Recording closures and holidays

Record setting closures and children’s holidays, and see them by month on the Setting Calendar.

Written byDaniel Broadhurst (Founder)|Published: 18 June 2026|
Ofsted Aligned

Who this is for

Childminders who want one record of the days they're closed and the days a child is away. Needs a Solo or Team plan, or a free trial. Each entry takes about a minute.

Video Walkthrough

The Setting Planner lists your closures, children's holidays, funding periods, events and deadlines in one place. The Setting Calendar shows the same entries by month.

1. Add a closure

Open the Tools tab and choose Setting Planner. Tap + to open Add Entry. Under Entry Type, Closure is already selected.

2. Set the dates

Tap Start Date and choose the first day you're closed, then tap End Date and choose the last. For a single day, use the same date for both.

3. Add a note and save

Add a note, like "Training week", then tap Save Entry. The entry appears as Setting Closed ⛔, under Setting Closures.

4. Add a child's holiday

Tap + again and choose Child Holiday. Under Select Child, pick the child, set the dates, add a note if it helps, and tap Save Entry. It appears as Child Holiday: followed by the child's name, under Child Absences.

5. Check the Setting Calendar

Tap the calendar button in the header to open Setting Calendar. Tap a day to see its entries under Events for that date.

Other entry types

The Entry Type row also has Funding Period, Non-Funded, Half Term, Replacement, Funded Day, Event and Deadline. Events and deadlines can have times too.

Finding and changing entries

  • Filter: use Funding & Terms, Closures, Absences and Events/Deadlines above the list.
  • Group by: sort the list by Category, Week or Child. Turn on Hide past to hide entries that have finished.
  • Edit: tap Edit on an entry, change it, then tap Update Entry.
  • Delete: tap the bin icon on an entry.

⚠️Check your holiday billing rules

How closures and child holidays are charged comes from

Holidays: how much to charge

in

Business Settings → Invoicing & Payments

:

None

,

Half

or

Full

for

When you're closed (your holidays)

and

When the child is on holiday

. A child's contract can override these. Set them before you add closures.

✅Why KinderStart does it this way

Keeping every day off in one planner means your calendar, your invoices and what parents see all use the same dates. Parents can see your setting closures in their app.

What to do next

Track Your Progress
Don't get lost in the paperwork. Use our free interactive checklist to tick off each step as you complete it.

Next guide

Checking a child's EYFS progress

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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.

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