Parents with kids in day care, would this get your attention?

Question

I have a day care in my home and I have a parent that is causing me stress. I'm having lots of issues with her, but my main one is that she doesn't call and tell me when she isn't going to bring her child. And on the rare occasion that she does tell, she ends up bringing her anyway and I'm not prepared for her to be there. It states in the contract that parents must call if their child will not be attendance, I need to know so that I can prepare food and activities for the day. I have spoken with this mom several times and clearly I'm not getting through to her. I'mm handing out a new policy to all the parents that states if you do not call and notify me of your child's absence by 9:00am there will be a $10 convenience fee that will be due, since I use my personal time to prepare for the kids before they arrive. Parents, would having to pay a fee for something like this get your attention and make you pay a little more attention to details?

Thanks for the support. Glad to see I'm not being unreasonable here for the most part. By the way, the $10 fee would be in addition to the weekly child care fees that they are required to pay whether the child is there or not. I'm just trying to compensate my personal time I spend preparing for the children each day and to get this woman to realize what she does causes problems.

And lishamarie or what ever your name is, it's not that simple to just fix another sandwich. First of all I prepare hot meals for the kids each day, sandwiches are few and far between. Secondly, this is not about paying me money, it's about paying me the respect I deserve for caring for her child and abiding by the contracts and policies that she herself agreed to in order for me to even begin watching her child while she goes to the movies in the middle of the day.

Answer 1

It might work, but I don't think that $10 is going to make up for your stress. I think you should just refuse to care for her child from now on. If she can't be responsible and go by what the contract says then she'll just have to find someone else to care for her child. You shouldn't have to put up with people like that. You're doing her a service by watching her kid, the least she could do is help you out and tell you when she will or will not be coming.

Answer 2

As a teacher and deal with daycare systems, I understand your frustration. However, I also understand parents when last moments happens. This is not a last moment issue and that is why I believe that instead of adding a due at the end of the payment, you should also have a policy of not allowing the child to be there that day.

We turned away a few parents before who decided to bring their child in later with out notifying.

Day care in home and daycare in school system both have polices about how many children an provider/teacher can have. In California for Tulare County is 1: 12 ratio as in Kern, it is 1:14. If someone brings one more child, then we have to have an assistant. If no assistant is available, obviously can't take the child in or face state charges along with risk of child's safety.

I would recommend adding that you have a right to turn a child away if not able to take them in due to ratio or limited of other reasons.

Answer 3

You may have troulble getting the money, but it is worth a shot. Do you charge weekly or daily? If the child is not there for the day, does the parent pay anyway?

I used to do daycare out of my home also. I charged full-time rate and a part-time rate. If the parent called me in advance to let me know that they wouldn't be there, I would deduct the daily rate from the following weeks bill. If they didn't call, I didn't lose anything. Does that make sense? Start having the family pay a week in advance. If they call, subtract the daily amount from the next week bill, if not, make them pay the full amount. You will never be out any money that way.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Absolutely. Make it like missing a dr's appointment. Also, if she shows up when she says she won't, refuse the child. She just may not be worth your time if she keeps this up. With our babysitter (who works through a larger day care, but at home) we have to give a week's notice before a change in routine, or we have to pay whether the child is there or not. We totally respect that. As it is she doesn't make that much and she deserves to be paid. Go for it and if it doesn't work, then you just might have to raise the amount, or ask her to find another place (she just might learn the hard way that she just can't do that to everyone).

Answer 5

The child care center that my sons used to attend used to charge for a full day's childcare if they weren't notified of absence - this soon stopped parents messing around! I think $10 is letting people off lightly!

I also think that if this parent descends on you without notice that she should have to pay more to compensate you for the inconvenience, an "emergency childcare fee" if you like.

If she doesn't comply, then you should refuse to take in her child - no-one can run a business when people are consistently letting you down like this.

Answer 6

a million) I pay his daycare $a hundred and sixty a week. 2) What variety? Its a toddler care discovering midsection. They teach him issues there. they're helping him to learn the thank you to stroll and patiently coaching him to amplify his vocabulary. 3) because of the fact I would desire to artwork. 4) because of the fact the staff there is superb. they don't have a foul score below there belt. Its a smaller experience. all human beings that works there the two has a coaching degree or a nursing degree. I have confidence them thoroughly. I interviewed the chief and walked into different rooms to ascertain how the lecturers have been interacting with the youngsters. 5) Sigh, because of the fact back, it has a smaller experience to it. the toddler to instructor ratio is amazingly low. all human beings that works there is certifiied in CPR and etc. all human beings that works there has some form of degree in the two childcare progression, coaching or nursing. i like understanding that IF something got here approximately to him and he have been given injury they might comprehend what to do. 6) no longer something. Its superb.

Answer 7

Your troublesome parent will probably balk loudly at this new policy...just be prepared. It seems like a reasonable policy Our daycare has a similar policy for the same reasons...although I am not sure if we have something like a convenience fee. I would suggest changing the time to 10:00 and the fee to $5...you'd get much less resistance from parents.

Answer 8

It would make a difference to me, but it sounds like this lady doesn't care and just thinks of you as the baby sitter.

I would give the hand out and also ask that the woman take her child somewhere else for care. Chances are you aren't the only one who has/will have a problem with this woman.

Good luck!!

Answer 9

you probably just need to get rid of this customer.
instead of handing everyone a new policy,
just tell that person that the next time it happens,
their child will no longer be welcome because you
have a waiting list of parents that are willing to
abide by the contract and it just isn't working for you.
document and show her the days this happened.
The fee will be a problem for other parents who are
not causing the issue. Just deal with the problem
child, not everyone. Dismiss this client.

Answer 10

oh yeah. I worked in day care and we had a policy that if your child was not there by 9:00 am they could not come. (unless it was dr. appt or something). They parents still had to pay for the day.