CM Club: mum wants to pay me retainer for older child while on maternity leave. Any thoughts please?

[Numberfour]

I have had the 6 year old for 2 years now and his mum is going off on maternity leave in Jan until May, all things going well. She wants to keep her place for the 6 yr old booked with me and we are considering some kind of retainer with the child coming to me perhaps once a week or so to keep up the contact.

Has anyone experienced similar? What have you done in this situation?

Thanks!

Hi I'm not a childminder and nor do I use a childminder but I sometimes see the CM threads pop up on active convos with things about retainers or paying less for siblings and I have to say I just don't get it. I use a nursery and if I want my DC to keep a place but not actually be there I have to pay as they have costs. You run a business, you have costs (which include your profit = salary!) Do you think you could fill his place with a full fee paying child? If so tell the mother this and therefore she will have to pay full to keep his place wether he attends or not.

Just my tuppence worth.

The choice is entirely yours if the mother is happy to pay and you are happy to keep the space you can charge what you like.
Some childminders charge half fee, and full fee if you could sell the space to someone else.Are you also going to be having the baby in may, she's not having much time off?
Is the baby going to be coming full time?

How long is the mum having off for maturnity leave. If she wants to take a year off then could you keep that space open for year. I am in the same position. One of my mindees is leaving as mum is having a baby and she keeps telling me she def wants me to have mindee back and new baby when she returns to work. She wants mindee to come to me once a week to keep the space but I cant keep space for a year and earn no money. It is entirely up to you though.

thanks so much for your replies!

Librasetc, I agree! However, my business is small so having one less mouth to feed fo breakfast and tea will be a (small) saving for me.

Danthe4th, she wants me to have the baby in May too, and it will be full time. She will only be off from January to May when she hopes to return to work. This is of course if everything is okay. So, it will not be a year, lllletc unless of course there is some kind of change in circumstances.

At the moment even though the boy is at school full time, i charge for 5 hours for the day because he is with me very early in the morning. Perhaps I could look at charging for 3 rather than 5 hours.... Not sure. Will have to think about it.

Maybe 3 hours a day til May then full time fee regardless of whether she takes up that space or not. If she chooses not to, then she will have to give me 4 weeks' notice. Just thinking aloud here so thanks, everyone.