CM Club: Should childminding be a PAYG or contract servcie

[KatyMac]

I keep wittering on about childminding & how it is charged

There is all the issues with bank holidays/holiday pay etc. 7 I think this might be a way of thinking about it.

Are the parents paying

a)for the care they get? - this implys an hourly rate or "Pay as you go"
or
b)the facility to have the care they need? - this implys a monthly rate or a "contract" rate

Whatcha think?

Now you see, putting it like that, it should be a contract!

I still don't charge for bank holidays though! But then, all mine are part time and I only have 1 on a Monday, so it makes little difference to me!

Well I have 9 on a Monday so it does matter - but as my lot pay a contract fee not an hourly rate - they don't care

i think it depends on the circumstances -
i have all part-timers from 19hrs down to 7hours - so the very p/t started out as PAYG but has now gone onto a proper contract(after 6 months)

also in my area all the c/m do things differently so i have to be careful how i charge or i won't get new clients

I work payg but only cos I sit for 5 families . Plus I can sit for childern when I choose as I have a busy life, I work pt also).

Babysitting is Pay & Go

But I really think that parents paying an hourly rate (so to speak) is no longer the way to go - they are paying for a service that allows them to use certain hours

Has anyone any thoughts on this?

i have different children on different pay types

1. these children pay every day and half in my holidays
2. these children pay term time and no fees in the hols
3. these children pay holiday time only and nothing when i'm on holiday
4. these children are pay as you go (only pay for the hours they do)(normally over 8's only)

katymac - from what i've read of your threads you seem more like nursery than childminding so i can understand what you're saying but i'm a normal work-alone childminder so i can't really run my charges in the same way for all clients