Childminders Club:Fee Structure

[KatieMaChristmas]

OK Background I charge a fee say £2.80
In September I put the fees up to £3, for new customers (existing customers stay the same)
Then in April I put up fees for existing customers.

Make sense so far....?

BUT if they agree to paying yearly their fee is fixed for the 12 months of the calculation (so if they start in Feb - it stays same to Jan of following year)

So....existing customer went on yearly in Sept. But now wants to change her hours (reducing them by 6 hrs a week)
So I have to calc what she has had, what she has paid for and recalc for the next 12 months. So I am intending to increase her rate to £3 from April (as she backed out of the 12 fixed rate)

Is that right? or should she pay £3 from jan or not until Sept?
Does any of that make sense this late on a Saturday...or am I confusing you all?

Because she has changed the terms (her hours etc) I think that you should start to charge the new fee immediately.

I will get back to you on this in just over ½ hour ok

Has she paid you all up front for the year? at the 12 hrs?

No 52 weeks X weekly rate divided by 12 (so same each month irrespective of actual hrs)
So pd Sept, Oct, Nov & Dec....Marslady might be right she needs to go on new rate as it is a change of contact.....or at least contracted hours

I wonder why KM needs half an hour....maybe to sober up???

I think as it is a new contract because parents want to change it should be £3 from Jan

but maybe the compromise would be to work out Jan feb march at £2.80 then from April £3

Will you fill the hours???

If not then I think it should be deffo £3 because you will be loosing out.

I was watching I'm a celeb

with orange squash

Aw it should be wine....
I'll have to think about it. But tomorrow I'm tired

Have you seen the gorgous kitchens on my other thread?? I want the cooker, Fridge freezer, Microwave & sink( but I haven't much chance of getting them)

btw of course I won't fill 12-6 one day a week....bl**dy nurseries

so you mean the kid is going to nursery in those 6 hours

DH has said that if that is the case she is breaching the contract and should therefore still pay the full amount for the rest of the 12 months.

Which makes you better off making them pay the full amount as agreed til sept OR making them pay £3 per hour from now

I'll work it out tomorrow......& let you know (thnak God for spreadsheets)

I think that because you can't fill the hours then the parents should pay you the £3 rate. You are the one who is losing income and actually they are lucky that you do not want to end the contract because of the lack of ability to fill half a space.

goodnight

where is other thread?

Sorry Km (I went to bed)

It's on products and is about wooden play kitchen...you know I'm cr*p at links

Catch you later
KMc

I'm ONLY losing £60 a month.....
I've billed her to start the new rate from April

I'm too nice for my own good

That's one of the things against childminding - the financial insecurity.

I find it really hard to plan long term,as kiddies will start nursery/school and so our income plummets.

And I'm really picky about starting "newies",which I know doesn't help moneywise!

How do other childminders cope when times are quiet and funds are low? Does it balance out?

I don't cope when times are hard...I panic