Do all childminders charge for hols?

[sheepgirl]

I just wanted to know if it is standrad practice for childminders to charge parents for when they go on holiday and for public holidays?

sheepgirl - just wanted to add my 2ps worth and say I dont pay for my CMs 4 weeks holiday a year (3 wks summer, 1 wk at whitsun or easter) though i do generally pay over xmas when she is away.

I've had 4 different cms over the last 9 years and the most i have ever been asked to pay was half fee on hols (and that was 7-8 years ago when - amazingly - I was paying less than £1.50 an hour!)

I do pay for bank hols and for any time the children are off when shes available. my work colleagues all only pay their cms for the days they use them, no holidays retainer etc so are forever telling me i'm being ripped off! god knows what theyd think about holiday pay

just to come back to the 'pay' issue. in school hols my CM has my 2 full time, plus 3-4 others. we all pay £3.50 ph. so thats £17.50-21.00 per hour in total, for a 10 hour day, 5 days a week. sorry but i think thats a lot of money by anyones standards. expenses - ok, food (2 meals a day- cant see it could be more than £100-150), they dont all fit in the car so just do local trips walk to park etc. i like my CM, my children like her, and I'll pay what she charges. but i certainly dont think she is poorly paid, nor that she 'deserves' holiday pay!

I agree with you glitterball but my problem is I feel I am left with limited choice now. With under 2 wks to return to work no other CMs with spaces in my area and not wanting to look in a blind rush I have expected her terms. Although as I said before I will decide in a few months time if I want to look for alternative care depending on how my son settles in.

By the way are you in London...I think that makes a different to thsi debate.

Hi
I'm a childminder and i charge full fee for parents hoildays and bank hoildays and for sickness on parents side. I don't charge for my hoildays or sickness .Listening to this thread maybe i should but all my parents are happy with me and the kids are brill so i think i will stay as i am !

sheepgirl - know entirely what you mean ateotd you have to sort something out for work etc; was in that situation with current CM as hobsons choice none others in our area have vacancies. i do like her, but am nonetheless grateful for fact am not paying for her hols (though not much help to you i know).

We are london/kent borders, cheaper than london prices (ie £3.50 rather than £5+ per hour) but there are few CMs with places particularly for school age children like mine. My colleagues are much further from london and i think it does make a difference as there seems less demand for services hence parents have more room to bargain.

hope it all works out for you in the end...