how much should i charge for childminding

username1234

Hi All
I am currently working from home as a childminder in a north cork town.. I have been doing so for the past 20 odd years. I am just wondering how much money should i be charging per child or can any one give in a similar situation give me an idea of how much they are paying?
I work from home rough hours i mind the children are from 9 to 5 , monday to friday,
ages of children are from 3months to 4 years
I mind 3 at the same time all from different family.


Any help would be really appreciated

Thanks in advance

littlebug

I pay my childminder €4 per hour if she only has 1 of my children, €7 per hour if she has both.This is low I think. I'd imagine it's a lot more in Dublin. She only has mine for 3 hours in the morning and has another baby for 3 mornings and 2 others at varying hours depending on playschool etc. I believe we all pay the same rates.

Hobbes

I would of thought you would have to pay minimum wage at least?

Although seems to suggest otherwise..
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/education/pre-school-education-and-childcare/health_safety_and_welfare_of_preschool_childcare_services/?searchterm=child%20minder

However you would have to be registered and inspected and limits on how many you can mind. All the details in the link above.

littlebug

Hobbes wrote:

I would of thought you would have to pay minimum wage at least?

.

Yes.. although consider that most childminders usually mind more than one child. In this case the OP minds 3 children. If she charged €5 per child that's €15 per hour which adds up to a fairly reasonable amount per year.... I think.

SarahMc

Childminders are self employed, not employees, so minimum wage does not apply. Average rate is around 5 euro per hour per child, but this depends on things like experience, qualifications, whether you are registered etc. Most Childminders give a discount for siblings, anything from 10-25%.

Victor

If I'm correct you can earn up to 15,000 euro, tax-free, minding up to 3 children in your own home.

deisemum

Hobbes wrote:

I would of thought you would have to pay minimum wage at least?

Although seems to suggest otherwise..
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/education/pre-school-education-and-childcare/health_safety_and_welfare_of_preschool_childcare_services/?searchterm=child%20minder

However you would have to be registered and inspected and limits on how many you can mind. All the details in the link above.

There is no formal registration for childminders in Ireland. However if you mind 4 or more children from different families you are obliged to notify local health service executive. If you look after 3 or less children you may voluntary notify your local HSE. You may register with Childminding Ireland but you are not under any obligation to do so.

Whatever you charge should reflect what you provide ie, if meals are provided or not.

Childminding can incur high costs especially if you want to provide a top class service

Femelade

i'm live outside cork city, west side. I pay €4 ph to my childminder for minding my daughter.

Rodney Trotter

Anything less than minimum wage is just pure meanness.

Surely anyone who thinks anything of their children deems them worthy of paying at least what a burger flipper earns in McD's?

I would say any self-respecting parent would deem their children to be worth €10 per hour, for an 8 hour day, with holiday pay (this to include food for the child(ren)).

€4 per hour is scandalous.

Debracd

If you're earning miminimum wage and paying minimum wage to a childminder(who btw works from their own home, has minimal disruption to their daily routine and for the most part don't pay tax on their earnings) then what's the point in going to work?

I have worked as a childminder and really couldn't see myself charging any more than €4ph. I'm at home with MY children anyway, the kids I've minded have been around the same age as my own children and have been great play mates, anything earned from childminding is a bonus iykwim. Babysitting is another thing altogether, I think the going rate now is about €10ph, but that's generally for leisure activities not time spent earning to put food on the table.

Deb

Victor

I think it depends on how many children are being minded 3 x €4 is much better than €4.

littlebug

Rodney Trotter yes a childminder is worth more than minimum wage BUT as outlined before most childminders mind more than one child, indeed most mind more than 2 which and get paid per child which brings what they earn to above minimum wage. I've estimated my childminder earns somewhere between €400 and €500 per week during term time and €600 + in the summer (though I know she paid her 16 year old to help her out last summer). Given that €15,000 of this is tax free I think that's alright! If I was to pay €10 per hour per child I'd be losing money.

Victor

littlebug wrote:

Given that €15,000 of this is tax free I think that's alright! If I was to pay €10 per hour per child I'd be losing money.

I think if you go over the €15,000 its is taxed normally (you can nearly earn that amount anyway, tax free).

littlebug

Ah yes Victor you're right. I wasn't thinking straight.

foxy06

Rodney Trotter wrote:

I would say any self-respecting parent would deem their children to be worth €10 per hour, for an 8 hour day, with holiday pay (this to include food for the child(ren)).

€4 per hour is scandalous.

I love my children very much but this would cost me 800 a week to have them both looked after. If this was the case there would be no point in me working at all! No wonder so many single mothers have to stay on welfare instead of going out to work when some of them are well qualified to work in good jobs.

Trinity

Rodney Trotter wrote:

Anything less than minimum wage is just pure meanness.

Surely anyone who thinks anything of their children deems them worthy of paying at least what a burger flipper earns in McD's?

I would say any self-respecting parent would deem their children to be worth €10 per hour, for an 8 hour day, with holiday pay (this to include food for the child(ren)).

€4 per hour is scandalous.

Its a tough one alright but as someone pointed out that is why a lot of mums have to stay at home.

Never had a child minder but son was in creche after school at a cost of 125 euro per week. He stayed there approx 15 hours a week - mostly a lot less hours but i still had to pay a full week regardless. My rent was 250 per week and my wages was only 350 per week!! Go figure where the money came from for food and bills and clothes.

Average pay these days is probably roughly 10 - 12 euro an hour. Deduct 8 of that for a child minder then Tax, PRSI, pension, VHI or whatever and then busfares etc.

Sure it costs you money to work these days if you have a kid.

Shelli

I was actually thinking of going into child minding myself after my maternity leave finishes. I'm going to do a course first and register with the National Childminding Association of Ireland.

Given this, I was thinking of charging about €6 and maybe a discount for siblings. I will probably be working in South Co. Dublin.

Do you think this is a reasonable amount to charge?

BTW....this is the associations website, well worth a look for both parents and childminders.

www.childminding.ie

Trinity

Shelli wrote:

I was actually thinking of going into child minding myself after my maternity leave finishes. I'm going to do a course first and register with the National Childminding Association of Ireland.

Given this, I was thinking of charging about €6 and maybe a discount for siblings. I will probably be working in South Co. Dublin.

Do you think this is a reasonable amount to charge?

BTW....this is the associations website, well worth a look for both parents and childminders.

www.childminding.ie

Compared to a creche i think its reasonable. If i had known a childminder was relatively more inexpensive than a creche i would have tried to find one. Mind you i am in Dublin, it seems everthing is more expensive here.

Certainly if i was going on a nite out i would expect to pay at least 10 euro an hour, but i have never used one, plus they come to you and it is unsocial hours.

I guess as others have pointed out, the more kids you mind the more income you generate. SO while it may not be worth your while minding one for 6 euro and hour, if you had 3 or 4 well thats a fairly decent income?

Debracd

Well €4ph for one child from 8-6(allowing for travel time before and after a 9-5 job) is €40 a day, 5 days a week is €200 PW/€800 PM. That's not bad money considering you have the added benefit of staying home with your own kids if you choose to!

I have minded kids for half that! But that was my choice because as I said, I'm at home anyway and any money made from childminding just went on the little extras for my own kids. I wasn't depending on it to pay the mortgage or anything. I really think though that a 'reasonable rate' varies from family to family and should be worked out between the minder and the parent. I mean, if I was minding a child for a single mum there's no way I'd charge €4ph! Where as if I was minding a child for Bill Gates then relatively speaking 'minimum wage' would be a fair asking price

BigCon

Double Post

BigCon

Victor wrote:

I think if you go over the €15,000 its is taxed normally (you can nearly earn that amount anyway, tax free).

Slightly OT, but if I have my wife's tax credits, can she still earn €15K minding children in our house without paying tax (bearing in mind that I have her tax credits)?

Debracd

Well when I went to work part time Revenue told me I could take some credits off my DH or use €19000 I still have myself that are not transferable! So I'd say yes, but check it out with revenue because that was nearly 4yrs ago

Deb

Victor

Look at www.revenue.ie

SarahMc

slightly OT, but if I have my wife's tax credits, can she still earn €15K minding children in our house without paying tax (bearing in mind that I have her tax credits)?

Yes, and you can still claim the full home carers tax credit as the 15K is disredarded as income for this.

ann0

parents have to take into concideration that a lot of childminders use there own cars for drop ofs and pick ups from school and different things.4 euro an hr wouldent be enough.and food aswell.if im doing drops ofs and such il charge 6 euro an hr for 1 child.and if theres sibling who needs the same il charge 4 euro.theres no point in cutting urself short

Moonbeam

Please do not drag up 5 year old threads,