Advice needed: reasonable childminder fees in Bromley South area

[onliner]

Hi,

I am a parent of 2DD, DD1 is 1 year old and DD2 is 4 year old. My wife will start full-time job in January and we are searching for the best childcare option.

I have asked one childminder who charges 4 pounds per hour for one full time place for DD1 and the same fee for a part-time place for DD2.

In the same week, I asked another childminder who charges 6.5 pounds per hour per child with no discount to DD2.

Both childminders are nearly in the same area, and they both got Good in their Ofsted report. Also, both offered to provide good references.

I am confused now.

I am reluctant to go to the cheaper childminder. Her website looks very professional, however; her fees are a lot cheaper.

The other childminder asked for fee a lot higher than what is written in Childcare Link website.

I have also contacted other childminders who refused to give a number for their fees before I visit them and asked me instead: "How much are you ready to pay?".

Unfortunately, I don't have the time to visit them all. I am trying to know the reasonable average fee to help me make up my mind.

Please advise.

Thanks in advance

How unprofessional!
I do say to parents that I discuss fee's on their first visit, otherwise you tend to get asked almost as a first question over the phone.
I can also get more of a feel for the family once I've met them, and therfor it's easier to discuss money with them.

You need to meet the cm/s before you can decide. Go with gut instinct too.

Sally

We used a childminder in Beckenham, so similar sort of patch. She charged £5 an hour for each of our (primary age) children, which seemed fairly standard for the area. I am fairly sure the charges were all listed in the sheet we got from the Bromley Childcare Information Service. It's crazy not to be upfront about these things. As parents we are obviously working to a budget, so the costs are important. I can't imagine a nursery saying, oh we can't give you the fees list until you visit!

I don't think you should assume that the more expensive childminder is necessarily better though, but for preschool children you should check what is included in the charges. For example nappies, outings etc. You may find that the difference is negligable.

To be honest the most important thing is whether you feel you like and trust the person, that their parenting values are in line with yours, that the home is a safe and engaging environment and whether your children like the childminder.

How rude. I don't think they realise who the customer is. If someone refused to tell me what the price was, I wouldn't bother to go visit them.

The price difference on the other two is quite considerable. I'd go visit them both and if I wasn't convince the more expensive one was worls better than the other one, I go to the cheaper one.

In fact, for £13 an hour, I'd expect a nanny working in my own home. I wouldn't pay that for a childminder. Does she want you pay her holidays too?

I'm going to be paying £5.50 in Bickley if that's any help but my friend is a childminder and only charges £4.50 per hour. She's in Bromley North.

Oh yes, do check about holidays, it can be unexpected to find you are paying for them too (well it was to me!).

I will always tell people who phone what my hourly rate is, but I also say that they shouldn't just ask CMs what their hourly rate is - they need to know what, if anything, is included in that rate.

Some CMs may have a lower rate but may charge for outings, mileage, bank holidays, CM holidays, meals, etc. CMs charging a higher rate may not charge anything over and above that. Some minders may include meals and snacks, others won't.

Don't judge childminders purely on their hourly rate - do try and visit them!

In my area (SE London, so not far from you) I know two excellent childminders who charge £5/hour. However, one of them provides a home cooked hot meal for that charge, the other does not: you have to send your lo's food in.

Both charge for holidays (one of them 4 weeks, am not sure about the other) so all in all I'd say the £6.50 an hour one sounds a bit pricey, unless she doesn't charge for holidays.

HTH.

I paid £32 a day until this January, for four days a week; my childminder charged me half rate for her holidays, and otherwise I paid the full rate if I chose not to use her services.

She was a very good, and very sought-after childminder.

When I was looking, It seemed to me ( though I may be entirely wrong) there wasn't necessarily a strong correlation betwen price and quality, some v. good cm v.cheap and some awful ones ( I couldn't hear their answers to my questions as the tv was so loud) charged a lot.

Don't discount someone beacuse they're too cheap, go with all your other instincts.

have you considered a nanny you could have a nanny doing a 10hr day for you for between £60 and £100 net depending on nannies experience and quals.

maybe more cost effective for you.

I work as a CM in your area and would recommend that you visit at least a few childminders before making your decision. Once you have seen their home, relevant paperwork etc you should get a good feeling about them and therefore will be prepared to pay their fees, knowing that your children are looked after professionaly by the right person. Usually charges are within the £4.00 - £6.00 per hour bracket.