early. Pointed out that they contract me for '9.5' hours a day and that is what I require payment for, but on the same note won't charge them for lateness (unless extreme).

Since contract commenced, 3 months ago, mindee has been collected 45 mins early ONCE! Been late by between 15/30 mins almost every other night!

Has now got to the point that when they are on time, I am not expecting them, and mindee is still eating her dinner!