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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Payment Drama!
MG&Lsmom 10:41 AM 06-07-2011
So my one FT DCB is now going back to PT. I knew it wouldn't last since the majority of DCM's paycheck goes to me. I have her paying a reduced rate, a couple $ below what I would get from the state if she could get on a voucher. Up until 2 weeks ago, while I heard of her personal financial drama, she was on time with all her payments. It seems now she's having some issues with the father outside of money and this in now impacting her financially even more. She's starting to get behind with me. I need to get all backboney on her today at pick up and I'm dreading it. She's having lots of issues and this could potentially send her into a tailspin, in which case I'll never see a dime from her again.
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Cat Herder 10:47 AM 06-07-2011
You know what you need to do.

Better to lose $100 now than $500 later.....
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wdmmom 10:57 AM 06-07-2011
Originally Posted by Catherder:
You know what you need to do.

Better to lose $100 now than $500 later.....
No doubt! I only let parents get 5 days behind and for everyday they are late, they pay an additional $10 per day.

Tell DCM you need a "good faith" payment of at least half of what she's past due and you need it by tomorrow. If she can't do that, tell her you need something. Next payday, she needs to pay a full week plus 25% of what's past due. Let her know you are willing to work with her but you set up how you want paid what and when. She doesn't follow through, you're probably better off parting ways.
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cheerfuldom 11:17 AM 06-07-2011
Don't talk to her until you figure out (in writing) what she owes you and how you want that paid. For me, I don't let parents get past due, period. I would figure this out now and don't let it go on and on. If she can't pay now, nothing magical is likely to happen in the next few weeks as she gets farther and farther behind.
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littlemissmuffet 11:32 AM 06-07-2011
Originally Posted by wdmmom:
No doubt! I only let parents get 5 days behind and for everyday they are late, they pay an additional $10 per day.

Tell DCM you need a "good faith" payment of at least half of what she's past due and you need it by tomorrow. If she can't do that, tell her you need something. Next payday, she needs to pay a full week plus 25% of what's past due. Let her know you are willing to work with her but you set up how you want paid what and when. She doesn't follow through, you're probably better off parting ways.
Five days??! Really?????? Wow. I require payments of the first of each month. If it's not here on the 2nd, they pay a $10 late fee. If it's not here on the 3rd, they are not welcome back. Period. We start making exceptions and extending payment dates and people will always take advantage!
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wdmmom 01:47 PM 06-07-2011
Most of my parents pay monthly so I don't have this issue but I did have a DCM tell me the DAY BEFORE PAYMENT WAS DUE that she couldn't pay til the 31st (due on the 25th). She paid me the late fees up front ($50) so at least I had something. I worked it out with her that she went from monthly pay to bi-monthly pay. Hopefully that will help her so she avoids late fees in the future.

As long as I am made aware of what's going on (preferably not the day before), I will work with my current families.

If it becomes a re-occurring problem, than we would need to switch the payday all together. If that wasn't an option, they need to find a new daycare.

I will help but I'm not a charity!
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daycare 02:13 PM 06-07-2011
I am going through this right now. First time ever. I have a mom who is single and relies on her child support to pay the childcare. She always pays on time and most of the time pays a month in advance when she can.

Because she has always paid on time and has never been an issue before, I have allowed for her to be late this one time. However, she did not tell me until the day of. She gets direct deposit and was hoping that she would get it on Friday when it was due. She still has not gotten the child support and I am still waiting for the payment. I know she is very stressed about it and is telling me daily how sorry she is and if I want her to get money from her credit card to pay me she can at least pay me one week of care. She usually pays the entire amount.

As much as I don't want to, if she cannot pay me money for at this week and next week, by this Friday, I will have to cut ties until she can pay me.

Not good timing since I just found out that two of my kids are leaving next week.......ugh
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Sugar Magnolia 03:53 PM 06-07-2011
....Or is it this terrible economy? I have two familes struggling due to under-employment and single parenthood. I work with people whenever possible, FOR A FEE. One family I have pays on Mondays instead of Fridays....but mom also cuts my hair in exchange for the late fee!
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MG&Lsmom 04:30 AM 06-08-2011
Well, this is ongoing drama with the child's father, DCM's personal issues having her take off time from her retail job (no work=no pay), and poor money management skills. She's always been upfront about her financial situation, too upfront sometimes. When this all started I told her if one of them was home from work and they did not send DCB then I would forgive them that day's payment. I'm not hurting for money and I'd rather they just keep him home without paying than send him and get further in the hole with me. We've worked so hard to get this boy to adjust to coming here that the couple of days she's done that have sent him backwards. So it's a lose-lose situation either way.

She told me that she can't go to work today because she doesn't have money for gas, but she's going to maybe send him here because she has things to do and it will be easier if he's not around. I had to get all backboney on her about if she's not working today, she can't afford to have him here today. Plus, since my son has EI group today I thought that my DD would probably appreciate having some 1-1 time with me that she almost never gets. That she understood and agreed with. We do have a good enough working relationship and she understands I have been working with her and giving her a better deal than anywhere else around. She was really trying hard to turn her life around and I was trying to help.

I did try the whole barter method, but the father wanted 2 free days of daycare to mow my lawn! It's a 1/4acre covered mostly by house, pool and driveway. It takes my husband 45 mins to mow. With his commercial mower, maybe 30 mins. I thought it was outrageous. Thankfully I only have the contract with DCM not him!
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cillybean83 11:21 AM 06-08-2011
i've gone through soooo much bs with parents over payment. it's always something, baby daddy drama, work drama, so and so needed this or that, I don't care anymore. We have a business arrangement, payment is non-negotiable, I don't care if you lost your job, or daddy didn't pay child support, or you got mugged on the way home, etc etc (i've heard it all!) that doesn't change the fact that MY bills need to be paid, and my daycare isn't a charity. See, the thing about it is this, while the money issues may be legit, they are still making decisions about who gets paid and who doesnt...Jr. still has huggies diapers, mom still has her iphone, the car is still getting gas in it, etc etc...don't let YOUR payday be an OPTION for anyone!
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Blackcat31 11:58 AM 06-08-2011
Originally Posted by cillybean83:
i've gone through soooo much bs with parents over payment. it's always something, baby daddy drama, work drama, so and so needed this or that, I don't care anymore. We have a business arrangement, payment is non-negotiable, I don't care if you lost your job, or daddy didn't pay child support, or you got mugged on the way home, etc etc (i've heard it all!) that doesn't change the fact that MY bills need to be paid, and my daycare isn't a charity. See, the thing about it is this, while the money issues may be legit, they are still making decisions about who gets paid and who doesnt...Jr. still has huggies diapers, mom still has her iphone, the car is still getting gas in it, etc etc...don't let YOUR payday be an OPTION for anyone!
I like this!!! Yes, why is child care a negotiable expense? I highly doubt that the guy sitting in the nice cozy office at the bank gives a flying you-know-what if you didn't recieve your child support, I bet the lady that works the front desk at the utility company never waives anyone's late fee because someone had to pay Verizon before the light bill. Why can parents not view child care expenses as a priority?

The only answer I can come up with is simply, "because we allow them to think otherwise."

When I started in this business, I put up with all kinds of BS. I heard every story out there. I even allowed a mom to go 6 months without paying one single cent towards her bill because of some big sob story she gave me and I fell for!! Then I found out that during this same time, she took her two older kids to Disney Land and seemed to eat at McD's every night. I started to think, why am I always the last one to get paid? And sadly the answer really was because I allowed it to be that way. So I started billing on a pre-pay basis and made absolutely zero exceptions to added late fees and no-pay no stay rules. It has been a very very very looong time since I have had any issues with payment from anyone. 75% of my clients are on assistance and even they pay their bill on time EVERY time.

I do have to admit that I had one mom not too long ago who asked if she could pay me on Monday evening of the next week verses the Friday before when it was due and I did let her. But I did it because her kids have been with me over 5 years and had never been late one single time before. I did allow her children to stay on Monday and she paid me at pick up as promised but in my defense, she also paid me the late fee. (I didnt even ask for it but she didn't ask me to waive it either..)
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MG&Lsmom 05:15 AM 06-09-2011
I wish she could get on a voucher or state pay! Then I'd also be making a bit more, and she couldn't pull the "I'm not working but I'll send him anyway routine". But the waiting list is so long.
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daycare 10:03 AM 06-09-2011
I think that there is always an exception to every rule. I am stern with my rules regarding paymet, but every once in a while something happens. There are families that have been here for years and have never missed one single payment. If these families were to ask me a one time favor I would do it in a split second. For those families that have the drama of Oh I cant pay you today becuase of this or that, no favors. Bill is due when the bill is due. Just like any where else. Your on time payments builds your credit worthy.

Lucky for me the mom came in on her lunch break and paid me, along with a late fee.... However, there won't be a break next time. I know that this mom struggles with money, but her issues with money is not my problem.

Quick story,
When I was younger I had dropped out of the University that i was attending to care for my son. I owed a lot of student loans... I could not pay them for a period of time and was behind. A bank called me to ask for payment and I told them I could not pay it. No joke, the guy told me, I don't care why you can't pay it, the money is due, I don't care if you have to strip naked on a pole, you agreed to pay back this money and you need to own up to your responsibilities. If you don't pay it by such and such date, we are taking you to court.
I could not belive that someone said that to me and got off the phone and cried. So as someone said, banks don't care if you have money issues.

Bottom line, you agreed to pay a certain amount of money each week for a service. You pay it or you render your services....
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Tags:daycare is not a charity, late payment, parental responsibility, payment problems, single mom excuse
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