Improving Reputation of Childminding: what can be done?

[BerkshireBella]

Childminding can often seem to have a bad reputation, with lots of reports in the news etc. I am just starting out and am wondering your opinion on what could be done to help raise the profile of childminding.

I know this is controversial, but does anyone else think that charging too little brings everyone down by "cheapening" the service offered? The pay is so far below minimum wage.... what does this say about this type of work?

Also, I've recently met a CM with 6 mindees who was proud of the fact that they NEVER went on outings beyond the garden; is that even LEGAL???!

Shoshe - the costs that I quoted were per child per day - and primarily pre-schoolers as that would be the full day rate. So assuming you had your full quota of 3 under 5's that would give you petrol of £1.50 a day, food £4.50 a day and other costs of £4.50 a day, which should easily cover the cost of wipes etc.

Obviously if you have a lot of afterschool children and are doing school pick ups etc then your petrol costs might be higher - although I suppose that is offset by not paying for toddler clubs etc.

I really cannot imagine that there are many mothers of under 5's that can afford to spend £15 a day per child on outings, food, petrol etc. Which would amount to £105 a week per child before housing, heating etc was paid for and as such cannot imagine how a childminder would spend that much per child!

But its not just for petrol food and outings, is it. (and I would love to spend £1.50 a day on petrol, I spend £50.00 a week)

How do you think we pay for equipment, toys, and everything that is involved with looking after children, but out of the £30.00 per day that parents pay us.

I seem to be in a minority here, but I think being a cm is bloody marvellous. I get to choose my own hours, which children I want to look after and when, how much I want to get paid, how much holiday I get, where to go every day... I get to stay in my own house and look after my son, who adores the other children... and no childcare fees for him.

I charge a higher than average rate for my area, but if that turns people away then so be it. I've had no trouble filling my vacancies. I get to sit on a park bench and watch children having fun, while being paid for it (DISCLAIMER: I don't go to parks every day!).

And having written out invoices for £1600 this month I don't think I'm doing too badly!

GG, I'm not complaininmg I love my job, (if I didnt I wouldnt have been doing it for so long)

But it is not the money earner that 'some' parents seem to think it is.

But shoshe - I can see how on camp it might be more on petrol - I was thinking more of the minder in a town where £1.50 would pay for 3 miles at 40p per mile enough for a trip into town for toddlers and back home again.

The equipment costs are a different matter and I assume can mostly be bought second hand and then the cost spread out over a number of children over a number of years.

Things like drawing materials etc would be covered by the £4.50 other costs per day in my example above.

And I am not suggesting it is a huge money spinner, although I think if you take your full quota of children it is far from badly paid, but rather that when quoting how much one earns from childminding, giving the taxable pay amount isn;t quite the whole picture!

I buy alot of equipment second hand, but not safety equipment or car seats, (you do not want to see the bill for car seast when I learnt to drive!) and then again when the new laws came in (Ok was just booster seast but had to get 4).

And Toys do need replacing quite frequently.

I have had 5 travel cots in the last 7 yeasr, putting them up and down everyday, does wear them more than usual.

I have 4 buggies, two singles and two doubles, which only one was bought new.

Things that are hidden costs i.e toilet rolls when you have lots of after schools in (especially through the holidays and they are here all day)

yes I do get paid more when they are in all day, but three years ago I had 6 after school children through the holidays, and on the days that they were all in we couldnt fit in the car, so I needed to get in more craft stuff and the Food bill was enormus (How on earth 6 9 yeasr old girls can eat and drink that much I dont know)

We went to see HMS Victory as our summer outing (we usually do one BIG outing a summer) which cost with Petrol £150.00.

Usually in the holidays we do a week

1 Outing that needs paying for, about £30.00
2 Outing that costs under £10.00 (Usually a country park that we just pay parking and a ice cream
3 Outing that just petrol is paid for.

The rest of the time is spent in the garden.

But shoshe that isn't for pre-schoolers is it?

How many children are those costs for?

It would be for all SB

I took to HMS Victory

1x 1 year old (which i didnt pay entrance fee for)

2x 4 year old.

2 x 6 year old

2 x 8 year old

This Year we are going to Marwell Zoo and will have 3 pre schoolers 3 5-8's and a 9 year old.

Shoshe do you have 7 children full time in the holidays or is that just for some of the time - the costs of the outings isn;t really that informative unless you know what the corresponding income is.

The pre schoolers were fulltime, the Older ones would be in on a average full time for 2 weeks of the holidays parents usually try to take holiday and Grandparents usually come for a couple of weeks.

Some are but tax deductable doesn't mean we don't pay for them

With the new tax rate it's easier to work out

If I earn £100 and spend £50 then I only pay tax on £50 - if I have already used my tax allowance I would bpay £10 tax on that so a balance of £40 'profit'

But most childminders don't earn enough after expenses to pay tax

Last tax year I made about £800......this tax year I didn't make a profit

The costs which aren't extra mean it's OK(ish) to carry on but I am considering giving up because I don't make a lot

It's the out of hours work that affect most of us

If we earn 48 weeks of the year - that has to last us 52 weeks (the big argument about whether the CMer gets paid hols or not), the training (usually 6-10 days a year - done on a saturday not during the week), the days we ae sick so can't work & can't charge, the days or children are sick so can't work & can't charge. They all add up so another 7 or 8 weeks (in all 4 weeks hols, 2 weeks unpaid courses 1-2 weeks sick - usually not taken) but it reduces our weekly income

I'm off out today so I won't see this again until tonite......

No profit this year KatyMac, that is awful. I mean it is obviously great that you are helping families out and providing somewhere safe for the LO's to be while the parents are at work, but in fact you are actually running a charity and volunteering your time!

Frankly after reading lots of these posts, I will be charging for outing and expenses etc to the penny as I just do not want to end up out of pocket after doing a hard job for a year. We deserve better!!

A question for childminders: do you feel under competitive pressure from nurseries, without the economies of scale or higher fees of nurseries?

No, I don't feel under competitive pressure for two reasons:

Firstly because I offer an individual service for parents which is totally different to either nursery opening hours or fee structures.

Secondly because to me the quality of MY working day is equally as important as the quality of care and experience I try to provide for the children. Daily quality of life is more important to me that any cash gathered at the end of the month.

I know that I spend far too much for making a sensible profit on fresh organic food, and resources. E.g. I get through a bag of coffeee beans weekly because I like the smell of freshly ground coffee and like the children to associate the end of their meal with the civilised aroma of good coffee. (dh thinks it's bonkers)

Every afternoon we all bake something for pm snacktime and the house fills with the baking smell of scones or flapjack etc. A ridiculous waste of oven energy if I was looking to save money.

We have just spent most of last year's profit on building a new shady decked area leading straight our from the playroom. The garden was fine as it was, but it's the everyday quality of experience that matters.

I certainly don't want to make a loss, but equally I do not go all out to maximise profit.

WhatdidIcomeuphere for, I would love to know how you take 3 under 5's swimming? I used to many years ago, but all pools now are 1 adult to 1 under 5.

No ali ours has I adult to two children, and my other mindee comes unde r another CM's number as she just has one on the day we go swimming.

(WhatdidIcomeuphere was me by the way)

I have to be honest that I am really confused.

I absolutely love my job, and I work jolly hard at it. I do not do it as a charity though - I must have the same expenses as everyone else, but I earn a good annual wage out of it.

Unless you are at home with your own child (and therefore not having to pay for childcare), why on earth would you do it if you do not make a profit? I really really don't understand!

ThePrisoner I was replying to Anna?s question of whether I feel I am under competitive pressure from nurseries etc. I don?t.

Like you I also make a profit and love the job.

I know however that I could make far more money for working far less hard for far fewer hours elsewhere.

It?s also not a charity here, but rather a privileged position of being able to create my own daily working environment, rather than sitting in someone else? office etc.

I am simply a useless businesswoman who spends far too much on immediate sensory pleasures to the detriment of potential profit

Oh crikey, gooseegg, I wasn't trying to pick on you or anything you said! I think your working arrangements sound wonderful.

I have read posts on many threads where CMs (who work to a fairly full capacity) maintain they don't earn any money - I truly don't think I would do this job if it were not financially beneficial, much as I love doing it.

Oh no, no offence taken or anything TP. I wasn't sure if you meant me or not but it doesn't matter - I love a real discussion and see you as intelligent and fun.

Agreed - working to full quota of under fives plus school aged chidren for no profit is a bit bonkers.

I had four under fives for a while too, and I agree it is full on hard work although also wonderfully satisfying.

I have six under fives now, but with an assistant it's easier than single handedly coping with the four. My four were all very young though. Two of them were even under ones at the time.

It's a very difficult decision to make TP

I get money from CMing - wear & tear is a fair slice off the top, as is 33% of my fuel costs, 40p a mile went a long way towards running my car (tho' that is changing) the WFRU money pays he milk bill & 75% of my h/h food is through the business so I don't lose money

But I also employ 7 people (all P/T) and that adds a lot to my life & theirs & my local communities

But it is becoing more complicated