Can I charge a fee to collect/ drop off at pre school? How much?

[bignbouncy]

One of my mindees is starting pre school in September. The start time clashes with my dd 's school and It's not within walking distance of my house so I'd have to drive. Would it be reasonable to charge a daily drop/off collection fee to cover petrol. If so how much ? To be honest I would much prefer not to get in my car everyday would it be really out of order to refuse to take him to that pre school ?

i presume you could a little extra for the use of petrol

Maek sure your insurance covers this.

If you charge for this you need to be insured for 'hire or reward' rather than just business use. I collect my mindee from home and don't claim for collecting as such, but do charge for the extra time for me to travel to collect. HTH

I have business insurance for the car so thats not a problem.

x post Didn't know about different insurance other than for business use.

I would decline if it clashed with a school collection/drop off I'm already although this would probably mean they might find another childminder rather than change preschool. Because I'd always be late collecting their child. Our preschool charges late collection fees like the nurseries so would parent be prepared to pay this if necessary and do they really want their child to be sat alone & last to go each time?

If it didn't clash with existing arrangements I would agree & charge 40p per mile for return journey plus childminding fees for duration of journey.

are you not charging for the whole day anyway .. I think it might be out of order to charge for transport on top?

you are within your rights to refuse, but they may move him

check with your own insurer but mine told me you DO NOT have to be insured for "hire & reward" because we do not advertise to general public - the only people we transport are the children contracted to be in our care at the time of the journey. This is quite different from the services provided by taxis, I'm told.

He would certainly always be late arriving but collection would be fine as my dd is at school and mindee would need picking up at noon.

Yes I am charging for the whole day but I will be out of pocket by him going to this pre school. As i wouldn't normally be using my car.

twiglett - I don't agree. Childminding fees are for the care of the child in the childminder's home. If a parent later chooses to enrole their child in a club, activity or preschool this is an additional service - so the Childminder can negotiate additional fees or decline because carrying out the request increases the childminders costs in providing a service for that day. And can make other parents cross because their child has been ferried about instead of taking part in the activities you'd normally provide for them.

but on the flip side you are being paid for 2.5 hours when you don't have him

but if you want to charge do.. that's the benefit of being self-employed, you set your own terms and if they don't like it they can lump it. I just think its a little OTT personally and I wouldn't expect it

At 40p a mile it would cost the parents an extra £3.50 a day.

instead of charging per mile, why not charge a little extra per hour, thus meaning you dont have to include your milage etc?
think about how much you would need to cover petrol? eg:£2, then divide that up onpn his hours?

I've never thought of DS and DDs childminders charging us for petrol when they take and pick him up from pre-school. But it is only one day a week, and as there are two of them, one can go and get him and the other stay at home with the others.

Also, not as far as your journey would be.