Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Need Help
tymaboy 12:19 PM 11-05-2010
For those that do not know what has been happening I have a a post in the Vent thread about the family Page 4 post #200 (last on page) They called the day before I reopened to let me know that they would no longer be coming. Today I recieved this email. I pretty much knew they would put up a stink about it. Can someone help write an email back to her that will sound professional & hopefuly makes it harder for her to fight it?

Originally Posted by :
We will not be able to make it over today to pick up *** things. I think she may have some clothes, diapers, and a blanket there?? I have off Monday so I will call before I come. I will also pay your for last week. Luke and I do feel that we should get our deposit back due to having to take off work so much lately and the stress and time of having to find other people care for her when you were unbale and it was on such short notice.
Here is what is in my policy (that they signed back sheet saying they read)

Registration Fee: All families are required to pay a $50.00 (per child) registration fee. You have the option of paying this before your child(ren) starts or with your first weeks payment. The fee protects me from NSF checks and unexpected family departures from child care. This will be refunded towards your last week of care providing you give me a two week written notice as required before termination of care, and have no other outstanding fees owed to me. If you don’t give me proper notice and/or have fees outstanding, this fee will not be refunded.{/quote]

Provider Vacations: Each year I may take up to four week's off for vacation. You will be notified at least 2 weeks in advance (or as much notice as I can, due to husbands business trips and sons appointments) as to which weeks/days that I will be closed. You will not be charged for any time that I take off for vacation. You are required to arrange and pay for your own back-up care.

Provider Illness and Emergency Time Off: Please have back-up care available to you. I can never know when to expect an emergency or when I may become ill. The amount of notice I can give you is never known. Please be prepared so less conflicts occur.

Those are from my policy this is from our contract

Registration Fee
• Refundable $ 50.00 Registration with a 2 week written notice of termination of care (with no outstanding fees owed.)

I realy hate this type of thing & need help to try to maintain a back bone & still stay professional.
Reply
marniewon 12:42 PM 11-05-2010
I would send her an email back saying something like: Monday is fine. Regarding your deposit, it will not be returned due to the lack of notice as stated (and signed by you) in my contract.

And then, under that, copy and paste exactly what you did here regarding your policy, complete with the highlights in red so they know exactly what you're talking about.
Reply
missnikki 12:54 PM 11-05-2010
Originally Posted by marniewon:
I would send her an email back saying something like: Monday is fine. Regarding your deposit, it will not be returned due to the lack of notice as stated (and signed by you) in my contract.

And then, under that, copy and paste exactly what you did here regarding your policy, complete with the highlights in red so they know exactly what you're talking about.
I like that, or to expand a bit,
"I will be here from -- to -- on Monday. You are welcome to stop by and collect your belongings.
As per contract policy, refunds on deposits are given only when a 2 week notice has been given. As less than 2 weeks notice has been given, the deposit will fund ----'s spot until November ---, 2010. I understand I will not be expecting her to attend, as per your email.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at ------. Thank you."
Reply
Lucy 01:23 PM 11-05-2010
I hate to be the Debbie Downer here, but I kinda see it from their side, and I understand why they terminated. I would just bite the bullet and refund the $50 as it says in your policies/contract that you will. I think this case negates the "two-week notice" clause. Sorry!
Reply
missnikki 01:41 PM 11-05-2010
The original quote:
Originally Posted by tymaboy:
so mad right now. I closed the rest of this week for family issues & emailed my families telling them. Friday Oct 15 I was closed to get a tooth pulled & ended up having to call then Thursday morning before cuz I was up sick all nite. I have taken off maybe a week all this year, I can take up to 4 weeks vacation if I want. Well the 1 family emails back saying they hope everything is OK but also felt the need to make a comment about how this closing is putting alot of stress on them and their jobs due to daycare being so unpredictable lately. I am so glad that I am looking for a different job cuz I dont need that BS.
So I guess after reading this, I must admit that Joyce is kinda right, IMO. You may be entitled to 4 wks vacation, but that implies a little warning. Sick is different, you cannot plan for it, I understand- but we are in the business of making sure parents can do their jobs away from home. If we do not have a backup plan, it clogs up the works sometimes.
These parents aren't trying to pull one over on you, they are asking you to go over and above your policy. Their reason is not so absurd.
Reply
tenderhearts 02:08 PM 11-05-2010
I agree with Joyce....sorry
Reply
missnikki 03:22 PM 11-05-2010
No problem! Sometimes it is easy to give good advice when the problem isn't yours. Or in other words, sometimes you just need to hear it, right? When it comes to refunding money, it's not like we are rich. It should be reserved for oddball situations like these, and you were right to ask if you weren't sure. That's why we're here!
Reply
momofboys 06:32 PM 11-05-2010
Originally Posted by missnikki:
The original quote:


So I guess after reading this, I must admit that Joyce is kinda right, IMO. You may be entitled to 4 wks vacation, but that implies a little warning. Sick is different, you cannot plan for it, I understand- but we are in the business of making sure parents can do their jobs away from home. If we do not have a backup plan, it clogs up the works sometimes.
These parents aren't trying to pull one over on you, they are asking you to go over and above your policy. Their reason is not so absurd.
That's just it, the parents need their own back-up plan. She says so in her own contract that they are responsible for back-up. I think you are all being a bit harsh. As providers are we so hard on ourselves that we aren't allowed to have a few sick days that are warranted? Geez, I'm disappointed in your responses. I guess I am not certain how long you were actually closed though & on how short of notice. If you were sick then fine but you do not explain what these family issues were.
Reply
SilverSabre25 08:17 PM 11-05-2010
I think you need to remind them that the deposit (I assume that's the registration fee?) is refundable ONLY if they give you a two-weeks' notice. You had things come up; it happens to everyone. You spelled things out very clearly in your contract and policies, IMO. They sound like complainers anyway.

This is what I would do: let them know that in lieu of two weeks' notice, you'll take two week's pay, and refund them the $50 on the last week as if it was two weeks' notice. That seems only fair to me.

And, one final thought...if short notice daycare call-offs stress them that badly, then how about short notice leaving of daycare and having to find a new one?? That seems way worse to me. I almost wonder if they'd been looking for other care anyway...
Reply
QualiTcare 08:45 PM 11-05-2010
i see both sides, but my question is - do they owe you a lot more than $50? if they are paying for a week of care, i assume they do.

they feel entitled to the deposit back (whether or not it's rightful) and if you tell them you won't refund the $50 - i would be prepared not to see or hear from them again to pay what they owe.

even though you feel you should get paid for the week AND keep the $50 - you may end up not getting anything if you don't cut the loss.
Reply
Abigail 11:43 PM 11-05-2010
How much do they owe you? You should require payment prior to services no matter what. Is this the first time they talked/emailed you about limited notice on days off? It seems like you might have been closed more than a few days, but even finding care for 2-3 days with almost no notice looks bad. Most of my jobs get angry if I have to stay home two days in a row. Yes, parents should have back up care, but it's not always possible and they should only complain about it on short-notice like this and always have plenty of time to find a friend or babysitter for the days you take vacation.

I might be upset if I was the parent, but it depends how often it happened. In the future for multiple day illness (pulling a tooth or having teeth issues really sucks, I KNOW, but you should have a back up assistant and one or two fill-ins to make your business look better). We are required by our licensor to have an assistant who is first aid/cpr certified and does some annual training and we're recommended to have two back-up/fill-ins we could call last minute but those people only need a background check, not first aid/cpr certified.

Make sure you print your emails or back them up incase parents ever get really nasty on you or you need to take them to court as proof for small claims, etc. I would only tell them you are sorry that you've been sick. State exactly what days you did close on them and for what reason each time. This way, it'll hold up for clarification reasons later. When you mention about the deposit, keep it on the positive side: DO SAY "You will receive your $50 deposit for [child's] care after a written two-week notice has been submitted to me." DON'T SAY "You will not get your deposit back without a proper notice" or anything that has don't, can't, won't, etc. You may want to add that they are still required to pay for the last two-weeks of care during the notice period. Do you ever have a standard phrase like "I will really miss having [child's name] here and wish her the best. She is a wonderful child." Just something for any family to end on an upbeat note. Is that weird or just me? LOL Besides, it might be the only kind of letter the parent's actually read.
Reply
tymaboy 07:30 AM 11-06-2010
I agree I can see it from their point too but I also see it as they had no problem emailing me during the time I was off (which fell under the emergency time off section) why did they need to call the day before I deplaned to tell me? I am thinking of telling the I will refund the portion that they do not owe but also remind them of the what they signed for the next provider. I see it as the fact that they did sign a contract & now they are trying to get out of it.
Reply
Tags:fees, policy, registration
Reply Up