The first few weeks with a new child set the tone for everything after. A well-planned settling-in period helps the child feel secure and the parents trust you, and it shows everyone early on whether the arrangement is going to work.
Why settling matters
Attachment research has a lot to say here. Young children explore confidently when they feel secure with a familiar adult, and a new carer has to earn that place gradually. Short visits, with a parent there at first, let the child get to know you, your home and the other children before they're left for a full day. In my experience the children who settle most smoothly are the ones whose families didn't rush this stage.
Settling-in visits
Decide how many visits you offer, how long they last and whether a parent stays. Two or three visits is common, with a parent staying for the first. Then decide whether to charge. Some childminders offer visits free, some charge their usual rate for the time and some set a price per visit. Any of these is fine if the contract says which.
Is it a trial period?
Many families ask whether the first few weeks are a trial. You can agree a shorter notice period for the first month, so either of you can end the arrangement quickly if it isn't working. If you do, put it in writing and make it apply to both sides equally.
Be careful with the word trial if it suggests a family can leave without paying for care already given. Care you've provided is still payable, and so is any notice period you agree.
What to agree in writing
Your contract should cover the number of visits, whether a parent stays, what the visits cost and any different notice period in the first weeks. Then the settling-in period feels like part of a plan, and nobody thinks of it as a test.
Gather information early
Settling in is also when you collect what you need to care for the child: their routines, health needs, allergies, emergency contacts and who can collect them. For things like allergies, having that before the first full day is a legal requirement, and it makes the first day far calmer.
Your options
Visits can range from one or two short sessions to a full week. A parent might stay for every visit, just the first, or none. You can offer them free, charge your usual rate for the time, or set a price per visit.
Each of these works, and the right number depends on the child. A baby starting at nine months often needs more visits than a confident three-year-old.
What I do
I aim for four to six sessions, building up from a short visit with a parent to a longer one on their own. That isn't always possible, because parents are often going back to work on a fixed date, so I agree the plan with each family instead of insisting on a set number. I charge for settling-in sessions by the hour. My setting works on a day rate, but a settling session only lasts an hour or two, so an hourly charge is fairer to families and still covers the time the place is in use.
How it looks in your contract
From a GoChildmind contract
Settling-in visits. 4 visits before the start date, as we agree. These visits are charged at my usual rate for the time.
Put your own details in, freeRead the full sample contract
You set the visits, who stays and the cost for each child, and the family form gathers their routines before the first one.