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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

do all childminders charge teachers for all their holidays?

53 replies

moocowme · 15/02/2008 20:41

i am just looking for a child minder for when i go back to work when ds is six months.

so far all the childminders i have contacted want to charge me for all of my holidays. is this normal considering i am a teacher?

is it possible to get one for term time only and then pay extra for when i need it?

OP posts:

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cat64 · 15/02/2008 22:51

This reply has been deleted

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vInTaGeVioLeT · 15/02/2008 22:53

yes nooka - if the service wasn't available why did you pay?

nooka · 15/02/2008 23:04

Because that's what is in the contract. It wasn't available because the hours are 3.15 to 6.15pm, so not exactly useful outside of term time! The child minder takes quite a bit of the school holidays as holiday anyway so during that time she's not available at all. Now I know that I could probably vary the hours considerably and use her full time for a week or something, but I'd still be paying about double the amount of many other options. I guess I'm also used (at work) to working with self-employed professionals on a true hourly basis - ie they work for x amount of time and get x amount of money, so the idea of paying when there is no work seems wrong to me. Having said that she's nice and the children like her, I'd just much rather pay her a little more when she is looking after the children and not at all in the holidays, when I manage my work so as to be with the children as much as possible.

Heated · 15/02/2008 23:09

So just to clarify as this will apply to me later, if you use a cm during term time to drop off and pick up from school only, do you still pay in the holidays when you are not using their services?

vInTaGeVioLeT · 15/02/2008 23:10

i really don't understand why you signed up with this childminder if you weren't happy with the terms of the contract - why not have a chat when your contract is up for review[i do mine yearly] - but i know from previous experience that this a contentious mumsnet huge fight subject so i'll bow out gracefully now

RTKangaDYSONMummy · 15/02/2008 23:26

I am a CM but I am also married to a teacher

I only care for mindees that belong to his collegues and so I don't charge during holiday cos I want a holiday too and so that works best for me and the teachers

BUT I think I am in minority

BUT you may find others like me

Different CMers have differnet priorities just as different parents have different jobs

ie shift work etc.

nooka · 16/02/2008 00:06

I think most childminders (at least all the ones around here) charge during the holidays, in fact I think their association recommends that they do. I had assumed she wouldn't until it came up and then re-read the contract and found there was nothing I could do about it. I don't think she would accept a change (why would she, it's money for doing nothing really) so we'll be looking at other forms of childcare in future. I guess we were spoiled in having a nanny before dd started school, so we were used to calling the shots.

MrsWeasley · 16/02/2008 00:09

Last year all my childminding parents were teachers or school staff and I never charged them for holidays I loved the fact I was off with my DCs IYSWIM.

Bos15 · 16/02/2008 01:30

some childminders charge for school term onley but for a higher charge,i think that is fair for both party.
for me as a cm i charge 4 pounds for full timer ,and 4.50 to 5.00 pounds for school term only and no charge for holiday at all for them.

southernbelle77 · 16/02/2008 06:19

I do term time only contracts, especially for school aged mindees. If I am needed in the holidays then I am happy to help but only IF I have spaces. Without a retainer for the holidays, the parents run the risk of there not being a space available.
But, I tend to prefer looking after under 5's so if I am needed in the holidays for a few days here and there it is usually available!

cece · 16/02/2008 07:56

Sounds like I have been very lucky to find four childminders who only charge term time only! Plus I have never paid an extra hourly rate for the privelidge either.

I do tend to mention it with my initial contact though, when I am looking for a new one.

ayla99 · 16/02/2008 09:02

I do different contracts for school aged children. For under 5s I charge an hourly rate for p/t care or full day rate. Those that want a term-time place pay 1/2 fees through the holidays, topping up to full fees for the days they want to attend (some book a week here & there, others drop to one or two days a week to keep a routine going). I am only allowed 3 under fives so I can't afford not to charge for part of the year.

For school children I charge session fees ie, breakfast club & after school club and I don't charge in the holidays because the session fee is higher than the hourly rate would be to partly compensate for absence in the holidays. Some parents do book ad-hoc care in the holidays but not enough to fill all the unused places.

eleanorsmum · 16/02/2008 09:04

is moocowme still about? tell us where you are as there are few of us on here offering what you want! maybe we could help?

hana · 16/02/2008 09:09

my childminder does not charge during school holidays - half terms or summer. She has 2 older children of her own and doesn't want to look after others when they are at home. You might find a childminder like this - it works out brilliantly for both of us. She is paid over 52 weeks a year tho - she has worked out what I would owe for the weeks that I do work, then divided that by 52 so she gets something every month.

Other childminders used to charge me half.

alfiesbabe · 16/02/2008 10:19

Really varies. When I used a CM, I used to pay half during holidays, and for that, I used to leave dd maybe half a day a week, just to keep the routine going.
But I know some CMs who don't charge because they have their own school age children who they want to be with and don't want to work in the school holidays. I know a couple of CMs who will only mind teachers' kids precisely because they don't want to work in school holidays (and in some cases they may not be able to mind other children if having their own at home takes them. over the legal 'quota'). So in these cases, it seems entirely reasonable that no charge is made, as the CM is not available to do the job.
BTW, teachers are not paid for holidays, our salary is split into 12 equal payments. Same as many other salaried jobs.

vInTaGeVioLeT · 16/02/2008 10:50

i can't believe how many parents don't read/understand the contracts that they are signing

KatyMac · 16/02/2008 11:30

I agree vInTaGeVioLeT - but despite going through it line by line with parents - I see them nodding, smiling and agreeing, then 2 weeks later they ask a question that was clearly covered (eg do I pay for bank holidays - what happens if baby is ill, what happens if you are ill)

I am debating writing a page of 'what ifs' to give out at the pre-contract stage

MaureenMLove · 16/02/2008 11:41

That's a good idea Katy. You could to a FAQ page. Bet they still ask you though!

KatyMac · 16/02/2008 11:46

What I was thinking of is kinda

what if my baby is too poorly to come to you - Could you let us know as soon as possible, we might be due to go out, but we will stay in because you are expected. By letting us know all the other children can have a more planned and exciting day.

Other questions might be
What if you are ill
What about Bank Holidays
What about my holidays
What about ????

Do you think?

alfiesbabe · 16/02/2008 12:13

I think that's an excellent idea Katymac. I'd have found that very reassuring when I used a CM.
I guess it must be a bit frustrating for experienced CMs when parents seem a bit clueless - but remember, we're new to this when we start leaving our precious babies with you, and we appreciate all the help we can get!

MaureenMLove · 16/02/2008 12:19

Sounds good. You could also include,
How long should I keep my child away after V&D?
How long should I keep my child away if they have an infectious disease?

Those two are always a talking point in the staff room!

KatyMac · 16/02/2008 12:20

I do wonder if we bombard people with information/paperwork tho' - would it be better on a webpage?

MaureenMLove · 16/02/2008 12:34

I think you're right. There is so much to go through and parents can be forgiven for missing something in the piles they get!

When I have a contract signing meeting, I go through every page of my procedures and policies with them, highlighting some points and skimming others. I don't have a webpage, (I'm small fish compared to you!)but in your setting, I think thats a good point. Maybe putting a note in your policies to make sure parents are aware of your website and draw their attention to the FAQ, telling them thatits important that they familiarize themselves with them. It could be a kinda summery of the most important points of your business.

Maybe you could do a quiz with them on your policies and offer a prize for the one with the most points!

alfiesbabe · 16/02/2008 12:35

I would do both - website and paper copy.Many people will read through the into on a website at leisure, but are grateful for the paper copy when you just need to double check something.
If you keep it short and to the point, which is what you're proposing , a quick kind of checklist of FAQs, then I think most parents would find that really useful.
You sound like a great CM KatyMac!

KatyMac · 16/02/2008 12:44

Yes but I don't do a discount for a teacher's child I can't afford to I have to pay wages 50 weeks of the year

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