Told to give 2 weeks free hols

[nadmaj]

Hi ya,

A friend of mine who has children and use childcare looked at my website and she suggested to give parents two weeks free holidays -

wot do you think as i currently charge full fee
and half fee for my holidays

any suggestions

[lorraine2767]

Hi

I charge full fees for parents holidays/sick and when I am on holiday or sick I do not charge. Another childminder I know charges half for parents when they are on holiday or sick and then she charges half when she is on holiday.

It just seems alot if you charge full for the parent and then half when you are on holiday, but it is down the to own choice there is no right or wrong way to do it.

Lorraine xx

[Wiggly]

I haven't started minding yet but I intend to charge parents half fees for 4 weeks holiday of theirs and any holidays after their first 4 weeks will be at full cost. Am I being too generous - should it be two weeks??

I will not charge for my holidays as I can't offer the service and they may have to find other childcare which would be very expensive.

SUsan
x

[tasha]

My network co ordinator says that it is becoming the norm for parents to pay full fees for their holidays & half fee for childminders holidays.

I charge full fee for theirs & no fee for mine, for th same reasons as above. (1/2 fee if we take it at the same time)

I would under no circumstances offer free holiday!!!

Tasha

[susi513]

i charge full fees for bank holidays and half fees for 1 week at easter and xmas eve to new years day inclusive. I don't charge for any other time I am closed.

[mel]

I charge for bank holidays and charge for the mindees holidays but not for my own. I actually give my holiday dates out for the academic year at the start of each year so if they want a free holiday, they take it at the same time as me. This seems to be a reasonable compromise.

Mel x

[stacie1985]

hello it is completly up to you how you price things its your business. But when i have been working out my prices i have tried to be fair to parents for things like holidays becoz dont know if your area is short on childminders but mine isnt so i have put my holidays fees at no fee for when im off coz they will prob have to find alternate care and full fee when they are on holiday. that way its only your holidays you not being paid for and least they are when you want them so you can plan for not having the wages from the parents. plus you dont want to set holidays to high coz as sad as it may be parents alot of the time go for cost rather than best care thats why in our area we were told to try keep to same rates as most others so parents choose best care not price.

[angeldelight]

Hi

I think it is up to you if that is what you want to do

A few years ago I used to let parents have 2 weeks free holiday

I changed it because a lot of them do get working tax credit now so they get a lot of their childcare paid for them

They do not tell the inland revenue when they are on holiday so the money would still go to them

I work hard all year and they expect me to still keep the place open when they are on holiday so that is why I now charge
I charge full fees
If I am on holiday I do not charge

I do not think you will find many childminders that give free holidays now

But it is your business you do what ever you feel happy with

Angel xx

[susan]

I charge full fee's for their holidays and none for mine and full fee is they or the child is sick but none if me or my family are sick
xxx

[janet]

i do same as angel and susan xxxx

[carolinel]

i too do the same, full for their hol and nothing for mine, and always let them know my holiday date at the beginning of the year so they can book their holidays at the same time as mine.
Tasha's network co-ordinator says what you are doing now is becoming the norm, so if that's what your happy with i'd stick with it, esp if your area doesn't have many childminders and the demand is high.

[nadmaj]

um not sure what to do now -

i've put that i'll charge half fee for child holidays and no fee for mine - i'm starting out and don't want to be turning business down if parent's think that my holiday fees are unfair - i could always increase it to full at 12 months or i'll have a word with a childminder friend

[Pauline]

Parents get paid when on holiday so why should you go without?

I charge full fee for their holiday but no charge for mine as they will have to pay someone else to care for the children.