More questions tax info, sick kids

[mrs.meg]

I have 2 questions for those who are experienced daycare providers. I was wondering where I get information about how much to charge per meal and snacks for taxes.

Question #2-I have been babysitting this time around since August. I am still in the learning process and some of this boggles my brain. I have 2 boys I watch from the same family. Since August my family has been sick constantly. We were very healthy before and this has been the worst year for sickness we've ever had. The 2 boys I watch have not been sick to my knowledge but she brings them occasionally and says they were up all night, sometimes they throw up once in the night, but she says it is because of allergies. I have a hard time believing that they have not been sick in the 5 months they have been here. She is the type that cannot stand the thought of not getting her money's worth out of me. She brings them no matter what. I have to tell her that if they vomit even once in the night they cannot come but I'm afraid she just won't tell me. I just am not sure what to do. Also, what is your policy on diarrhea, do you call the parent after 1 bm or wait for 2.

[NEDaycare]

The amount that you charge for meals can be saving the separate receipts tha you spend on daycare grocieries, or dividing costs into servings to figure out each mal. Food program reimbursement programs are going to be way short of what you'll actually spend, and they acknowledge that they dont reimburse the full amount. In NE, for example, if the family is a low income / welfare family they reimburse 1.06 for breakfast, 1.97 for lunch, and .58 for each meal. If the family is not a low income family, they reimburse .39 for breakfast, 1.19 for lunch, and .16 for each snack. Dont ask me why they reimburse less for the same food served, and why they base it on the parents' income. The parents are not PAYING for the food.... I AM!

As far as the sick family is concerned, I think most of us on this forum deal with that. They either act like their kid is not sick, dont tell you they've thrown up, or mask the symptoms with meds and by the time they wear out, everyone has already been exposed. I've terminated the contract of families that bring their kids after they've thrown up or who bring them constantly sick, because my contract is very clear as to what is and what is not acceptable. My first year as a daycare provider I was sick (and my family was sick) ALL THE TIME and that was never the case before.

I put my foot down the day before Thanksgiving 2007 when one of the parents brought her three kids and long story short, the kid had the stomach flu and she knew it. I did not find out until noon and then when I confronted her, she denied that he had thrown up at his counselor's office the evening before. Her kids stood right there (school age) and said "Yes he did mom... remember? You had to clean it up!" At that point she even argued with her kids, but finally "remembered". Regardless, I made a 400 mile trip to my parents house for Thanksgiving only to end up in bed with the stomach flu and each and every one of my other daycare kids AND their parents ALSO got to spend Thanksgiving and the days after with the stomach flu.

Try incorporating some free days off into your contract for this type of thing. And, make sure that you tell her that if her child comes to daycare for ANY portion of the day and is sent home sick, she still has to pay you and cannot bring her child back the next day, either since 24 hours have not passed.

There's no easy answer to the sick daycare kid issue.

[tymaboy]

You should have a policy writen up with a sick policy in it. There is no way you can really tell if the child was sick during the night but you can tell if a child is sick when he is in your care- if you need to call to have the child pick up so be it. I had to include

If a child is sent home ill, the child will not be accepted back until the child has been symptom free for 24 hours. I.E. - Child can not return following day.

in it. You can look at my policy to go by if you like. It is a long policy but when you have had some of the parents I have you will understand why.