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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

Is it ok to charge parents extra if you have to use an assistant ?

28 replies

justnally · 19/02/2008 13:01

My situation is this...

I have been asked to look after a baby on a Monday, Thursday and Friday. The mum wants me to look after him as I have been recommended and doesn't want to go anywhere else.

I already look after an older child part-time on two of those days, so in order to do this I will have to employ an assistant. I have the older one for 9.5 hours per week and will need the assistant for 5.5 hours, which will mean she will earn more than me...

Can I charge the new baby's mum more to cover the cost of the assistant? Would it be better to terminate the contract with the older child's mum? But.. he was here first!!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

pukkapatch · 19/02/2008 13:03

tell the mom you cant do it.

Original poster

justnally · 19/02/2008 13:04

yeah i know, but i need the money. family crisis.

OP posts:

OFSTEDoutstanding · 19/02/2008 13:06

Can't you ask OFSTED for a variation then you wont have to empoy an assistant?

Original poster

justnally · 19/02/2008 13:07

I thought about it but as I am not yet looking after the baby I think they will say no. It's not like it's a 'continuity of care' situation.

OP posts:

looneytune · 19/02/2008 13:09

Have you filled in the CM2 forms (or whatever you need for an assistant)? I wouldn't confirm to the mum you can definitely do it unless you have received confirmation that you can have an assistant.

Original poster

justnally · 19/02/2008 13:12

Hi Looneytune! How are you getting on ?
Yes, got registered assistants waiting in the wings who will happily draw up a contract to say they can help every week.

OP posts:

looneytune · 19/02/2008 13:17

Oh hello, it's you Just wanted to make sure you had them in place as I believe Ofsted can take a while. Errr, if you want to go down the assistant route and this woman is desperate then I don't see why not. I had one pay double when increasing her days as didn't want to go elsewhere. orth mentioning and then if she doesn't want to, say the only thing you can do then is ask Ofsted for a variation but you can't guarentee it will be accepted.

Good luck

looneytune · 19/02/2008 13:18

worth

Original poster

justnally · 19/02/2008 13:20

Maybe I can get both sets of parents to share the cost of the assistant??

OP posts:

eleusis · 19/02/2008 13:23

Surely if you take on an additional child the addition revenue should cover the cost of the assistant. And if it doesn, then it would be a bad business decision to take on more work for less money.

Aren't you allowed to look after more than two kids at a time?

OrmIrian · 19/02/2008 13:26

I don't think it would be fair to ask the parents of the older child to pay more. After all the care you are providing to them hasn't changed. The new parents should be told that they have tp pay more to cover the assistant.

Original poster

justnally · 19/02/2008 13:31

eleusis - I understand what you are saying about the extra money covering the cost of the assistant. It will, but not by much. I will be doing a lot of extra hours and losing almost £100 per month on an assistant.

We have children of our own (hence the financial crisis), which affects the number of children I am allowed to look after.

OP posts:

Original poster

justnally · 19/02/2008 13:32

OrmIrian - I agree. I wouldn't like to ask the older one's parents. It's the baby's mum who is insisting on those days.

OP posts:

eleusis · 19/02/2008 13:34

If your hourly rate is not enough to cover the cost of the assistant and other business expenses you incur (play group fees, transportation, food, wear and tear on your house, etc.) then perhaps you are not charging enough as an hourly rate. I think you have to sell the rate increase as a result of your running costs, and not "I need you to pay for my assistant".

Mind if I ask where you are and what you charge?

Original poster

justnally · 19/02/2008 13:37

essex - £3.50 ph

OP posts:

ShinyDysonHereICome · 19/02/2008 13:38

Market yourself to try and recruit another mindee which will reduce the cost per child to you thus covering the added expense of an assistant.

Original poster

justnally · 19/02/2008 13:40

Apparently i am cheap. Most charge £4+ per hour in my area. I would just feel cheeky doing that. I think it's too much. Of course I have to pay an assistant minimum wage!

OP posts:

eleusis · 19/02/2008 13:55

What if you put your price up to £3.75, and go out and recruit more mindees so that you can tun business with assistant and two mindees full time (5 days per week). To be honest, it's hardly worth all the hassles of being an employer (to the assistand) for an older child who comes 9.5 hours per week).

Have you discussed your rates with the baby's mum yet? Can you give notice to both of them that rates are going up to £3.75 (or even £4) in say 4 months time, hence giving loads of warning?

Maybe there is a reason everyone else charges £4.

Original poster

justnally · 19/02/2008 14:01

I have an after-school kid leaving in July. I thought I might put fees up then, at the end of the school year as it will have been a year since I put it up last time (I umm-ed and aagh-ed a lot then as well!)

Thanks for your help. I will go away and think about it

OP posts:

PotPourri · 19/02/2008 14:04

I'm not a childminder, but use one. Personally I don't really think you should charge more to cover the extra help. BUT, it sounds like the parents are aware of the situation, so may be best to discuss with them and explain that it would incur extra costs

Maybe try to get OFSTED to agree to an exception as a first step.

And one final thing - do you really want to be an employer? Just a thought. But it can be a pain in the bum. What is she was off, would you need to send a child home to ensure you stay within your numbers??

nannynick · 19/02/2008 16:23

Having an assistant to me does not look very financially viable. Not sure if there is a soluition.
Could you offer babies mum, just one day? Not ideal for her I know, but if you are full, you're full. Other option would be to ditch the older child, not fair, but since when has business been fair.

Original poster

justnally · 19/02/2008 16:30

nannynick, i like your style

OP posts:

KatyMac · 19/02/2008 18:50

Realistically I don't think by having an assistant OFSTED will necessarily let you have more children

They do sometimes but not always

Even with 3 children each it is often not cost effective to employ an assistant

KatyMac · 19/02/2008 18:53

Unless you already have permission

By the time you have added employers NI/holiday pay/statutory stuff

It is way complicated (IMO & I do it a lot)

looneytune · 19/02/2008 19:17

Agree with Katy about the being hard bit, that's why I decided not to bother with having an assistant after my baby was born so I could come back after 4 weeks. I'd have to have done appraisals, training etc. and to me it just wasn't worth it, especially as I would hardly be getting any money by the time I'd paid them!

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