Questions about Childminders Post Reply

[windmill26]

I am thinking of going back to work part-time and we will need a childminder for our child.
I have a few questions; What is generally a childminder hourly rate?
What do they do with the kids (play,homework,activities etc.)?
Do they charge extra for school runs?
Any input is welcome.

[kaboodle]

If I were a child carer I would be loathe to commit to a person who rants about childcare costs of au-pairs on here.

[windmill26]

If I were a child carer I would be loathe to commit to a person who rants about childcare costs of au-pairs on here.

Just a bit confused about your answer.I am not ranting about cost,I don't know what I should expect from a childminder service and this is why I asked on the forum.I am aware that I can approach childminders and ask questions but I would love to get more constructive feedback from families that use childminders .I am not posting here to get into arguments with people that can't offer anything positive but just snappy remarks!

[kaboodle]

You are confused because?

We have had several wonderful au-pairs that we still regularly as they are invited yearly to visit from abroad and we support in any way we can (they are considered family) and have also used childminders and have depended on them heavily. We understand it is not their fault that the costs of living are rising and that they also need a decent income.

I do not see why people love to come on here and ask about prices in case they are being asked to pay beyond the odds or going rate, being tricked in to paying more. Find someone you like, trust and that is within your price range. If they are too expensive find someone else.

Childminders vary greatly in price and don't dismiss someone expensive on that basis if you can pay for it.

Their job is just as important as yours, if not more. Child carers care for your home, your children and can provide much happiness and stability to a family.

[kaboodle]

I was referring to your previous challenges posted on this site to live within a very low budget that you expect Au-pairs to do.

[windmill26]

I was referring to your previous challenges posted on this site to live within a very low budget that you expect Au-pairs to do.

The post you are referring to is from Herculesmum and my reply to her was;

"If you do a quick search on Google.com.au regarding what is the average rate weekly for an Au Pair in Australia you will find that 200-250 AUD for 30 hours/week is the norm. I think a childminder would be more suitable to your requirement for the after school pick up"


If you have to refer to previous posts I would make sure you get it right in the first place.

[SomethingToSay]

I'm also interested in this as I am beginning to look at childcare options for my first baby (not born yet!). I have seen that childminders in the area charge between £60 and £70 per day, but would be really interested to know what happens if you don't need a full day.

I used to have a friend who was a childminder (a good few years ago) and I don't think it was the 'norm' to charge extra for school runs, particularly if they are close by. Perhaps the only issue would be logistics, e.g. if she was collecting several children from several different schools which all break up at the same time...

In the day times, she went to lots of local clubs and activities, had a great network of childminder/nanny/Mummy friends to meet for playdates, and would help with homework after school with the older ones.

[zan20]

My 4 year old goes to a child minder after school. She charges £7.50 an hour but that also includes tea/supper. When I was looking that seemed to be the going rate in TW11 anyway.

None of the child minders I visited charged extra for the school run but they all had a particular school that they would do pick ups and drop off from and wouldn't go to other schools.

In terms of activities, he does art/craft, lego, playing with cars etc. If the weather is good enough they go to the park or play in the park. Child minders tend to look after quite a few children so I wouldn't expect them to do homework with my child unless it's a bit more of a nanny that works from her own home type arrangement, in which case you may pay more. My child minder mainly does before and after school care but she sometimes has a younger child during the day and I think they go to playgroups.

[windmill26]

I'm also interested in this as I am beginning to look at childcare options for my first baby (not born yet!). I have seen that childminders in the area charge between £60 and £70 per day, but would be really interested to know what happens if you don't need a full day.

I used to have a friend who was a childminder (a good few years ago) and I don't think it was the 'norm' to charge extra for school runs, particularly if they are close by. Perhaps the only issue would be logistics, e.g. if she was collecting several children from several different schools which all break up at the same time...

In the day times, she went to lots of local clubs and activities, had a great network of childminder/nanny/Mummy friends to meet for playdates, and would help with homework after school with the older ones.

Thank you for steering this post in the right direction! I was starting to question why I bothered posting in the first place!

[windmill26]

My 4 year old goes to a child minder after school. She charges £7.50 an hour but that also includes tea/supper. When I was looking that seemed to be the going rate in TW11 anyway.

None of the child minders I visited charged extra for the school run but they all had a particular school that they would do pick ups and drop off from and wouldn't go to other schools.

In terms of activities, he does art/craft, lego, playing with cars etc. If the weather is good enough they go to the park or play in the park. Child minders tend to look after quite a few children so I wouldn't expect them to do homework with my child unless it's a bit more of a nanny that works from her own home type arrangement, in which case you may pay more. My child minder mainly does before and after school care but she sometimes has a younger child during the day and I think they go to playgroups.

Thank you for your input.It is the kind of information I was after.

[kaboodle]

I am extremely sorry, I stand corrected.

I must say I have not come across many childminders charging £60 per day, it is usually around £70 - £90 per day. I saw a few cheap childminders but would absolutely not send my children there. You can have a look on the Wandsworth Family Info service where childminders and their rates are posted.

The childminders I have used charge £9 per hour usually a ten hour day. They are self employed and must pay their own taxes and supplies/toys/food and are not left with a rocking huge profit. Children have the benefits of interaction with their peers and more attention as opposed to nurseries which is a huge plus in my opinion. Whether you're charged a full day or not will depend on whether they will collect during the day should your child need collecting due to sickness or any other issue.

You can PM me if you have any other questions, we are experienced in all things Nanny tax/au-pair and childminder related.

[kaboodle]

I am extremely sorry, I stand corrected.

I must say I have not come across many childminders charging £60 per day, it is usually around £70 - £90 per day. I saw a few cheap childminders but would absolutely not send my children there. You can have a look on the Wandsworth Family Info service where childminders and their rates are posted.

The childminders I have used charge £9 per hour usually a ten hour day. They are self employed and must pay their own taxes and supplies/toys/food and are not left with a rocking huge profit. Children have the benefits of interaction with their peers and more attention as opposed to nurseries which is a huge plus in my opinion. Whether you're charged a full day or not will depend on whether they will collect during the day should your child need collecting due to sickness or any other issue.

You can PM me if you have any other questions, we are experienced in all things Nanny tax/au-pair and childminder related.

[lindylindylindy]

Hello, I'm a local childminder and rates are around £7 to £9/£10 per hour in the Northcote Rd area depending on whether they include meals, outings, snacks, nappies, wipes and hours and whether they work alone or have an assistant/partner.

In my case a full time fee is less than a part time fee, as childminders have a number of placements they can offer per week (depending on the space of their home) mine being four, so if they take on a part time placement they potentially forfeit a full time placement. However many are flexible and may offer half days/part time/ad-hoq or just before and after school services.

Usually an outing to the library/park/playgroup is done daily and some time dedicated daily at home to activities/adult-led play and free play and reading/singing nursery rhymes.

As with nurseries, childrens progress is monitored and reported through use of the EYFS guidelines.

As has been said, CM's are self employed and from their income childminding they pay their own tax, insurances, training courses, toys and equipment, food/cleaning costs and wear and tear on their home.

With regard to school, it varies on each childminder and some will have a number of children going to the same school in which case it would probably be included in the fee.

Hope this helps!

[windmill26]

Hello, I'm a local childminder and rates are around £7 to £9/£10 per hour in the Northcote Rd area depending on whether they include meals, outings, snacks, nappies, wipes and hours and whether they work alone or have an assistant/partner.

In my case a full time fee is less than a part time fee, as childminders have a number of placements they can offer per week (depending on the space of their home) mine being four, so if they take on a part time placement they potentially forfeit a full time placement. However many are flexible and may offer half days/part time/ad-hoq or just before and after school services.

Usually an outing to the library/park/playgroup is done daily and some time dedicated daily at home to activities/adult-led play and free play and reading/singing nursery rhymes.

As with nurseries, childrens progress is monitored and reported through use of the EYFS guidelines.

As has been said, CM's are self employed and from their income childminding they pay their own tax, insurances, training courses, toys and equipment, food/cleaning costs and wear and tear on their home.

With regard to school, it varies on each childminder and some will have a number of children going to the same school in which case it would probably be included in the fee.

Hope this helps!

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply.I feel that now I have good information and better understanding of a childminder role.