The problem
A smoothed rate reassures families: the same amount every month, all year round. But calculating it by hand is a headache: add up the booked hours over the contract period, deduct the setting's closures and the parents' holidays, divide by the number of months, then redo it all at the slightest change of hours.
And when a contract changes mid-year, the worst begins: recalculating the old smoothing when invoices have already gone out, attempting a rule of three, and ending up with an adjustment the family cannot understand.
How Kidola solves it
Kidola's Calculatrice (calculator) does the smoothing for you: you enter the weekly schedule, the hourly rate and the contract dates, and it works out the monthly flat rate, automatically deducting closing days and the parents' holiday weeks, whose balance it even tracks.
When something changes mid-year, the method stays clean: you close the old contract, you create a new one, and the Calculatrice works out the exact adjustment between the hours actually used and the smoothed hours already billed. No workarounds, a clean history.
Step by step in the app
- 1
Open the child's Contrats page
From the child's profile, open Contrats (contracts) then « Créer un contrat ». Enter the weekly schedule (days and hours of attendance) and the hourly rate.
- 2
Set the contract dates
Enter the start and end dates: the smoothing is calculated over the whole contract period. A contract from September to March does not smooth the same way as a twelve-month contract.
- 3
Deduct closures and holidays
Tick « Déduire les jours de fermeture » and enter the parents' holiday weeks: they are automatically deducted from the smoothed amount, and Kidola tracks the balance of remaining weeks.
- 4
Check the Résultat
The Résultats tab shows the calculated monthly flat rate (for example 1,250 h over 7 months = 178.6 h per month). The suggested number of months can be edited: switch to Manuel to force a value if your situation requires it.
- 5
Create the contract, or a quote first
Confirm to create the contract. You can also generate a Word quote for the family before they commit.
- 6
When something changes: new contract + adjustment
Never recalculate a contract that has already been billed. Switch its fixed price to Manuel, set an end date on the last day of the month, create a new contract with the new conditions, then work out the adjustment with the Calculatrice.
Pitfalls to avoid
- Watch out for double deduction: if your public holidays are already in the closing days, do not deduct them again via « Heures/Semaines à déduire », or you will smooth over too small a volume.
- An adjustment that looks huge is almost always explained by the gap between hours used and smoothed hours already billed: show the family the detail, it is in the Calculatrice.
- The « hourly rate above 10 € » message at billing time is just a warning, you can finalise.
- Kidola does not handle amendments: a change of conditions = a new contract. That is what keeps the history and the adjustments clean.
Frequently asked questions
How do I handle a change of hours mid-year?
Close the current contract at the end of the month (first switching its fixed price to Manuel to avoid a recalculation), create a new contract with the new hours, and work out the adjustment with the Calculatrice.
Are the parents' holidays really deducted?
Yes: you enter the number of holiday weeks on the contract, Kidola deducts them from the smoothing and tracks the balance used throughout the year.
Does the smoothed rate work with the Chèque-Service Accueil?
The Kidola contract drives the schedule and the export FSP, but family billing goes through the CSA portal, whose time blocks and PGI rate take precedence. The smoothed rate applies fully to settings and services outside CSA.