Childcare cost for after play school /school

[ILoveLife40]

I had this poster in education originally and not sure how to change topic do posting here again. I have kids in childcare with a childminder for the last number of years. The childminder has one of my children full time and collects other child from primary school. When schools start back one child will start in play school until 12.30 each day and the other in School to 3pm. I will be dropping every morning so only need after play school/school care. I will work mostly term time and generally available if kids off school sick, which I’m lucky rarely happens.

Am I being unrealistic to discuss with childminder to pay only for hours childern are with childminder or should I expect to continue to pay a full day from 9am to 4pm or pay hours only with minder from 12-4. Options are limited in a rural area! Thanks for reading!

You can ask. Personally I would charge a small fee for the morning since I probably couldn't fill it and you're blocking out the space for another child.

Thanks for info, I’m guessing majority of parents do not pay full days if they are not using full days, I could totally understand if I was using before and after school that I would need to pay for hours in between. I don’t know if I am blocking out space of another child as childminder could have other kids along with mine if she choose to with ratios.

If it is only after school service needed it seems a bit unfair to pay for mornings too. I don’t want to be unreasonable to childminder either so I thought I’d ask on here!

How old are you kids

Assuming youngest js under 5

If she has one from 1230 then likely she will charge all day as unlikely to fill space 8/1230

DC1 at school is 10 and is collected by minder 1 or 2 days from school, and with my role I have flexibility to collect DC1 3 days at school, DC2 is 3 and turns 4 in Nov and will start school Sep 2025. Currently I pay for full days for both DC on days she has both, now with afternoons needed only I feel a reduction is fair, I’m assuming those who have reduced hours to suit school drop offs are not paying full days and are paying wraparound childcare?

Yanbu to discuss it with her, but you need to be open to an arrangement that works for both of you. The childminder needs to earn a living and it would be fair for her to charge a retainer fee on top of the hours you are using.

If the playgroup does morning and afternoon sessions you might be able to find another family who need the opposite time with the childminder.
Otherwise I would expect a holding charge at least for the mornings as that is time you are preventing her from earning.
I am a teacher and I used to pay a holding charge for the holidays - I didn’t need childcare but I did need the place when term started so was preventing her from earning.

Yes she can have other children of course. But would I choose a full day child earning me £60 or a half day child earning me £30? I'd choose the first obviously! Unless she finds someone to leave by 12.30pm then it's dead time for the space you're using.

I used to have to pay 1/2 the hourly charge for the hours my 3/4 year old was at preschool. Once they didn’t count in the ratios, it was just the hours that we used.

Thanks for all the responses, I appreciate the information. Of course I understand that she has to earn a living and I am looking to find the best option as I am unsure. Paying half rate for mornings is a reasonable solution. When all DC are in school to 3pm - I’m guessing most parents are not paying half hour rates from 9-3pm during school hours? When only after school care is needed and no morning care required?

The children fall in to a different ratio bracket once they start school so there is no lost income for these spaces.

If 10
Then doesn't count in ofsted 6 under 8

So yes nice to pay a retainer. But shouldn't need to pay for a space for eldest iyswim

Space for under 5 s are limited so your taking up a space that.is unlikely to be filled from 9 to 12 I would charge you.

For the after school child, you should only be paying for the hours after school. I had a fixed fee for after schoolies, it an hourly rate. You shouldn’t have to pay for any hours that your child is at school. Your child is over 8 and doesn’t count in ratio numbers. I have never heard of charging for a school age child while they were at school.

i always charged for the full day when doing nursery collections/drop offs as those children count in eyfs ratios and it is difficult to fill a half day space.

i would also charge a 50% retainer for the school holidays for all term time only children, including after school. So for example, my after school rate was £15, so I charged £7.50.

i hope this makes sense

Are you paying 9-4pm for a 10 year old to be picked up from school and looked after for an hour?

Is there a reason your preschooler can't go to the nursery all day like school hours 9-3? Or just stay at the childminders all day? Seems a lot of hassle to have the lunchtime pick up time and sort of doubles up childcare costs potentially