How do I charge during holidays for teachers children

[jazee]

I may be taking on 2 children , both of their parents teach and wont need me during the hols. So thats about 13 weeks. In the past I didn't charge - how silly. What should I do?

Entirely up to you; you could

1. Not charge - so earn 75% of the year
2. Charge
3. Charge a retainer - but then if they want some childcare they should only pay the difference
4. Charge a holding fee to ensure the place is available at the end of the holiday

there may be other families out there who only need care during the holidays? can you ask around?

i'm a teacher and only pay during term times - that's our contract - suits CM and me.

I think many minders charge a half fee retainer throughout the holidays - but the space is there if parents need it and they just pay the extra

OR

you could calculate the fee for the entire year based on 38 weeks (term time and then divide by 52 (minus out your holidays) and that then becomes the weekly fee, guaranteeing you a weekly regular sum.

(hope that makes sense)

I wouldn't charge at the moment, because I have children that come to me school holidays only. If I didn't have that, I might charge a half fee retainer and then top up to full fee if they want to use any days during the holidays.

I get charged half fee by by childminder. She is brilliant, though, so I don't mind.

I'm a CM and only work term-time as I use the holidays to care for my own children as the rest of the time they are at school during the day and I find that I concentrate more on the mindees than them,so they start to feel left out sometimes.
Suits me and my familly

Ripeberry..
So do you charge a fee during the hols or a small retainer. I have been thinking about charging a retainer for the summer hols only as I have 3 children of my own to look after during hols and it would suit me.

I charge a higher hourly rate than most minders near me as I offer term time only contracts and adhoc holiday care and that suits me and the teachers that send their children to me.

I pay in full for all holidays except summer as I have an extra long summer holiday compared with other schools - I pay 1/2 for summer, but it's divided into 52 weeks so she gets a regular payment from me year round... I guess I pay when she takes a holiday.

I don't charge. But I know that's the exception. I figured I benefit from having more holidays, and it makes me more appealing to teachers. I also charge a fairly high hourly rate so it evens out slightly.

Jazee, it depends if you are going to work in the holidays. I won't so I think it's daft to charge if you can't offer the service.
Over the long summer holidays I will only offer (ad hoc) one or two days twice a week, every two weeks just so that my mindees don't forget me.

I think it's reasonable to charge half but to make yourself available if you are needed for the odd day during the holidays and so the children don't forget you, if that's what the parents would like.

as a parent in this exact situation I have found that it varies

some cm's dont charge but they fill the place with holiday care children and are unavailable to have my child, but they guarantee my term time place.

some childminders charge full and I can choose whether i use the place

some childminders charge a retainer but are not available to have my dd either becasue they dont wish to work holidays or because they fill their places with holiday care children - I wouldn't choose one of these.

some charge a fee to hold the place or fees in advance, for example I would be willing to pay in july for my spetember fees to hold a place open.

I think if you are going to charge anything then you should be willing to provide the euqivalent hours of childcare. Charging people for when you choose not to work is taking the mickey (obviously not including your own family holiday in this)

Id only charge half if they were getting TC childcare element, as thy are getting the money to pay for childcare, using my registration number.

The money they get via TC, is for us!

but you only get Tax credits based on the childcare you actually pay for? Would that involve them lying about how much they have piad you?

oh or does your tax credits awards stay the same, year round regardless of fluctuating cost and hours used??

Teacher here and limited options re childminders locally: one who does not charge in the hols but is available for holiday cover and our cm who charges half fees over the summer hols, but the total for the year is worked out in advance so she has a consistent income. We never use her in the hols. She has given us money back when she went on holiday as we had to find/pay for alternative childcare. We pay her out of childcare vouchers which comes off our wages.

I have teacher parents and don't charge for school holidays, but equally I make it clear that as the place is not theirs for the holidays, they will not be able to rely on being able to book extra days as I may accept a booking from someone else, or decide to go away or be unavailable myself.
I also ask for payment for September at the end of July to guarantee the place for the new term, but only because someone did once withdraw both their children without giving or paying notice when they knew their domestic circumstances were changing but chose not to forewarn me. It's a shame when things like that happen as it makes it more difficult to offer flexibility to future families.

I charge a half fee retainer for the holidays as I'm available and its a lot of time to charge full as I would do for my parents who take only around 4 weeks holiday.