CM CLUB - Booking Procedure for ADHOC Care

[looneytune]

I'm sure there are others on here who offer Adhoc care? If so, do you have a set procedure for if they book adhoc spaces in advance? I.e. if someone wants to use you for Christmas hols and wants to book it now, would you take any money upfront? What I'm worried about is if I don't take something, they could just decide to not bother using me and I may have turned down other work in the meantime.

Anyone want to share with me what they do?

TIA

I would ask for half of the fees now and the rest to be paid on the 1st day of childminding.

I'm far too laid back - I tend to trust people so don't charge anything! I guess that this is not necessarily something to be recommended.

Thanks. TP, I'd love to be laid back but there are people who book and I don't know them and I know people who've been let down before and just cannot afford to turn someone away in school hols thinking someone else is coming. Shame this sort of thing happens

Hi Looney - speking from a B&B point of view, take a deposit, say that it is refundable up to a certain time (for us is 48 hours) but if they cancel after that then non refundable if that makes sense. If I booked adhoc care I would expect to pay a deposit.

Hiya 5GMID How are you? Thanks for that, sounds fair enough although I need to decide on the timing as 48 hours notice would be too late most of the time as I'd have already turned others away. Will give more thought but deposit sounds good. Hope you are well

Fine and dandy, coming to the end of a busy half term have 4 nights off next week and then people in everyday until we go on holiday, we have never been this busy in November.

I've been let down several times by people who've booked days and then turned up on the wrong day or even forgot they made a booking!

So now I

• charge a registration fee of £20 to enrol the child. This compensates me for my time in setting up the forms, planning etc and gives the family a welcome pack (membership card for child, ICE cards for parents, booking forms etc). Some childminders are now charging registration fee for all new mindees, but I only charge it for ad-hoc arrangements at the moment.

• expect payment in full with the booking form. (they can still phone/text/email to check my availability but need to confirm in writing). The place is not reserved until

the payment clears to my account.

• explain there is no guarantee of my availability. If I don't have space (or close for sickness/unforeseen circumstance) then I will of course refund their payment.

Above is for odd days/emergency cover eg to cover training course or closure of usual childcare. If they wanted the whole summer holidays, for example, then I'd do a short term contract and they would pay a 2-week deposit instead of the registration fee and the place would be reserved for the duration of the contract. My short term contracts are the same as my long-term contracts except they have an agreed last date of childcare and a 2 week notice period instead of 4. Sometimes have a list of dates/times if its not the same day/time each week.