Choosing a contract schedule type
Fixed, alternating, term-time, wrap-around and ad-hoc schedules, and how to set up a Week A and Week B rota.
Who this is for
Who this is forChildminders creating a contract for a child whose days aren't the same every week, or who only comes in term time. Needs a Solo or Team plan, or a free trial. It takes about five minutes to learn.
Every contract has a schedule: the days the child comes. It decides who's on your register and how many hours are invoiced.
| Type | The child comes | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed | The same days every week | Most families |
| Alternating | Different days on alternate weeks | Shared care and shift rotas |
| Term-time | School term weeks only | Term-time care, with an optional holiday schedule |
| Wrap-around | Before and after school | School-age children |
| Ad-hoc | No regular days | Occasional care, booked session by session |
1. Start a contract
Open the child's profile, go to Contracts and tap +. Choose the parent who signs, then tap Continue to reach the days.
2. Choose the schedule type
Tap one of the five types. The screen changes to ask for what that type needs.
- Term-time: tap Holiday Schedule to set different days for the school holidays. Set your term dates in Business Settings first.
- Alternating: tabs for Week A and Week B appear.
3. Pick the days
Tick the days the child comes. For Alternating, pick the Week A days, then tap Week B and pick those.
KinderStart works out which week is which from the contract's start date.
4. Set your price
Enter your hourly rate. One rate covers both weeks. Tap Continue through funding, holidays and extras.
5. Check and generate
Here's the contract spells out the days in words (for Alternating, Week A and Week B on their own lines) and what the parent pays a month. Tap Generate Contract. The contract is ready to send to the parent.
✅Why KinderStart does it this way
Getting the schedule right at the start means your register, invoices and funding all follow the family's real pattern, with nothing to adjust by hand.
What to do next
- Creating a childcare contract: send the contract and get it signed.
- Choosing how you invoice families: how the schedule becomes an invoice.
Next guide
Creating a childcare contract
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KinderStart strives for accuracy. Competitor features and pricing comparisons are based on publicly available information as of May 2026. Details are subject to change by respective providers.