Parent to be on maternity leave and mindee down to one day advice please.

[4kidsandlovingit]

Hi, Ive been childminding for 2.5 years now but never had any parents who have gone on Maternity leave before. I currently care for mindee 3 days a week from 8 until 5. Mum is due to have second child in December and has already stated that she wishes for me to care for the baby next year as well as older sibling. My problem is that from Feb mum plans on sending eldest child only one day a week. She obviously wants me to keep her remaining two days open and all three for baby. Im just after some advice from other carers, what do you charge for maternity leave and retainers or dont you bother and just verbally agree to take children back. Ive spoken to people who have done both but to me a verbal agreement could mean the loss of a lot of money especiallly since shes not planning on going back to work until next September and also if she changes her mind and doesnt go back I`m left with no income and two spaces to fill!

I think she's a bit unreasonable to ask that of you TBH.

I was in that situation, and told my childminder that I'd love to sent both my baby and toddler to her once I went back to work, but I would completely understand if she didn't have the space, anbd I certainly didn't expect her to hold the space.

Fortunately for me she did have space when the time arose.

Sorry, not much help.

I'd be happy to hold the existing place for as long as nobody else wanted it, then I would contact ML parent and say have had enquiry for spaces, either you start paying or it'll be sold on.

The new baby's place I would only hold if I were being paid for it or she could take her chance that I could fit them in when she returned. And wouldn't take anything until it has been born obviously. 9-12 months is a long time to hold a place with no money.

Not that I have been in this situation as yet, but I think this is the way I would go, I can't see any other way to be fair as possible to all parties.

hi
i have a parent off on maternity just now her older child 1yr 3 months still is attending her full 4 days so is still paying for them, i am to have the baby when she returns to wrk but the babies space is there just now as a wee one has just went to school so made space available therefore i spoke to the mum and said that she would have to pay for the space otherwise as soon as some1 phoned i would need to give them the space as i would be down money that i am use to having and really need. she doesnt return to work till around may/june next year, so about 3 weeks after she had the baby she started paying for the space. she get tax credits and gets most of hers fee paid so it wasnt a problem for her paying it mite be different for someone paying it all themself though.

i would explain to mum that in this situation you would be holding 2 places for her with no pay at all and in this circumstance you just really cannot aford to do this.

i would tell mum that if anybody enquires about the place, you will contact her first to offer her the place (and she must then start to pay for the place) or you will offer the place to the new child

how long is mum having off??? maybe you could take another child for a year until their pre-school term (if your lucky)

Thanks for all of your replies. Mum is going to be off work from November until September. She still wants me to have her eldest 3 days a week until end of Jan than is planning on cutting her down to one day per week for the remainder of her maternity leave. She has said that this is when her money runs out but she works for NHS and I thought (please correct me if I`m wrong) that she would be entitled to full maternity pay for 6 - 9 months.
She still wants me to keep the other two days free for the eldest and a place on the same three days for the youngest.
One other CM I have spoken to had a parent on maternity leave and she agreed to pay half money for the duration of the maternity leave and if she then chose to attend for 1 and a half days she could. The CM then gave a verbal/written guaruntee to keep the second space free at no extra charge/retainer.

just to help - NHS workers get 18wks full pay, then half pay until 9mths then nothing. A good package but no where near full pay for 9mths

opps sorry - it goes to SMP only after 6mths