Would you charge fee for the time at preschool??

[stacie1985]

I dont know how to set my price i dont want to go 2 low for obvious reasons but i dont want to be too unreasonable either. but lady coming round hopefully this week to discuss her son who is starting preschool in mornings i wont be taking him just picking him up which is from 11.15 am till when they finished wk dont know that time yet. so spoke to other childminders and they say i should charge for wrap around but i dont know what to do coz as first enquiry dont want to lose them so basically asking what you thinking is reasonable to charge and its only mon and tues and they intreasted in summer holidays too. i dont think many parents take a retainer fee too way so its quite a delicate topic to discuss help!!! haha

[lorraine2767]

Hi Stacie

Not sure what other childminders do, but if I only have to pick a child up from pre-school then I charge from the time I pick them up to the time they go. I have a little boy that I pick up from pre-school 3 days a week, he finishes at 11.30, so I charge from 11.30 until he gets picked up at 3.00. I do know some childminders that charge from when they leave the house.

I am sure the other ladies will let you know what they do.

If I had to take him and then pick him up I would charge for the time he is at pre-school as well.

Lorraine xx

[angeldelight]

Hi Stacie and Lorraine

I always used to charge from when I picked a child up from nursery if it was going to be the same as what you would be doing Stacie - I felt so mean charging when I was not actually minding the child

But then I met Pauline .........

She gave the advice on one of my very early posts that I was being too soft
How right she was

So Stacie and Lorraine I would def charge for that time she is at nursery / play school
I do now

The thing is it is stopping you having another child
Do they want you to be their emergency contact - if so then you need to be available don't you ?

I do understand where you are coming from though - it did take me about 16 years to change my views on this haha

I have never had a problem with people paying me for the time their child is at nursery - I just wish I would have done it sooner !!!!

But your business - your rules - do what you are happy with

Just hope it don't take you 16 years like me !!!!

Angel xx

[stacie1985]

yeah i do want to charge from when he goes but bit of difficult one coz basically i prob need them more than they need me on this one coz plenty of childminders here . so i think wot i may do is as it only 2 afternoons a weeks is tell the parents there are two option either pay for whole time if they want me to be first port of call if needs to come home etc so that place is open to them if needed. not likely but could have someone come along that just wants am so could say that or say other option is pay from when i pick up till leaving but would not be avaliable to collect if ill etc: and also if they did go for first option which i doubt i would also tell them it would be same amount through summer holidays no more as paying for whole day anyway. or if they didnt summer holiday hours would be on top of 2nd option. do you think i should give them the option i think that would seem more reasonable to give them the choice then we all know where we stand??? once i have a few customers and review contracts i may change things but i just want to get people on board first and if i get one child then i dont have to worry about returning to work do mite be worth being a bit of a soft touch for the first little while, while im getting established in my area. what do you think good or bad idea?

[Pauline]

I can understand what you mean about wanting to get parents on board so that you can get established. Have you thought about charging a little more on your hourly rate so that at least you are a bit better off but still seem to be charging from when you pick up, rather than the whole day?

[angeldelight]

I think it would be a good idea Stacie

I know I have done it myself in the past when I have needed the work - Just do not undercut yourself too much
Like Pauline says maybe you could charge a little more an hour
Or add extra for meals if you are not already

Good luck hope it works out whatever you do - like you say sometimes a job with less money is better than no job at all

Angel xx

[stacie1985]

thanks everyone yeah you are probably right bout charging a bit more but i think i will stick to 3 pounds an hour for now purely coz i need the work and cant really afford to wait much longer for a child will end up going bk to wk in october otherwise so think best if do them a cheap deal no complaints that way and im hoping cost and location will go in my favour as not much experience as they only over other side of road haha and with that little bit of money will be enough to stop me having to go bk to wk so could afford to wait around a bit longer that way. but i have stated that meals to be provided apart from snacks or £1 per meal so if they want that will bump it up a bit and plus i mite get more work in summer from them coz he not at school till september and they wanted summer cover too but there have got to come round yet and c me im nervous about that never know what they are going to think of my house and me. im planning on doing a review in 6 months or 12 months to increase prices anyway

[lorraine2767]

Hi

Do i get this right Angel, even though you don't take the child to pre-school/nursery you still charge, as I have been asking childminders round by me and no-body charges if they don't do both take and pick up. With the little boy I have I am not first contact his parents are, so would you still charge for the whole time.



Thanks
Lorraine

[angeldelight]

Yes Lorraine you have that right

The little girl I mind goes to nursery and I collect her at 11.15 and have her till 5pm

I charge mom from ...
9 am till 5pm

For the simple reason I am her emergency contact so if the child is ill I will go and get her because I am being paid

From 9 till 11 it would be very hard to find someone else to fill it so that is another reason you charge to keep that place open for her
Plus in my case she expects a full day childcare in the holidays so she just continues with the same amount of money because they I actually do mind her from
9 to 5

I never used to do this though
I have found out that most childminders to do this like I said it took me 16 years to change my habit

Up to you though , you do what you think is best

Angel xx

[lorraine2767]

Thanks for that Angel the little boy I pick up finishes on Thursday anyway, but any new ones I take to nursery I will start to charge for all day.

Thanks again for that, so glad I found this website.

Lorraine x

[angela234]

I'm the same as you Lorraine
when i had a boy to pick up from play school 2 days at 11.45 i charged from then but i wasn't a emergency contact before that time.

I started by having him mornings taking him to playschool pm then picking him up and having him until 5pm, then i charged all day. but when he changed to morning mum said she would take him to play school i pick him up and she told me she would just pay for the time i had him so i did say i could only have him in the holidays if i had spaces. that used to work out ok as i had teachers children who don;t come in the holidays.

Like you say Angel your not going to get any child between 8/9am to 11.30am. So i do see why you charge all day

I'm too soft

Perhaps Paulines idea about charging a higher rate is the way to go

Angela

[angeldelight]

It is hard to do and I hate asking for money when I am not actually working for it - so I do understand where you are both coming from and in a way I do still feel the same but .........

When I meet a new mom I used to panic If I had to tell them I was going to charge for the time their child was at nursery ( I felt like I was the one being cheeky )
But after a while I did not let it bother me and now if they ask why then I explain - I have never had a parent complain

It is a bit like holidays too - I was soooo soft that years ago I never charged parents for holidays
Used to let them have weeks off and I had no pay !!!!

How mad was I

I have got tougher though and now of course I charge all my parents for all their holidays

You will get tougher too - If you want to be soft for now though I think that is nice and up to you
But you will learn as time goes on - when you are really really busy and rushed off your feet with no time to yourself then you will realise that you really do deserve all what you earn and are entittle too !!!!

Angel xx

[mel]

One of my new children is going to preschool in the afternoon and I have had this discussion with her parents. They have now decided to finish her care at 1pm so I don't charge and they will pick up. However, I have made it clear that this means they are emergency contact and she only has her guaranteed morning hours in term time. I can't guarantee an extra place in the afternoon if I manage to fill the space.
It is always difficult talking about money and I have found myself sounding almost apologetic at times but this is our job!

Mel x

[banana]

well I am dreading when I have to explain this to my friend when her little one starts pre school as I know exactly what she is going to say about it!!

[rasharoon]

Hope you don't mind if I put my case forward as I have a mum coming round tomorrow (Thursday) to sign contracts for her son to start with me from September (still awaiting my registration certificate).
I'm led to believe, that she is taking her son to school and from Sept to Jan, I am to pick him up at midday and have him until 4.00pm (he is 4 years old).
If I put myself down as the Emergency contact for these three months (he starts full time school in January '08), can I then charge her from 9.00am?
If she said she didn't want me as an Emergency Contact then I wouldn't charge - is this right?
Thank you as ever for your help.
Rasharoon

[angeldelight]

Hi Rasharoon

Yes you have got that right

Good luck with the mom tomorrow

Let us know how it goes

Angel xx

[tasha]

Good luck!
Tasha

[rasharoon]

Thank you.
I've also got a mum coming round next week re two girls during term time only so have to talk to her about retainer fees!!!
Have sat and done a draft contract so as I know what to talk about and to be sure I don't end up shafting myself.
Thanks again and will let you know how it goes.

[rubybubbles]

I have never charged for when at preschool even when doing drop off and picked up.

You grils are right though! I have got a new child starting in October 3 days a week and he goes to creche 2 morning 9:15-11:45 to which I won't be charging (should of read this before hey hehe) - but I did say to mum as you can understand he is taking up a full time space so at least one day I would like to have hime all day, and it worked. But it is nice to know 2 mornings I'll only have baby so we can do swimming ect. as newbie, and my dd 3 (today hehe) will be at creche/preschool

[angeldelight]

I was the same as yourself and never charged for years and years it was only when I joined the forum that I realised I should charge for the time at playschool or nursery

Have fun with the new child that starts in October

Angel xx

[miffy]

Hi everyone

I agree with Angel's pricing policy but I often think that parents don't understand that we can only look after x number of children and that is why we need to price accordingly so I try to make sure I explain this to parents when they come to see me.

I used to charge an hourly rate but now I have a full day price and a half day price (morns or afts) and leave it at that as it seems to make life easier.

At the end of the day though we're all s/e and have to decide how to run our own business.

Good luck sorting it out

Miffy

[andreaschildcare]

hiya

Yes!

Because you are responsible for the child whilst they are at pre-school and cannot fill their space. UNLESS they have a different emergency contact.

ie say u have an under 5 at pre school and you fill their place whilst they are at pre school, then you get a call from pre school to collect them as they are sick - you will be over your numbers if you are full! so yes charge.