Term time only retainer?

[JoeyBettany]

I've just visited a childminder to see what she was like for my 9 month old dd and she mentioned that she charges a holiday retainer fee (half normal hourly rate) for those who only need her for term times only, which applies to me as I only work in term time.

She says this is normal practice for childminders. Is it?

Very grateful for any replies.

I paid full fees all year round, would have been over the moon to have had a CM who only charged half in the hols.

Yes it's normal.

I would charge a retainer if they wanted a guaranteed place held for them - it's the PLACE that's being paid for rather than the hours used.

Please find another CM though as you've already in your mind tarred this lady as "greedy".

It'll never work.

I am a teacher so therefore only require term time only. I pay half fees over the holidays which seems fair enough to me. It does sometimes rankle me a bit though when I ask CM to have DC's over holidays for half a day or something and she hasn't got spaces as I thought that was I was paying the retainer..to keep the place open. Never say anything though because other than that I love her

It's normal practice to charge half fees for holidays.
I had a parent who refused to, and took the chance that I'd still have a place In Sept.
They finished with me in the July, and rang me the day before school started in the sept asking if I had a place.
I may be wrong, but I took great pleasure in stating I was full.
Both parents were teachers, and had spent 4 weeks of the holiday in USA, and also took delivery of a brand new car on Sept 1st.
While I appreciate parents can choose how they spend their money, I find it's a shame their childs welfare wasn't as high on their list.
They ended up with a cm who lived 11 miles away who didn't last long.
Mum still asks me for a place, but Im full with a waiting list.

I am obviously lucky then as I pay my cm a third as a retainer but I think that suits her too. She doesn't really want my dd in the holidays, she wants to be out and about with her older dc and going to her place in France etc.

How many self employed people are paid for holidays?

helliepac, that is outrageous

bamboo, you pay a third to a cm who doesn't want to look after your child at that time? It's wrong.

Well, she probably would look after her on the odd day if I wanted her to. I get 12 weeks holiday as a teacher and I think I have a great deal really to get away with such a small retainer.

Helliepac, if you are paying her she should be available to look after your DC! If she has no space then what are you paying the retainer for? That is cheeky.