Hello all
I recently got chatting to a mom in the park about childcare as she is looking for a childminder in the area before she returns to work. Anyway we got on the topic of fees and she thinks I’m cheap for what I offer. I charge £65 per day and do two hot organic meals, usually vegetarian and two fruit snacks. The daily fee also includes weekly stay and plays and donation to playgroup. I also don’t ask parents for money when we go to toddler time at the cinema or when we go a bit further afield to museums and so on.
Said parent said £75 seems to be the going rate or £70 if parent provides food.
I am not in the business of bankrupting parents and I do ok with my three daily children, so I’m hesitant to raise fees by £10 a day.
How would £70 a day but I don’t do an evening meal sound? Is that too much change? Obviously I would give parents a lot of notice and wouldn’t plan to implement this until September. I also have a waiting list of 15 children so if current parents feel it’s too much I wouldn’t struggle to fill the space, but I don’t want it to damage my reputation or come across as greedy.
Worth saying I would also make the second snack much more substantial, it would be more like an “afternoon tea” so to speak, crumpets, beans on toast, that kind of thing…
I am in London and have been childminding for 11 years. I am open 8am-6pm Monday- Friday. The alternative I suppose would not to put up my fees but perhaps reduce hours or days…