CM Club - Help please re charging while child at preschool but parent does drop off etc

[Booh]

I have had an enquiry from a parent.

She wants me to have her LO 3 or 4 days a week.

However, she wants to drop her LO off at Preschool and for me to pick him up at lunch time two days a week.

Do I charge for the time he is there? As yet I have not talked to the mum about money! She is coming to see me.

It is a term time only preschool, so I would have him in the school hols - the problem is, if I didn't charge I would fill those mornings (another potential client already contacted me) and then what would happen to him in the school hols?

Ok I have a policy that covers it:

UNDER 5?S IN OTHER SETTINGS

A child is counted as an under 5 by Ofsted until they are in full time education i.e. at school for 10 sessions a week.

A child who is at pre school is a under 5 and if they are with a childminder before and after pre school, and require a fulltime space during the holidays they therefore are taking a childminders full time space. As such you are required to pay retainer fee for the time that they are at preschool, as the childminder cannot then fill the part time that they are at pre school.

it really depends on weather you will be needed for the preschool hours duringthe holidays.

Thanks Shoshable - I will be needed in the school hols

bump

this is very interesting to me to as i also have a mindee(existing)who's changing pre-school hours in september and mum will be doing drop-off and me pick-up as i have told her i'm unwilling to do drop-off.
Mindee is not 5 till may and needs me all year round therefore taking up an under 5 place

SO what should i charge while he's @ extended pre-school? Should a retainer be half normal rate?

sorry that was very woffly

Difficult one if you are unwilling to do the school run. Not sure on that one I'm afraid.

I don't charge whilst child at pre-school but did like Shoshable's policy.
None of the childminders in my area charge for whilst little ones in creche/preschool so I work on that basis. I do work over school hols so then charge say 8-5 but I also do drop offs/pick ups from pre-school as only 5 mins from the frint door hehe (get me out the house for a bit as it feels some day)

spoke to mindee's mum this week and even though i won't be able to take mindee to school(not enough time from drop-off till start of school) i'm still going to get paid the same!

so i'm very very happy

I had been getting quite stressed out about it all she is such a nice mum

if you will be the ones to be contacted when the child falls over etc at school, then you should be the one getting paid for the time they are there..ask parent if they would like to name you as first contact and go from there.