New Policy for bookings and payments
Kipling Lions after-school club and holiday scheme is committee run charity that aims to deliver a quality childcare service to local children and their families. The club receives the majority of its income in the form of fees from parents/carers in addition to a small childcare sustainability grant from Brighton & Hove Children and Young People’s Trust, to help to keep the fees we charge affordable to families. All money the club receives is put directly into the club to pay for staff wages, premises costs, food, equipment and materials.
Acting on advice from the CYPT development officer to support the after-school club and holiday scheme to become more financially viable and as a condition of our on-going funding we need to introduce more robust policies and procedures for payments and bookings.
In addition to this, we need to standardise the session lengths available for you to use. We have decided that the minimum number of hours that can be booked per day at the holiday scheme will be three hours. We believe this still offers our parents and carers good amount of flexibility.
Accompanying this letter is a copy of our new payments and bookings policy and procedure that illustrates the changes we need to implement. These changes will take effect on 1st April 2008.
Payments & Bookings Policy
All sessions at the after-school club and holiday scheme need to be booked in advance with the supervisor, Michelle McLean. If you book your child into the club and they do not attend for whatever reason (other than decisions made by Kipling Lions Committee or, for example, school closure) you will be liable to pay for that session even if you did not use it. This is the way that most other childcare business’ run because the costs for staff, premises hire, etc still need to be met.
Places at the after-school club and holiday scheme will be booked on a first come first served basis, hence the need to book your places as much in advance as possible to secure your child/children’s place.
The costs will be from the 1st of April £2.75 per hour but there are a minimum number of hours that must be booked. The minimum number of hours now available at the holiday scheme is three hours per day.
i) Payments for the after-school club
A payment for the following week’s childcare must be made in advance at the latest by the Friday beforehand. As an example, if you have booked after-school club sessions every Tuesday and Thursday evening starting Tuesday 1st April, the payment will be needed to cover that week’s fees in full by Friday 28th March.
ii) Payments for the holiday scheme
To secure your child/children’s places at the holiday scheme you must pay your fees at least one full week before the scheme starts. As an example, if you would like your child to attend the holiday scheme all day Monday, Wednesday and Friday during both weeks of the Easter holidays, then the fees for both weeks must be paid in full by Monday 24th March, however, as this is a bank holiday, on this occasion by Tuesday 25th March, 2008.
iii) Payments for last minute sessions
The after-school club and holiday scheme may sometimes have spaces available for last minute bookings; these can be arranged by phoning the supervisor on 01273 309352 or mobile 07941748574. We cannot guarantee your child a place as we will have arranged our staffing according to the advanced bookings made. Payment for this place will need to be made when the child is dropped off (at holiday scheme) or collected at home time (when at after-school club).
Payments procedure
As the After School Club works on a tight budget all fees must be paid one week in advance, this allows us to keep the fees low. If any family are experiencing difficulty in keeping on top of the fees due then please speak to Michelle or the treasurer in cofidence before falling into arrears.
But if by any chance you do fall behind you will:-
First of all be sent a reminder (1 week behind).
Be given a statement of accounts with a 10% admin charge each week in arrears added (3 weeks behind).
A final reminder with notice of your child no longer having a place if the account is not settled in 5 days (6 weeks behind).
A letter will be sent registered post informing you not to send your child to After school club as they will not be picked up from School.
Every parent will be asked for a deposit of £10 when they first book their child's session this will be returned to you when your child leaves After school club, providing the account is up to date and the required 2 weeks notice has been given.
Contact Michelle Mclean on 01273 309352
© Kiplinglions 2006