CM club Help please

[Earthymama]

How many hours would you charge for this childcare:-
Mon 8.10 to 5
Thurs 11.15 to 4.45
Fri 8.10 to 5.30

These are the parents who had booked 4 full 8-6 days, place held open without retainer since June. It's DP's DN. Now started at uni/work and don't want to the hours. We agreed it on the childcare claim form which I signed in July but don't have a copy of. I'm gutted as I've turned people away AND given up my Fridays,(am full time care for mother)

To non CMs, I can only look after 3 under 8s at any one time so in effect each child has a 'place'. I might get someone who wants Tues and Weds, thereby filling 1 'place' each week, but not 8 to 11 on Thurs!

PS by the way they are lovely and child is fab, so really want to do this but think it is perceived as aunty's little hobby whereas I nedd to pay the bills!!

Would you say 3 full days?

I would definatly say 3 full days, you are very unlikely to sell your space between 8-11 on thursdays.

Cheers HP. Can I ask do you mean 8-6 as full day?

Can anyone suggest a way of explaining it to parents?

Should I say:-
Each day is 2 sessions, 8am-1pm, 1pm-6pm
If your hours take up over an hour of either session it must be paid for in full?

I tell my parents that they pay per hour, so start at 8.10 they pay from 8am, collect at 5.30 they pay till six.

Surely if she is a student & you are a registered childminder she will get her childcare paid for?

If so then she shouldn't mind if you charge full days for the child.

fwiw I am a student too. My childminder has my ds today from 9am to 4pm [I pay her to 5pm]

Tomorrow I am off so no charge.

Wednesday she will have him from 8.30 until 12.00 [I pay her from 8am to 12.00]

Thursday she will have him from 9am to 3.30 [I pay her to 5pm]

And I am off on Friday.

On the days I pay her to 5pm I have the option of going to the library after lectures etc... on the Wednesday it is my choice to pick him up at 12.00 as I will then pick dd up at school & spend that afternoon with them.

I don't have lectures until 12noon today or Thursday but I found that in my 1st year at uni ds was far too mixed up to be dropped off at 12 & picked up 1t 3 etc.... it worked better for us & the c/minder if she has him all day. He is more settled, she knows what way her days are structured & can plan better & I also have the added bonus of more library/internet time so that I can give ds & dd more attention when I am home

And the later start day? Sorry to go on but it was really hard to explain that a) I felt really let down as I was expecting 40 hrs pw, b) had held place open for them since July with no money, c)it's not a hobby it's my job!!

Obviously with it being family there are massive implications if I am perceived as being money grabbing but it's been a real blow to my plans and my day to day living.

I need to look at the advice on MN re advertising etc, but first I' going to get a cuppa and some toast.

I should add that I don't get my childcare paid for as I get a grant & they say dh's wages are borderline

I would ask her to bring the child at 9 on the later day... say it makes it easier for you to plan the day.

What if you had to go out for the morning? Say a group from 10am til 12? You would have to miss it to be there for drop off time.

I think my ds is far more settled last year & this year as he knows where he is all day rather then me dropping at c/minder, going to uni for 2 hours & picking him up.

C/minder feels more like his minder now rather than a babysitter. Ds wasn't getting to know the other mindees either as he wasn't there for v.long.

So now he goes to c/minder 3 days a week & this suits us all.

That's what we agreed in July, her mother came down with her and we filled in the forms.

I would hold a place open on 4 days so that if she had to do any extra studying she would be free to do so. But now she's got a place with her DP and they don't want to fulfil our agreement.

I signed the form but didn't put any of my own stuff in place as it's family and there's no need is there?

I think it might all come down to money.

Do they get childcare paid for them or will it be up to them to pay you?

Their childcare is paid for......that's what I had to sign, to say when I was having the child for 40 hours. Can you see why I'm a little peeved?

But will you not still get paid for 40 hours if the form is already filled in & sent away?

I know last year when dd went to an afterschools I said she was going every day (I did think she was) but in the end she just went 3 days.

As I got help with that at the time I rang the education board & said she was just going 3 days. They said to amend it this year!! Which meant the after schools club got paid for 5 days when they just had dd 3 days.

I'm sure someone done something wrong along the way there, but I did my part by calling & letting them know!!

I guess what I'm saying is, maybe you will get paid 40 hours but have the child less hours?

fewer hours

That's what I thought but the money goes to parent not straight to me and they only want to pay for the times I set out below...even down to not paying til 8.10!!

3 full days - defo. You've put yourself out for this family, you can't fit anyone else in around a Thursday.

Yes I would charge for 3 full days.

Tell them the contract has to stand or they will have to look for someone else.