Family Childcare Provider asking too much?????

Question

I am a licensed Family Childcare Provider. In my handbook I state that I charge for a child's full time slot rather than the amount of days they are in my care. In other words, if a child attends 1 day a week, they still owe me for the entire week. However, I have a parent that wants to argue with me on that matter. I've tried to explain it to her but she just can't seem to get it. Any advice?

Answer 1

Honestly, ask her to remove her children. If you plainly state in your handbook, she should be aware...especially if you ask for signatures stating the parent read the handbook. She really has nothing to argue. If she doesn't like it, there is nothing keeping her at your facility and she should look elsewhere...but she will find almost all facilities charge some sort of rate - most half week if a whild attends partial days...

Answer 2

Most people just dont realize that child care workers depend on them for payment, this is there livelyhood.  They on the other hand get paid sick time at there jobs if they dont go in, but a child care workers gets nothing if the parents dont show up, so something has to be done to insure payment.

Most people can only relate to there issues and no one elses.

Its a hard place to be in for both parties, its hard to pay out that kind of money for childcare, its just like paying someone a payroll check, when your struggling to meet ends yourself.

But thats the price you pay when you decide to have a family, noone really thinks about that until the children are already here. I think you should start having orientation with your new parents and explain to them in the orientation that payment is still required if a child does not attend, I would alot them a certain amount of sick days for the child, since most caretakers will not take care of a sick child, at least 3 days per year.

Answer 3

When my children were young(at least 15 yrs ago) that is how it was.You paid of the slot.If the child was there for 1 day you still paid for the week.The only exception was you got a week(vacation) where the child was absent and you did not pay.The mother has read the handbook.Was she given a paper to sign stating that she has read the handbook and has agreed to abide by the handbook?The daycare my children were in was pay in advance too.You would pay on Friday for the next weeks service.This lady "gets it" she just doesn't want to pay for the time that her child is not in your care.I feel she needs to either comply to your handbook or find another childcare provider that has a drop in rate or something..You have to be fair to all the parents,you can't just let one get by with it.

Answer 4

I am also a child care provider and what you must remember is,,,that it's your business, you are not running a charity for parents who don't want to follow the rules you clearly have stated in your agreement or in your handbook.  If they can't follow the rules, then ask then to find somewhere else to take their children.  One easy way to avoid the problem of them not paying when they aren't there is to charge for the week on Mondays and expect the payment in full for that week when the child is dropped off.  Offer a slight discount, (increase the weekly fee by $25.00 and offer $25.00 discount to pay on mondays, you'll still get your full weekly payment and parents will think they are getting a deal.  It worked for me)  I bet the parent that you are having difficulty with was previously one of my clients, ha ha.  Child care is no easy business to be in. It's usually not the children who are difficult but the parents.  Keep your chin up and don't let the parents run your business.

Answer 5

That does seem kind of recidulous that you charge parents that way, but my guess is that they will just find somewhere else to take their kids.

Answer 6

if you were open and the child was supposed to be there... they need to pay for the entire week... both daycares that I took my kids to did it that way.  It was my fault if they missed day care... not the day cares fault.

Answer 7

You know I came across that same thing once with one of day care providers to. It just seemed to me that the money was more important than the children and that turned me away COMPLETELY! A day care provider that is not opened to part-time rate plans is automatically off my list. Try putting yourself in the parents position.

Answer 8

Simply state those are your terms. If every parent would simply pay you only for a few days you would soon be out of business as that spot is reserved for a child in full time care. They don't have to use you services if they don't agree with your terms. It is your business. Stick to your guns. In case of a child being sick for a long time perhaps you can have a policy specially designed for those instances. But state that this policy is reviewed on a case by case base.

Answer 9

You would be better off charging by the day in this case, its unfair to charge the same amount for one day as for one week.

Answer 10

I can see both sides. My daughter faces the same situation with my granddaughter.  But she understands that her provider is actually "holding" a full time slot for her child, so has to pay for this "slot" to hold it open. However, this allows her to take my granddaughter over while she does other things on her days off (she works 4 days a week, 10 hours each day). But on the other hand, her provider states that if her parents work part time, she will only hold a part time slot and then allow another child to fill the other part time slot.

I guess whatever you state in your handbook should be accepted if they sign up with you. It should be no surprise.