Am to child mind for friend returning to work - is this a fair rate to ask?

[mackerel]

i'll be looking after a 3 yo and a 15month old alongside my own two that age. I was going to ask £5 to include food for the pair of them - not £5 each. do you think that is too much/little or about right? she's a good friend and i don't want to over charge but equally don't want ot undervalue myself, if you see what i mean.

So you want to look after 4 children under 4? Are you registered? Have you asked for a variation from OFSTED? £5 per hour for both seems fair to me btw.

well as long as you're registered and have your variance

I have to say I charged £5 per hour per child over 5 years ago so I think that's amazingly cheap

£5/hour for two kids is pretty cheap - what part of the country are you in?

I also think that's cheap, especially if food is included.

It's a friendship arrangement as opposed to formal childminding r'ship. We're helping each other out really - she wants to work outside the home and i don't but could do with some extrra money. that's why it will be well under market value.

So you won't be registered?

You can't legally do it if you aren't registered.

In my area (Surrey/Berks border) childminding rates are typically £4.50-£5 per hour, per child, and food is on top, often around £2 per meal, per child.

£5 for both children, including food, seems very cheap to me.

No i will be registered. sorry for any confusion. Just wondered if because she's a friend that sounds a fair rate.

If you really want to do this I suggest you get registered for a few reasons...

1. you wont be covered by insurance.
2. it's not legal and you can be prosecuted and fined.
3. you can't put expenses through your books
4. it will more than likely end in tears if there is no paperwork to back up your verbal agreement.
5. it's not fair on the local childminders who more than likely need the work and have gone to the effort of setting it up properly.

If you are childminding for pay then you MUST be registered, otherwise you are breaking the law - and if reported could be fined. I appreciate that you want to do a friend a favour...that is how I started childminding, but I did get registered. Is unlikely that a newly registered CM would get a variation to be allowed 4 under 5 imo.

mackerel - which country are you in (legislation varies by country) ?
Generally speaking, if you care for your friends children at your friends home, then it may be legal to do so - you would be a nanny, your friend would be employing you.
If you care for them at your home, and it is for 2 or more hours per day, on more than 6 occasions in a year (possibly 14 occasions under new rules for England), then you will be most likely be in breach of a childcare regulation.
Please let us know which country you are in, and then someone on here will most likely be able to tell you specifically what the rules are for your country.

oh, sorry. will be registered - great. Have you investigated if you will get your variation - usually can only have 3 under 5s. And I would charge at least £3.50 per hour per child, ddepending on where you live.

£2.50 an hour?.... waste of time.

If you will be registered... why would you want to charge so low a price? While they may be friends, it is a business relationship and you could fill the spaces with full paying clients. Given the ages of the children, I don't feel it's viable for most childminders to reduce charges due to them taking precious under 5's places.

If I can't get the variation then if i cared for her two alongside my two in her house in England would I be inside the law??

I wouldn't do it for a friend ... ever!

Don't mix business and pleasure please. It will end in tears!

I vowed never to look after a friend's child. I am now looking after one for a morning a week and even that has its awkward moments.

Please think twice about it.

Gordon what is awkward - am interested

If I can't get the variation then if i cared for her two alongside my two in her house in England would I be inside the law?

Yes, you would be a nanny. You would be an employee, so your employer will need to deduct tax/ni from your wages and pay employers NI. This assumes that you will be paid sufficient to attract tax/ni, which is salary upwards of around £89 a week (can't remember the exact figure, but that is probably quite close).

Yes, be careful doing this for a friend. I have done the same. And no longer have her as a friend (due, in part, to other things) but I still have her business. She takes advantage a lot though.

Yes childminding for friends never ends well. I have done it twice and lost both friendships.

If you are registered, do you have a variation in place from ofsted? You will need one!

I am minding for a friend and it is a tad annoying as I find myself bending my own rules constantly "because she's a friend" for example she has decided to have half term off work so I said I would just not have XXXX next week and so am going without money I need really.

Also I felt really mean this week when she cried when I wouldn't let her have pudding (and then got worried in case she went home and said something to my friend).

I would avoid doing it again.