Fee-Charging Policy

Childminder Name: Mrs Denise Barrett

EY Number: EY397753

DfE Number: 537895

This fees policy should be read alongside/forms part of the contract with the parents/carer and Mrs Denise Barrett.

Fees will be discussed with parents during initial contractual discussions and will be set out in the ‘Contract’ between Mrs Denise Barrett and person with parental responsibility.

Opening Times

Monday - Thursday 7.45am - 6.00pm. Hourly childminding rate £5.00

Friday 7.45am - 5.00pm. Hourly childminding rate £5.00

Hours child minded outside contracted hours, occasional unsocial hours, occasional childminding, charges due to child/parent illness/occasional days off are all charged at £5.00 per hour. No overnight care is available.

Early Education Funding for Two, Three and Four-Old's

All 3 and 4 year old children get up to 15 hours of Early Education Funding towards childcare per week, and some 2 year old children are also eligible. The 30 hours Early Education Funding offer is for working families in England with 3 and 4-year-old children. Parents must be working and each earning at least £120 a week, but no more than £100,000 a year.

Up to 30 hours of Early Education Funding towards childcare is available for 38 weeks of the year (1140 hours, the same as school terms). I can also stretch your entitlement across more weeks by you taking fewer hours over each week (e.g. 23.75 hours over 48 weeks).

Although I can deliver these sessions ‘flexibly’ the minimum length of a ‘session’ has been set by the Government as 2.5 hours and the maximum length set by the BCP Council as 10 hours in any one day and no more than two providers in any day.

For three and four-year old children, a child becomes eligible the term following their third birthday. For eligible two-year old children the funding begins at the start of the term following a child’s second birthday.

For parents of children accessing additional hours above the funded entitlement they will be charged at the normal hourly rate of £5.00. Please note that sessions missed due to your holiday or sickness cannot be carried forward. If I am unable to deliver session/s through my sickness, I will endeavour to offer you other sessions, otherwise they will not be charged for.

Booking and Fees

Early Education Funding for Two, Three and Four Old's

Places will be fully funded and general extras charge will not apply to the following:

If your child accesses Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)
If you access 15 hours funding but your child attends 30.25 hours a week or more per week
If you have a second younger child that does not access funding

If you do not fall under one of the above exclusions, there is an additional charge of 88p per hour on all funded hours. The 88p per hour is valid until end of March 2021. It will be reviewed for the academic year 2021/2022.

The general extra charge contributes towards outings, trips, entry to play groups, educational subscriptions like IXL, the Boogie Mites music programme, consumables and services such as Tapestry etc.

Please feel free to talk to me about the general extra charge if you are experiencing financial difficulties.

In the case of non-funded hours, my fees include the following: all trips and entry fees including those to playgroups attended. Parents are only responsible for paying for contracted hours at the rate of £5.00 per hour. No other charges apply.

When I am requested to hold a place for a child, a reservation deposit is required. Details will be discussed during initial contractual discussions and details will be set out in the ‘Contract’ between Mrs Denise Barrett and person with parental responsibility. The legal difference between Reservation deposits and Payment deposits will be fully discussed bringing attention to section 8 of the guidance on completing the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years contract.

A late collection fee of £1.50 for every 15 minutes will be charged if you are late collecting your child. A fee of £15 will be charged if you do not settle your invoice by the end of the month it is due. The late invoice will continue to incur a £15 a month late payment charge until it is settled. This is in the ‘Contract, between Mrs Denise Barrett and person with parental responsibility.

Holiday and Sickness

I am closed all Bank Holiday Mondays, Good Friday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and the days between Boxing Day up to and including New Year’s Day, plus other Public Holidays.

Mrs Barrett can take up to 2 weeks holiday a year (not including the days listed above), where either no fee is payable because the service is not available, or Mrs Barrett will arrange care for your child with another childminder whom you will get to meet and approve prior to your child attending their provision. Parents will be responsible for paying fees directly to that childminder for the period they offer holiday cover for.

Charges if a parent is ill and unable to bring their child, or if their child is ill and unable to attend are £5.00 per hour for all contracted hours.

Invoicing and Payment

Payments are due 1st of the month - one month in advance. Payments can be made by cash, bank transfer, Tax Free Childcare or through a childcare voucher provider.

Your invoice will clearly state which hours were taken as funded hours (the general extra contributions for services) and which were taken as additional hours.

Where possible I will be flexible to accommodate changing needs, so if hours need to be changed, reduced or additional hours required please contact me as soon as possible to discuss this. Four weeks’ notice must be given to reduce contractual hours. I am required to operate within ratio’s set by Ofsted and unable to go over those numbers except in certain exceptional circumstances.

If fees are unpaid the following procedure will take place:

A letter requesting payment of outstanding fees within 2 weeks will be sent to parents.

Should the fees remain unpaid:

A second letter requesting payment of outstanding fees within 7 days will be sent to parents. The ‘Contract’ will clearly state that non-payment of fees which have been outstanding for 60 days or for reoccurring late payment of fees will mean that I will terminate the ‘Contract’.

I reserve the right to make a late payment charge of £15 per month where no repayment plan has been discussed or a repayment plan has also not been adhered to. Payment by cheque will not be considered as payment until cleared. Late payment fee is only applicable if a bill is not settled by the 1st of the month following the month it was due.

Termination of the contract

I reserve the right to terminate the contract immediately in the event of a child’s behaviour that endangers the safety of other children and adults around them, the unsuitable behaviour of parents or non-payment of fees following the non-payment procedure. In any other circumstances 4 weeks written notice can be given by either party.

Bad Weather Provision

Childminding fees are still payable when a parent decides not to send their child because of bad weather conditions, but I am still open and my provision is available.