School holiday contracts

[mogs0]

One of my mindees is finishing in the Summer but the Mum has asked if I'd consider having mindee and sibling through the school holidays.

I have one or two concerns about this. Firstly, they're not the most reliable. Occasionally, only 1 will come when they've both been booked in and I'll have worked my day around having both but because the other mindee isn't a regular mum doesn't pay for the 2nd place if child doesn't attend (entirely my own fault for not setting things straight at the beginning). Secondly, school holidays are when I take my holidays. I don't take all school holidays off but probably works out to be 6 weeks out of the 13.

If I say yes to her I need to make it clear that spaces will be booked and need to be paid for both children whether they attend or not - any suggestions as to how I'd word this?

I have school holiday contracts. They are contracted for all school holidays (and some also for inset days). I make it clear that I may be taking some holiday myself during that time and I will try and help them find alternative care if necessary. They are billed monthly in advance - some choose to pay as we go and others prefer a monthly standing order, so they don't get a huge bill in the summer (I then change my bills into statements).

Just say you need her to commit to contracted hours, unless you are happy to take the children on an adhoc basis, which may mean you are not available sometimes.

Thanks for the reply. Are your holiday mindees only with you in the holidays or do you have them TT aswell?

I'm just a bit confused as to how it'd work because they won't be here TT and I'd need to work out T&Cs before anything is agreed.

I have a mindee thats 6, so have a term time contract. When she left school I did a new contract with the parent.

On additional notes - I just put it was a term-time only contract.

But yes, tell her it's full pay for the contracted hours whether they are both there or not.

Treat it the same as you would any other contract, ask for the dates they need care in advance, you could do this now as you need to plan your own time off. The dates that are given charge for, whether they turn up or not.

I just have a normal contract with hours on and have just written in big letters SCHOOL HOLIDAYS ONLY.

I don't do holiday only contracts. All my holidays are in the school holidays. Not worth having to turn away full year contracts for the sake of 9 weeks money!

Most parents who want holiday care only want odd days here and there or just one or two weeks in the summer. So I do it on an ad-hoc basis only - payment at time of booking. That way I'm not saving a place for someone who changes their mind and expects not to pay. Like one time I rang parents mobile when mindee was late, thinking they were poorly or something. No, they were on their way to a last minute holiday having completely forgotten they'd booked me!!