Make money doing school pick-ups and afterschool childcare

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Have you ever wanted to make money with part-time work, picking up and looking after children once school is over?

Loads of parents need someone to collect their children and look after them until they get back home.

If you love children, and particularly if you’ve had experience of bringing up your own, this can be fun and rewarding work.

• What’s involved in afterschool childcare?
• What experience and qualifications do you need?
• How do you get the work?
• How much money can you make from afterschool childcare?

 

What’s involved in afterschool childcare?

Working parents around the country need someone to pick up and care for their children between the end of school and the time they can get back from work. That’s where you come in.

Essentially, you just have to pick the kids up after school and look after them for a few hours until their parents come home.

The work involves going to the school (any time from 3–5pm), taking the children home, giving them some food, then supervising their homework or playing with them.

It doesn’t usually involve putting them to bed as one or more parent is usually home by that point.

You don’t necessarily need to drive, as many parents live within walking distance from the school, but sometimes parents stipulate a driver with their own car. Certainly if you do drive your own car you will have more job opportunities to choose from.

 

What experience and qualifications do you need?

You don’t have to be a qualified nanny to do this work. It’s quite suitable for a retired person with a car, a clean driving record and free afternoons. However, many parents do ask for someone who is qualified.

Having a nanny qualification like a Council for Awards in Children’s Care and Education (CACHE) certificate in childcare or an NVQ or BTEC, or having been a nurse or a teacher will help a lot.

Parents are particularly happy to employ someone who was a nurse or teacher, especially if they have had their own children. That combination makes them feel especially safe.

Having said that, in many circumstances just being an experienced parent or grandparent can be enough.

Whatever your qualifications, though, you’ll definitely need:

• An up-to-date CV
• A copy of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate.
  
• Nanny certificates
• Written references
• An up-to-date first aid certificate

It’s a bonus if you can drive but some of these jobs just require you to walk the children to and from school. If you can drive, and are required to transport the children from school, you may need to alter your car insurance and make sure that the parents reimburse you if your insurance costs go up. Find the right car insurance for you here.

 

How do you get the work?

The most efficient way to get work is through a nanny agency. Top Notch Nannies in London say they regularly get afterschool childcare jobs but often have difficulty filling them. Find agencies in your area and register with them to start hearing about vacancie.

You can also find nanny agencies through the Recruitment & Employment Confederation.

Many nanny agencies would prefer you to have formal, paid childcare experience and, ideally, a clean driving licence to do the school run. If you don’t, sell your other experience, such as minding grandchildren.

The Lady magazine often has ads from families who need a part-time nanny in the afternoons.

If you’re in London, other websites with private ads include Gumtree and Greatcare.

Also, advertise in your newsagent, libraries, supermarkets or children’s clothes shop notice boards.

You could even hand out leaflets at your local school. Better still, make your own business cards for cheap at Moo.com.

 

How much money can you make from afterschool childcare?

You should make a minimum of £10 an hour, although in London and the Home Counties it’s more likely to be £10–12 per hour.

The pay will also vary depending on how many children you have to look after and how old they are. Younger children need more care on the whole so you might be able to negotiate higher pay for them.

If you use your car to drive the children about you may want to charge mileage – around 25p per mile should see you break even comfortably.

If you have specialist knowledge – perhaps you’ve been a teacher or are fluent in languages – you may be able to charge more for tutoring them as well as looking after them.

 

If you’re looking to make money as a nanny here are some useful links:

• Top Notch Nannies
• Recruitment & Employment Confederation
• The Lady

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