Please answer ASAP - if you take your mindees on a day trip -

[eenybeeny]

Do you pay or do the parents pay for things such as transport and admission into places like castles etc.?

also if a child is sick or they go on holiday do the parents still pay or do they pay something like 50% or do they not pay anything?

Thank you!

trips - it's up to you but if you pay it's tax deductable - what if parents wouldn't pay? then mindee would miss out

sickness - if child is sick - they pay
if c/m is sick no charge

holiday - i charge full for my 4 weeks holiday and half-rate if mindees take holiday/occasional days {upto 4 weeks p/a}

TBH it's really completely upto you how you charge as you are self employed if clients don't like it they won't choose you!

Thank you for answering!

Firstly - if you buy this do you buy one copy and photocopy for each parent you have a contract with or do you buy one copy per child IYSWIM.

And just to make sure I understand you correctly - you have 4 weeks paid holiday a year. Do the parents have any say in when you go? What do the parents do while you are gone?

I think there are 6 in a pad

I keep buying new ones

Holidays - 2 weeks no fee/2 weeks full fee - I tell them at the beginning of each year when they are

I pay for trips because if a parent chose not to pay we couldn't go

If some parents pay, and others don't. What happens to the child whose parent's don't pay? You can't leave them behind.

I know childminders in my area who strongly encourage parents to purchase a Legoland pass for their child (as it is on our doorstep). Some childminders I know will add charges for trips onto the invoice.
It's really up to you how you do things, and you will find that parents will be respond differently.

I pay for all trips, apart from the big summer trip we do, for all 7 children it would cost me 150.00 with petrol, (we are going to Marwell Zoo, 2 hours away)

I take a half pay holiday between Christmas and New Year, half pay for Bank Holidays.

All other Holiday unpaid.

For child sickness full pay.

For my sickness no pay

You didnt ask, but I also charge half pay for any time a under 5 child is at preschool, if the place is needed full time in the holidays.

Do the parents pay you in advance or retrospectively and if so for what duration of time e.g. a week or month in advance. I see NCMA advises they pay in advance.

Very sound advice re: paying for outings thank you.

Advance into the bank

Sick child still has to pay
Sick C/Mer no fee

I get paid a month in advance, that is beause I am on a Army Camp, and Parents are paid monthly.

you're not allowed to photocopy contracts written by someone else!!

yes - i have 4 weeks at full pay - i told the parents in christmas newsletter the expected dates of my holidays but they are subject to change TBH we all try and co-ordinate our holidays so there arn't childcare problems.

how far in advance?

sorry to give you the third degree! I am setting up my business now and writing answers to each question I saw posted on that thread the other day. Nearly done!

Month

I charge for 50 weeks divided by 12

Right!!! Thanks!

oooooh I am so happy and excited!!! This is what I have always wanted to do!

When do you get your certificate?

I have only just begun the process. So I expect to have finished any time between late October and mid December. This is what I have been advised by my local council. I have an assistant working for me and A LOT of really wonderful things planned. I can honestly say I have never been so happy and I cant wait to sink my teeth into it!!

How is your market research going - have you started to build a waiting list? While you can't advertise as a childminder yet, you can try to build up a list of parents you know (friends of friends, general chat at toddler group, that sort of thing) so that once your certificate arrives, you can quickly fill your spaces.

market research and waiting list is fantastic. I am a Mother myself and know many many parents in the village. I already have Mums asking me to consider them. I will be the only registered minder in my village which consists of thousands of families. Everyone has to travel further afield for childcare. We also have 2 nurseries that always have a waiting list each.

I have a business name, am securing website this Friday, a lovely assistant who has many fantastic qualities and is also a Mum and a million and one ideas for my children. I am on cloud 9!

OMG

i cant beleive some of you CM's pay for the childrens trips [shock}

why should you pay for their child,esp you often only get 4/5ph anyway

the parents should pay for their own child

You say on another thread that you are in Coggeshall. Based on the surgery postcode - CO6 1UH - Ofsted database reports there being 2 childminders in the village.
ChildcareLink database only shows one childminder (not unusual, as not all childminders list themselves online).
Ofsted database lists one Nursery (though from their Ofsted report, they don't seem to provide full daycare) and one Pre-School.
Hope you find that info useful - expect you may have already known much of it.

I'm speaking as a women who employs a childminder for her child.

If CM is sick, I do not pay.
If DD is sick, I do pay.

If CM takes DD on a trip, I do not pay. I always offer some money though, in case it is needed, but it has never been accepted.

CM takes 3 weeks holiday which I do not pay for. I can take an additional 3 weeks which I do not pay for, which can make 6 weeks where I do not pay.

thanks nannynick You are the research king! The one who is registered who actually lives in Coggeshall is no longer minding (retired) and the other one is in a village about 10 minutes away and has a six month waiting list!

We have a Montessori nursery for 2-5 year olds and another lovely nursery for 2.5-5 year olds (that is the one my son will attend as of next Easter)

Mindees parents pay for any trips out as my hourly rate quite low so I would make a loss. I do pay for transport (petrol/bus tickets) and i also buy them icecreams if needed/wanted.

I must be mad.

I pay for all the trips.

No fee when im sick / holiday

Half-Fee when mindee sick / holiday.

eeny - just wanted to say, think carefully about your hourly rate. Once the mindee's start it can be difficult to put it up. I wish I had started mine on a higher rate in the first place.

Toddler groups and local/cheap/free outings I include in the fees. I charge separately for occasional outings and give parents a permission form which includes the amount due as well as info on what to bring/if they need to arrive/collect at different times. I don't charge extra if we go earlier or come back later than the contracted times. I do ask for the price of the admission ticket and a contribution towards the cost of transport. I usually provide a picnic.

So far, everyone has been happy to pay for trips. I don't too them too often, I know what its like to get endless requests for money from my children's schools. And I do make use of local places that are free - museums, parks & paddling pools, libraries. Fire station and police stations are great for free trips - if you organise a few other childminders/parents to go with you. The children also like the local farm shops (cows, sheep, chickens etc to look at).

If a parent did decline to give permission I would find out why and see if there's anything I can do to change their mind. Or re-schedule the trip for a day that child wasn't present. (all mine are part time so usually easy to re-arrange). Otherwise I don't see any option other than to cancel the trip and return all money paid.

The general rule is that if you are open and the child doesn't attend, whether sickness/holiday/days off, then you charge full fees. Unless you have negotiated a retainer, eg over the school holidays or if parent on maternity leave or child on long-term sickness in hospital/operation etc.