Childminder charging for travel time to school?

[FlyingTigger]

Advice please and if this is the norm?
Childminder wants to charge travel to DC school (so when going to collect). When we signed contract I’d already included 15 minutes grace in case it was easier for her to collect DC earlier but this is NOT required by the school. Contract includes this 15 minutes.
childminder is charging for an hour, then changes this and said it’s 30 minutes. School pick up 3pm but her timesheet starts from 2pm. Journey takes 10 minutes by bus and 15/20 minutes walk.
is this the norm? For CM to charge travel to school when the child isn’t with them? Says she’s always done this.

No it's not

I always paid the travel time, because the childminder wouldn't be doing the travelling otherwise if it weren't for the childminding role.

Yes, she should charge travel time, but only the actual time, not 1 hour if it takes maximum 20 minutes.

That's a long school run! Presumably she has to do it all in reverse to bring them home.

Either you want her to do it and you pay what she charges. Or you don't and find someone else. She's SE and providing a service, she tells you the fee for that service.

What’s the difference that youre paying? Also, are you in a position to challenge this and potentially having the CM stop having your DC?

My childminder did this and I was happy for her to do so. She can't pick him up if she doesn't go to school. That being said, it should be actual travel time, not a random hour that is doesn't really take. That being said, if you complain she may just drop you as a client. Does she actually want to do this? Like she doesn't have to actually agree to do it even it you pay her in gold. It sounds like a long journey, especially if she minds other kids and has to take them with her. My childminder had a 7-8 min drive with a 2-3 walk.

Actually adding this up again - it does take an hour - 10 + 20 = 30 and then same home = 30+30 which = 60. Plus waiting for the bus - so actually a little more. I say just pay it because it seems fair. Although maybe you'd all be happier if you found childcare closer to school.

That doesn't seem like a normal childminder so normal rules would not apply. Usually a childminder would do a school run to collect multiple children from a local school in a walkable distance, or where their own child attends so travel completely different. It sounds like your one is only collecting your child/ren which is a little more like a nanny although technically a childminder if in her own home. In that case to charge for travel time is fair enough as that is when she is starting work and it is taking her around that time to get there. The alternative is that she finds a local family to childmind and you find one walking distance from the school.

I would expect to pay for that time. What time is the bus she catches? I doubt it is handily at 2.30, always runs on time and gets her to school for exactly the correct time. So the bus might be at 2.15 which means leaving home before then to get to the bus stop before it arrives.

I definitely get the journey on the way back as she’s with DC so no issue there. I was just a bit confused as I’d never known a job that includes travel to work?

also wasn’t sure why she was charging an hour when journey takes half the time.

Sorry to clarify @AmpleRaven
15/20 minute walk
or
10 minute bus journey

bit of a mixed response so far!

I would allow an hour for that journey or you risk missing bus and being late

Is she a childminder or a nanny that's you're calling a childminder?

So it takes her 30 minutes travel time, plus getting to the bus stop and waiting for bus, or is that 10 minutes in the bus or a 20 minute walk ?

but yes. My childminder charged from when she left the house , she had a 5 or so minute walk to the school, school out at 3.20 so she left at 3.10. I collected at 6.30 she charged me 3 1/2 hours a day this seemed fair to me and I didn’t feel bad if I was 5 minutes late it was a very relaxed arrangement tbh.

Childminder.

So she's not charging for 'travelling to work'.

She's provided you with a price for collecting your children and you're disputing it.

Her workplace is her home. So she starts at work, then travels in working time to meet her charges. It’s not like out the commute to her workplace.

also is it a high enough cost that it’s worth arguing over and potentially losing her?

She's taking all the other children with her to do this school run? Sounds like a pain, I'd not bother.

You should expect to pay for travel, and I’d probably just round it up (not pay in like 5 or 10 minute increments) but an hour for that does sound excessive.

If it’s a 15/20 minute walk then I’d expect to round it up to 30 minutes.

Presumably in order to make sure she is home from whatever she's doing in her spare time in order to then be available to go collect the dc, she makes sure she's at home ready to go from 2pm.

So why not charge for that time? She's self employed. She can do that.