Teachers and retainer fees??

[aGalChangedHerName]

Have just done contracts with a new mum and she is a teacher. Have charged half fees during holidays which is pretty standard round here.

She has mentioned me having mindee for odd days during hols.

How does that work? I was under the impression that parents paid the retainer fee to simply hold the space until they return. I don't think i'd really want to be trying to plan stuff for other mindees and then getting a phone call asking me to have her lo without much notice.

Do i have to give her childcare to the value of the half retainer fee? As i am having half fees it's lost revenue and i thought i'd get the hols off to compensate

Hmm.. I have not done this before but I think I would suggest the parent can use me one fixed day a week so you can be organised, I'm thinking half weeks fees and a full day would be roughly the same??

I think that would be a good compromise.
You would still have most of hols, and mum would have a fixed day throughout the hols held open for her to use at her discretion.

I am soft tho and someone else may well come along who would do it totally differently!

Oh yes extra days at short notice, maybe a slightly higher hourly fee and the risk you would be full.

I think the retainer is so they have a space whe term time rolls back around more than for adhoc childcare so do what you are happy wsith.

Hmm that sounds like a good idea. I think she will ask for 3/4 mornings which means day trips etc will be a no-no.

She i think will argue that as she's paying me half fees that i have to offer half the normal hours.

Ho hum will wait and see what she says.

No don't do half days!!

Insist you can only offer full days as you put groups needs first and don't want to be tied to the house. Do the fees work out to one day? Two days? At normal rate?

Don't wait and see what she says, offer her what is acceptable to you.
If you wait until she asks you, you will do what I do, go all daft and say "yes of course no problem" (whilst hating yourself for being too soft)!

Lol yes i am a bit soft. Yes i think i will offer her 1 full day. My friend charges the same as me and isn't expected to have the mindee over the hols at all. She said to charge the retainer fee plus the normal hourly rate for any hours she wants to use.

That's what other minders round here do apparently

The hours she uses would be charged at normal rates (only full days though) and unused hours are charged at half rates.

If you charge the retainer fee +normal hours surely she is paying time and a half and that seems a bit

ls

Well nobody up here had the mindees when the teachers are parents afaik. The parent pays the retainer and you see them after the hols.

I wasn't expecting the mum to want to use the space tbh.

You sound as if you want to have your cake & eat it. If you charge her at all in the holidays then she is entitled to use your services to that value. Obviously it is up to you to agree with her how that care is organised i.e. full days only etc

If you don't want to have the mindee in the holidays then don't charge her a retainer.

I was surprised because where i am it's standard to do a half retainer fee. I don't want to not do trips with the other mindees because of having the lo half days.

Me having mindee during hols was only mentioned after contract was done.

It's not about having my cake and eating it Dramaqueen but thanks for your input.

All 10 of my children are on term time contracts. I charge half fee for holidays, but my fees are worked out over 12 months, eg- 38 weeks full fee 14 half, add together divide by 12, neat monthly fee.

My families do not expect me to have them during the holidays, but I nearly always have them on A Level results day as the teachers like to go in to see their pupils.

I like to have the children, as it is a middle of holiday get together. I do not charge for this day, that's because I feel that I get my fair share of paid holiday.

My contracts state that if care is required, 48 hours notice must be given and the remaining fee due paid for that day.

If you charge a retainer, you must be prepared to take the child, unless your family has specifically stated that you will not be required, as have mine.

I charge 1/2 fee retainer in holidays. As parent is paying to retain the place for their use, it can't be used for anyone else unless they've said they don't need it. You should be available during the whole of the retained time period as thats what the parent is paying for - you to reserve the place for their child. But its sensible to include in your contracts a minimum notice period, like alibubbles has 48 hours. I've got 7 days stated in my contracts to give me time to reorganise outings etc.

I give each parent a booking form prior to each holiday - if they want to book the place they enclose payment to top up the retainer fee to full fees for the booked time period (and they still pay retainer fee for any remaining retained time). If they have indicated they don't want the place then I can book the place out to another family. In which case only the family using the place is charged.

Ie, if they are paying half fees x 5 days to reserve a place the whole week, but want to attend on a Monday, then their bill amounts to 1 day @ full fees plus 4 days @ half fees.

Yes i would be happy to do that but i think she just wants to book in as and when. I plan my outings well in advance as myself and a couple of other cm's usually go together.

Would i be able to give her a booking form at the beginning of the hols and ask her to just decide which days if any she wants.