would you take on student's children as mindee's?

[colie]

Would be most grateful for opinions from childminders on being asked this.

I have 3 dd's. 6,3 and 13 months. I want to start asking childminders in my area if they could look after my kids for 4 full days a week. Pick dd1 up from school, have the other 2 all day the 4 days but drop and pick dd2 up from her nursery which is in daughters school in the afternoons.

The problem is that I only need this arrangement until end of May and then to start again in september. Full time from september until February and then possibly reduce to 3 full days from the february until again the june.

Basically I won't need or want the children minded during the months of June, July or August. What amount would you charge someone for those months for keeping those places open?

Would you take this situation on?

If I had room I would take you on. I already look after a students DS and have done since he was a baby. This arrangement is only term time. I dont charge for holidays as I have children come holiday time only.

Thanks for reply. I typed original post with one dd on lap and hitting key pad, well that is my excuse for awful grammar .

Will need to start asking around. Thought some childminders wouldn't like this arrangement as obviously they wouldn't have much of an income for 3 or 4 months of the year.

Suppose all I can do is phone round and ask. Hope noone laughs at me

Thanks for reply. I typed original post with one dd on lap and hitting key pad, well that is my excuse for awful grammar .

Will need to start asking around. Thought some childminders wouldn't like this arrangement as obviously they wouldn't have much of an income for 3 or 4 months of the year.

Suppose all I can do is phone round and ask. Hope noone laughs at me

I would take you on like a shot! I'd love to have siblings to look after, and hours no problem. Not in Scarborough are you?

Thanks philmassive, think you are in the northeast then. I am in the northwest. It is such a shame we are no where near each other.

I am getting desperate now, need childcare in place for end of march.

Asked a childminder at dd's school and she doesn't have the spaces, then asked a childminder who lives in my road, she has not long been childminding but is already full up.

Will need to look at the website and start phoning round.

It's possible. I take on children term time only, or holidays only, but I know some childminders charge a retainer (maybe 50% fee) for the time when you are not there, to hold the space open. (and I don't live anywhere near you, sorry)

Hi i think it depends on the minders circumstance to be honest.
Some would jump at it if say they are not soley dependent on there childminding to pay the bills.

I certainly would love to have 2/3 mindees term time only. However some will be like NO WAY to the idea as there dependednt on their income to keep going.

Either way Good Luck and you loose nothing but asking about

my childminder does term time only as it suits her and us. But that is school terms not uni terms. You might find someone who does school term but june july and august is a long time with out pay

all you can do is ask and maybe come to some flexible arrangemant with them

Classic term time only contract in my my opinion - work the days you need and pay half fee retainer during the holidays when you don't need HTH

FWIW - I would agree to this sort of contract

I would also charge 1/2 fees during your school holidays. I give out forms prior to each holiday so parents in your situation can confirm if they need any days in the holidays (because you could pay the other half fees to use an odd day or week here and there if it suited you). But if you confirm you don't want to use the place I can offer it to someone else. IF I get an enquiry to cover someone else's sickness or holiday, for example. So if I was fully booked up, you would get a refund for the time period your place was no longer available to you. I don't charge 2 families for the same place.

Thanks ladies.

Colie, where about are you. One of us may be able to help. Im in NW.

Thanks coolj, but i have spent the week phoning all the childminders in my area and noone can take both of the girls, they have spaces on certain days but not 5 days.

I am going to see a private nursery on monday and childminders in my area just don't have the spaces