two children from same family how much

[stacie1985]

hello i need a bit of advice the current approx starting rate in my area is £3.50 per hour and a lady at childminding group kindly passed my details on to a lady who needs b4 and after school care for 5 and 9 year old boys i dont know exact hours yet all i know is they need care till 7pm so min of 4 hours plus whatever in morning. but i been working it out and it seem like an awfull lot of money doing it that way for the month could anyone help me with working out how to charge. thing is it would be so bad if they were sperate enquirys but seems like an awfull lot to ask one parent for help!! she hasnt even phoned me yet she mite not just wanna ask b4 she does so im a bit more confident with prices

[deeb66]

Hi Stacie

Obviously this mum has been paying childcare costs in the past.... do you know what her previous arrangements have been - what I am trying to say is that she must realise how things work and how much childcare costs.

I normally charge my standard rate for the younger child and a reduced rate of 25p - 50p less for the older child.

I can appreciate your concerns as working on those hours then one child would be at least £17.50 per day and if you charged £3.00 per hour for the second child (daily rate £15.00) then the parents would be paying £32.50 per day for both children.....I have worked this out on 4 hours in the afternoon and 1 hour in the morning.

Am I right that this is your concern?

I think the parents must already have an idea of what the costs will be so don't sell yourself short. Tell her that you are willing to give a reduced rate as they are siblings which I am sure she would be greatful for... you need to work out how much of a reduction you want to give.

I know that it is hard when working out fees but just remember that yes you do have to be fair to the parents but you also need to be fair to yourself....you are not running a charity it is a business and need to make a decent living!

Hope all this helps

Dee

[angeldelight]

Hi Stacie

You sound just like how I USED to sound !!

Sorry to be so blunt but think of yourself you would be minding these children so you deserve to get paid the going rate

I know a lot of childminders do not give discount for 2 or more children in the same family

I do give discount my rate is £3 an hour it is the going rate in my area
If there are 2 children from the same family I charge them £5 instead of £6 an hour for the both of them

I have a few children that have brothers and sisters that I also mind
I have never had anyone complain about fees

Remember also if they are claming tax credits and most parents can and are these days then I think they get 80% of their fees paid for them by the inland revenue

Like Dee says most parents do have some idea of childcare costs
So do not undercut yourself just because you feel sorry for them

Good luck hope she rings you

Angel xx

[banana]

I would give a 50p reduction for the second child.

Stacie - You don't have to worry about how the parents find the money, I know sometimes you think they are paying a lot of money but remember the help the can get with tax credits - one of my mindee's almost has all of her fee's paid from tax credit payments so its not coming from their monthly wages.

We are in a job where we can feel like we 'owe' the parents something for nothing sometimes, but we shouldnt feel like that.

You are running your own business and you are working hard for the small fee that you charge for a professional service. £3.00 isn't even minimum wage remember.

So dont question your fee's, you are entitled to earn them!!

x

[manjay]

I think this one is personal choice again and maybe how much you want or need the business. I do not intend to give discount for siblings. My view is the parents have two children they should pay for two children.

I know that may sound really harsh but I have paid for childcare for 15 years and no one ever felt sorry or guilty for me having to pay for more than one child at a time!!

I seem to have been walked over for the last 20 years while being employed so now I have my business I feel really strong about running it the way I want.

I guess you have to decide if it is worth your while to offer a reduced rate to fill your spaces.

Sorry, that's it, I will get off my soap box for the rest of the night



Amanda xx

[angeldelight]

Amanda I think you are right

I only wish I would have done the same but most of mine who have 2 in the family have been coming to me for years and me being soft made the mistake of giving discount ..... silly me !!!

Plus they get most of it paid in family credit for them

Good for you

Angel xx

[stacie1985]

thanks everyone for all your advice. I know you are all completly right. just feel bad but i think i will put my fees like u say and do reduced for one child . anyways im getting ahead of meself i she hasnt even phoned me so if she doesnt at least i know. but i so hope she does i need some work lol

[deeb66]

Good luck Stacie - I will keep my fingers crossed for you and hopefully she will ring.

Dee

[banana]

Let us know what hapens stacie.

Hope you hear from her soon

x

[stacie1985]

hello im afraid its not good news childminder that passed my name on to tell me lady got appointments with two other childminders tonight so guess she wont be phoning me. I wonder if its coz im newly registered some people might not want to come to me oh well. but the childminder had another enquiry she cant do and gave my number little girl 2 days a week so you never no that one mite phone me im not getting my hopes up this time. i feel so disapointed i just want to get started i need someone to give me a chance

[deeb66]

Thats unfortunate Stacie but you never know she still may ring you after she has seen the other 2. When a perspective parent visits me I always advise them to go and see as many other minders as they can so that they are able to make the right choice for their child and you never know one of these ladies may tell her the same and she may ring - will keep my fingers crossed.

Good luck with the other referal - hopefully this one will call

Dee

P.S. Try not to get too disheartened - it is tough in the beginning but you will probably find that enquiries come rolling in all at once!!!

[banana]

Thats a shame Stacie. I know you will be feeling a bit worried about getting your first mindee, as I was when I started (6 months ago). But now I am full with my under 5 places and after all the bad luck I had in the begining I never thought I would have gotten to this stage in such a short space of time.

As Dee said, you will probably find that all your enquiries will come at once and then you will be turning away business!!

So dont feel down about it!! It will all start happening soon and then you can come on here and tell us all that the kids are driving you nuts!!

xxx

[stacie1985]

thanks guys really appreciate the support am starting to feel a bit down about it all. but you are all right i will prob get mindies soon enough i just feel like coz im new no one wants to even phone me when i get referred never mind bring their child to me. I will be happy for a while with just one child to get used to the childminding scene but dont seem to be even getting that yet. my name is set to go live tomorrow on the cis website so hoping to get work from that and the nca website our local one. do you find you get many enquiries from cis ?? coz since i put my own advertising up havent had any calls so im really hoping cis and nca website will get me some enquiries. this other refferel i got is for a little girl a few months old 2 days a week but she hasnt phoned me either so doubt she will. oh well keep going ay ... sorry for moaning lol

[manjay]

Hi Stacie,

It must be hard to keep positive, however you seem to be doing all the right things. I suppose everyones first mindee will probably be the hardest to get as you don't have a proven track record as such. At least you have another minder passing on your number and you never know the appointments she has tonight might not work out.

Does the supply in your area outweigh the demand? I think that can be a big issue in some areas. I have the opposite problem in that we have a massive shortage of childcare in our village but the registration process takes ages. I cannot give anyone definite dates as I have no idea when I will be registered. This makes me equally frustrated as I am having to turn business away.

I am sure it will happen for you soon.

Amanda xx

[deeb66]

Hi Stacie

I have also found advertising on CIS website very useful and usually get quite a few phone calls pretty soon after placing advert but then there is a high demand for minders in my area.

Dee

[stacie1985]

hello again ,
yeah we have a lot of minders in my area but they all seem to be doing well and have a few children each quite a few still have spaces but they have some children. There seems to be a big demand for childcare round here all the other minders in my area i have met seem to say they dont think i will have a problem. but i think it is just getting that first one. im sure it will happen its only been a few weeks and your right this lady with the 2 children may not want either and has my number but she wanted it from next week so me thinks she will pick one coz she not gone long and she sound like a busy lady . thanks for all your support i will be jumping for joy when i sign my first contract

[nannan]

Hi Stacie,
dont get too disheartened, it took me 6months before I got my first mindee's, keep doing what you are doing and you will and you will soon get the phone calls coming in. good luck and let us know how you get on
Mandy