How much notice do you give for increase in your hourly rate?

[OFSTEDoutstanding]

Hi, I am thinking of increasing my hourly rate and I was just wondering how much is it acceptable to increase it by and how much notice do you give notice to parents to tell them you are increasing it?
Was thinking of putting it up end of Jan as most mindees will have been with me a year by then, do yuo put everyone up at once or do you do it gradually in order of who has been with you the longest? Please help I am really confused

I'd have been childminding for a year in Jan. Just given all the parents a letter with new 'rules' (about not taking the p really)to begin Jan '08. One new rule is my fee increase. I've put mine up by 5 pounds a day. So far no complaints. In fact a couple of the parents dont have a problem with it at all saying 'it's a long day for me to work'. However, I'm still waiting feedback from one set of parents who, I imagine, will have something to say about it . But that's just them, they're very difficult and v tight.

Just do it, especially if you're in demand - you'll have nothing to lose.

Good luck

I review contracts every year for each family. The contract review includes pay increases. Its written on my contract and the parents have presumably read it before signing it, so they should know when its coming! I do gently remind them a month before though, that review time is nearly upon us, then its up to them to look at the contract. I do encourage them to, because the review works both ways. I put my basic hourly rate up by 50p an hour for each of mine during the last year.

Hmmm, now I'm no expert, but I'd guess that technically you only have to give a month's notice, if you're on a contract that specifies a months' notice of any change. However, if you've got children of school age, personally (and speaking as a customer not a CM) I'd say you change it for new rates to coincide with the new school term. So that if they're really unhappy, you can tell 'em to bog off conscience clear. It is really difficult to find a new CM mid school year and I would hate to have to change things except over the summer. More settled for DS that way. And there's nothing I hate more than being held to ransom.

Does that make any sense at all?

Would it be acceptable to have 2 days paid holiday written into my newsletter instaed of a pay increase? I work Three days a week and guessed that 2 days paid holiday would suit me instead to be taken no sooner than the summer? The rule would apply to two of my families as the third is really generous and pays me any holiday already as she says im worth it!
I have been minding these children for a year now and haven't increased anything so far......
I didn't even get a birthday card from one of them :-(
That did upset me!

I put out four newsletters a year, the autumn one given out around September, reminds the families that I increase my hourly rate by 15p per year in January. I have never had a problem with it, like Mo, mine is written into my contract.