advice needed from fellow childminders!

[bec5696]

I am a childminder with my mum and we loose 2 children in september due to them starting school. Though both children will require spaces during the school holidays, when our numbers are almost to the limits anyway. We mind siblings of theirs too, who will be continuing their care with us.
where do we stand on looking for other children, although we have space during term time, we wont in the holidays.
do we give priority to the children who used to attend and still ahev siblings with us. what does everyone else do?

Can you advertise for term time only children? That way, you can still keep the school aged ones.

There are quite a few people out there who require CM for term time only, so this would be the best way to go I think. I've always given priority to the children already on my books, especially with siblings.

I have some ex mindees and older siblings that only want holiday care. Basically I don't reserve a place for any of these as none require the whole holidays, its either one or 2 weeks or a couple of days every week. As I have some younger ones that don't attend their full hours in holidays I can usually accommodate these requests for holiday care. But without a contract reserving a place, I cannot give any guarantee that a place will be available.

So my procedure is to give each existing parent a form before each holiday to confirm which of their contracted days they want and if they want to book any extra days, and a booking form for the sibling. Then if I have any space left the ad-hoc families who have no children contracted to attend get a form showing which days are available. They return their form with payment if they want to book anything. First to pay gets the place(s).

do the holiday only children attend before and after school at yours?

They do attend after school yes

well this makes them sort of full time
oh thats hard i wouldnt know what to do
hope you find some term time only children