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Provider's PAID Vacation?
can a daycare legally charge you for their vacation when you have to find dayceare somewhere else for that time, plus child care assistance won't cover that extra charge.
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If a provider gave you a handbook, was her vacation listed in the handbood as..Provider gets PAID for her vacation, and if so and you signed a contract, then yes you are required to pay your provider.
In my handbook it states that Provider will take 2 weeks vacation and 1 week is a PAID vacation. So all my parents sign my handbook and are aware BEFORE they sign that I do take a 1 week vacation and it is paid. |
Absolutely.
Assistance is just that...it was never intended to pay the full load.... Sorry, it should have been in your handbook with plenty of notice to save money in advance though. If not, you may have a chance of getting the provider to work with you a bit. If not, it falls on you. Good luck and I hope everything else about your child's care is going well? |
It's absolutely legal and as others have said, if you signed a contract that states you have to pay when provider is on vacations, then you have to pay.
That is why reading your contract before you sign is SOOOO IMPORTANT! Some providers charge for their vacation time, some do not. I honestly, cannot imagine asking parents to pay for my vacation time when they still have to pay for someone else to watch their children during that time. But, that's just me. |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: Also, assistance is also only intended to assist you in your costs of daycare NOT foot the bill. It is suppose to be in addition to your payments. If they don't cover vacations then you have to do it. I have several childcare families who get assistance and whenever the assistance doesn't cover a total bill for whatever reason, it is the parents responsibility to pay. This includes vacations, late fees, costs outside the covered hours etc. So, ultimately, if you signed a contract saying vacations are to be paid, then you have to pay it. |
Oh yes I have 12 days plus my holidays that are paid per year. I need to recharge as much as anyone else does and I look forward to it and nobody says anything to me about it. I let them know at the interview and most say I understand you need your days to.
Maybe you need a center them you wouldn't ever have to worry about daycare closing or being off for vacations. |
some do, some don't
Some providers charge and others don't. If it's in the contract you signed and in the handbook, you have to pay. If you don't like paying when they're off, you should try to find another provider that doesn't charge when closed. I understand your frustration, because in my area, you have to pay a registration fee, supply fee plus the tuition and fill out all state required paperwork. I interviewed a number of home providers and this issue is the #1 reason I chose center care instead - I don't have enough vacation time to cover my area's home daycare provider's closings each year and cannot afford to pay 2 providers at one time. I recommend that you try a center instead. You may actually get vacation days where you don't have to pay when you don't have your child in care.
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Of course!!
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Yes, providers can legally have paid time off
Being a licensed provider and self-employed business owner, if I do not charge for days off each year....then the monies paid during that time would have to be offset by higher tuition. Providers are very limited in numbers as to how much their business can take in, because state's dictate how many children we can care for and what ages.
Think about it, though. You get paid time off through your employer..why shouldn't a self-employed person have the same benefit? Providers need time to recharge. I choose all of my days off (paid and unpaid) a year ahead of time...so my families have plenty of time to plan. On the flip side, I also allow my families up to 10 days of family vacation time in which they must give notice...but do not have to pay tuition. Works great for the annual family vacation in the summer, or Christmas break. funny, though....not many of my families ever use more than 3 or 4 days. You can't please everyone. You just have to pay the bills and keep your sanity in the end. |
Also think about if you took a weeks vacation and stayed in a hotel with your family. Would you call your landlord/bank and ask to not pay that weeks rent/mortgage since you weren't there and had to pay someone else?
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Originally Posted by Symphony: |
ccmom,
That's the first I've heard of a provider giving the family vacation time--I think that's a great reciprocal policy! |
Originally Posted by Amy: I personally am closed two seperate weeks a year, posted 12 months in advance, unpaid. (yes, I am that organized :ouch:) I take full-time kids, only. I also offer two weeks, per family, per year unpaid. I do require a 30 day minimum notice so I can adjust expenses. Vacation must be taken a full week at a time to minimize disruption for the other infants and toddlers. Simple math; they could have a month out unpaid if they planned it right or they could plan their vacations with mine to minimize time off work/with alternate care. I do expect payment for all other absences including weather and sick days. If I am open, payment is due. I am dependable and I expect them to be as well. ;) Sadly, even with this I have parents show up at the door when I am closed, calling me on vacation and who try to find loopholes. :( It is not possible to please everyone. |
I also take paid vacation of my own, but give the families unpaid vacation days. I get 14 days off, paid, in addition to normal holidays, also paid. The daycare families get 14 days off, unpaid.
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Originally Posted by Symphony: |
Paid Vacation for private daycare
A friend of mine has 3 kids in day care, the provider has 3 weeks paid vacation, 11 paid holidays and like 7 sick/personal days, all paid! I'm a SAHM and honestly I think that is ridiculous!
Plus, her daycare increased the rate 30% (and she got the list of the days the provider will close for summer vacation, july&august, each time 1 week). My friend came to me crying bc she will be broke! That means MDF has to pay daycare and pay somebody else for her 3 kids! So she'll pay almost $500/week(!) for daycare alone. Btw, not to many people can afford a family vacation, MDF with her 3 girls spends her vaca days at home. I don't see to many families going on vacation in my neighborhood and most of these families do have a pretty good income (that's for the comment: not paying rent or mortgage, if you go on vacation). |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: If your friend had 3 children enrolled in my daycare, she would be paying close to $500/week as well - that's BEFORE the additional money she would be paying to an alternate during my days off (although, in all my years of doing home daycare, all of my families have taken their vacation time from work, when I choose my days off each January. It's pretty simple, really). So I think her daycare is actually pretty cheap, at least where I live. You're right that not too many people can afford a family vacation. I know alot of the providers on here can't. I can't. I stay home when I close the daycare for vacation. So what? I deserve a break from my job just like anyone else... perhaps moreso - childcare is very demanding, difficult and often thankless work (albeit, very rewarding) that not too many people are cut out to do... well. You have to remember that parents aren't paying for TIME, they are paying for a space... If your friend doesn't like it, she can forfeit all the dvantages of home family care and go for a center, then she doesn't have to worry or cry any more. :Sunny: |
The difference is that when most small business owners go on vacation, they don't just close down. They hire people to keep it open. They don't expect you to pay for your bread and milk anyway even though you don't get it and have to go buy it somewhere else, too.
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Originally Posted by Unregistered: We offer a service. One with all vacation days and holidays listed PRIOR to enrollment. It is not a surprise. Private Secondary Schools/Colleges close. Daycares/Pre schools close. Government offices close. It is a fact of life. |
I have 5 paid days I use through out the year, for illness, dr appts etc. I don't use it for vacation. I offer my parents one full week of vacation time. Must have 2 weeks notice and be taken all at one time.
Originally Posted by Unregistered: |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: |
No, of course children aren't bread and milk. The point I was trying to make is that all of you like to refer to yourselves as business owners/being self-employed. Yet many self-employed people do not get vacations. Heck, many who are employed by others don't get vacation. Yet daycare providers are entitled to it because they work so much harder than everyone else. Whatever. Same attitude, different day.
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Originally Posted by Unregistered: Most full time daycare providers work a minimum of 50 hours per week, and many work 60 or more. That's not counting paperwork, cleaning, their own housework, shopping, or their own child/family responsibilities. A good many don't get breaks either, due to conflicting nap schedules, drop offs and pickups, etc. Unregistered poster, how many hours do you work and how many breaks do you get? Do you get a lunch break? |
Originally Posted by SandeeAR: Bottom line, unless you have done daycare yourself, you wont understand the importance of a provider having off some family time or time to them self. You may not see us as teachers, but we are. Teachers get 3 months off over the summer to regroup and have time to spend with their families. We don't get this and we know this going into it, so I don't think its too much to ask to take off a few days a year....paid or unpaid....... |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: I work 60 hours a week - I eat breakfast early in the morning before my dck's arrive and I eat supper very late at night after my dck's are gone home and after I have all my paperwork, house keeping and prep done for the next day... I don't get any meal breaks, as a matter of fact I get NO breaks during the day - I am still working when my dck's are napping... would you expect a meal break or coffee break in an 11 hour work day? Of course you would. Many of us forfeit that. I'm not about to give up my days off as well :rolleyes: I charge my clients $600/month - that's about $27.25 a day. If I close an average of 25 days/year that's about $682. The average daycare in my city, home or center charges $700/month. That's $1,000 more than I charge... so actually, my parents are saving $318.00 a year by going with me - and get much higher quality of care ;) And like I said, my parents don't NEED to pay another provider when I close... they take their vacation days when I take mine. This is all discussed in their interview... and all of my interviews have resulted in enrolments - imagine that! :D |
I don't support the paid vacation concept at all
But I do support coming to a totally agreed upon arrangement prior to accepting care.
I know a lot of providers charge every week of the year and close, but usually they do make this very clear up front. In a lot of states right now, any family seeking assistance is required to place their children in care - one in four American children are in this situation. The additional charges come out of the small amount of assistance those families receive, including overages - or charges that are more than the state average charge. I could not afford to have my child in a home daycare on childcare assistance. I think that option is for large families who have a provider who needs the money but would be caring for their children anyway and for rich families who want socialization or are home days and want their kids to have a place to go. I think it is pretty clear that a lot of providers here do do this job as a way of being able to provide care for their own children. It is also true that this is a pretty small, tightly knit group and does not represent a vast majority of providers. If the vacation charge is not discussed and you do not have a signed contract that spells it out, you do not have to pay - but - be prepared to find a new provider if you balk at any charge. |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: You say you couldn't afford to have your child in a home daycare on childcare assistnace. Fine, go to a center then. It's unfair for providers to have to drop their prices or go without pay during hard earned days off because of a portion of people who can't afford the care. I'm not trying to be rude, but that's not my problem. MY bills, MY rent, MY income is MY problem - I chose childcare as a way to make an income - and I love my job, but I'm certainly not giving my valuable services away, nor am I giving away my right to run my business how I choose. Again, their are countless centers from people like you to choose from that don't think in home providers deserve paid time off. For the record, I don't have any children of my own. Yet, I still own and operate a home daycare. I don't "do this" so I can stay home/stay home with my own kids (though I don't think there is anything wrong with those who do), and none of my parents are rich. They're all middle class folk who all work hard for their cash, just like me. We'll just have to agree to disagree. :Sunny: |
omg
I have heard this every-time summer comes or Christmas
PAY your childcare providers for vacation!!!! THEY take care of your precious kids! People care more about their cars, houses,lawns, tattoos, and jewelry more than the person that's shaping your child's future!! We are not just babysitters! If you want a babysitter to push around, just go get a teenager pay them $2 an hour and they will sit them in front of the tv , talk on their phone and little johnny will learn all about the world that way!! "preschools" have more closed days than a lot of family day cares and you still have to pay when they close! I wouldn't want someone to take care of my kid that didn't get a break once in a while, we are not robots, we are people with families too. |
If this is something that really bothers you, then maybe you should look around for another option. You could probably find a large dc center that will fit your needs. They are out there... you just have to do a little research. For example, with the exception of the usual holidays, our center is open all year and we give parents 2 tuition-free weeks for vacation. As a dc employee, I also get 2 weeks, but without pay. And not all dcs close more than schools. This past winter, we received a historic amount of snow and although we had a few delayed openings (to plow our lot), we only closed once - when a state of emergency was declared. In my area, the elementary schools had so many snow days that the kids will be starting summer vacation a week later than usual.
That being said, if your contract states that your caregiver gets 2 weeks pd vacation, then you must abide by that. And the law will back her up all the way. Your provider doesn't have to justify her conditions or argue her case... it was all in the contract which you agreed to when you signed. |
Originally Posted by littlemissmuffet: |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: Rather than trolling, why don't you join and have some meaningful debate with us? |
Originally Posted by AfterSchoolMom: |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: Amazing how adults can act so much more immature than most children ever could... whats worse is you should know better. Have a great day. :Sunny: |
Originally Posted by AfterSchoolMom: And no, you did not hurt my feelings by being "right." You holier-than-thou attitude disgusts me. |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: Poor you. Can't even get your facts straight. I didn't say I was more or as important to children as their parents... we were talking talking money. But for the record, I am a very important figure in my dck's lives... otherwise, their parents and the kids themselves wouldn't stay in touch with me years after they've left my care, would they? :rolleyes: Your fighting a losing battle. :Kiss: |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: |
Originally Posted by littlemissmuffet: And with that, I'm not coming back here again. You're right - I do have better things than to try to change attitudes of people who are obviously not willing to change. I just could NOT believe the attitudes of some of the daycare providers who post here. It makes me sad for the families you work with. |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: |
Personally I don't see why parents complain about having to pay for days off, vacation or holidays. They received a contract and signed it. Question is...did they read it? If they don't agree with it go some where else.
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Originally Posted by littlemissmuffet: :cool::cool::cool: It's called get a life!!! lol I think most unregistered posters are jealous, failed or shut down day care providers! |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: |
Well said WDW. I too do not get paid vacation, however, I go back to my original statement, if you read and signed the contract that means you agree. If you don't, stop complaining and GO SOME WHERE ELSE!!!
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I don't take paid vacations either...but my hats off to providers that can and do! Good for you! Parent's: For the love of God, read the freakin' contracts!
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Originally Posted by jen: |
I have been open for four years and wouldn't dream of asking my parents to pay for my time off. I wish I had the "guts" to do so - I SO need a vacation. :)
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I like the idea of working the vacation pay into the weekly rate but around here, people look for a specific rate range and it will be harder to get them to understand that a higher rate/unpaid vacation is the same thing as a lower rate/paid vacation. Most providers around here do get some paid time off so I personally have never had a parent fight me on that too much because my weekly rate is still lower than some other providers.
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Sigh......
Would you buy a car, sign all the paperwork, take it home and then complain it didn't have a sun roof?
Why sign up for day care, do all the paperwork, bring your child and then whine about what you just agreed to? If you signed the contract, you AGREED to pay her for her vacations. Done deal. Always read the contract!!!!!!!! Most day care providers do not physically force clients to sign up! |
Originally Posted by busymomof2: |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: |
I don't mean to be harsh but the reality of it is that if you don't like it then find another daycare. Those are the rules for your current daycare.
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Originally Posted by Unregistered: |
Originally Posted by momofboys: |
This thread is starting to irritate me!!!
No need to go back and forth and drag on and on about whether providers "should" or shouldn't" take paid days off. It all boils down to contract. READ IT!!!!! Nobody forces a parent to sign a contract. If you read and signed it, then there is no room for argument afterwards. It's very, very simple. If you signed, you agreed to it. |
Originally Posted by Meeko: |
Well if it is in the contract that you signed then absolutley! I am sure she deserves the paid time off too!
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Yep, absolutely legal although I dont do it that way. I dont charge for my vacation and 1/2 for theres. It may have been wedged into the contract/handbook but not in a clause by itself.
Deb |
Paid time off...
I DON'T charge when I take days off (except a handful of paid holidays) but I do charge if I am open and a child is absent (illness, vacation, etc.). My reasoning is that if I am going to take a weeks vacation I plan on not getting paid that week and budget accordingly, I also know that some of my parents will have to pay another provider so I do not want their expenses to be double. On the other hand I DO charge if they are gone and I am open. I figure they already budget their weekly daycare cost and paying me shouldn't be a problem if they plan a vacation, their child stays home sick or if grandma comes to town and wants to keep them for the day, etc. Another factor to this is that the state only allows me so many children. If a family says they are taking a week off I am not going to be able to find another family to fill that slot and make up the lost income. When I first started I didn't charge if children were sick, had vacation but then all of the kids got sick in one week right before Christmas....I couldn't afford the bills let alone Christmas presents. I have been debating charging for a few paid days off every year that are not paid holidays, my reason is because my family gets sick a few times a year and it is usually because a parent brought a sick child and exposed us (of course they masked the child's symptoms with Tylenol so I wouldn't know they were sick until mid day).
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not full time daycare
Originally Posted by Little People: |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: The bottom line is this: They can charge for Monday because it's their business and they can run it like they want to. If you think that's unfair, then you find someone who doesn't charge for Mondays. :rolleyes: |
All about the overhead
Its not about how many days your child attends its about her operating a business five days a week. Once your child is enrolled there is an overhead to pay and if you are not paying your portion of the fee in full then the provider suffers.
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Originally Posted by Unregistered: If that's how she's doing it then that's a really crappy policy IMO. But if you regularly attend Tuesday through Friday and she takes Monday off and you're still charged $100 then you're not paying for her day off. If she takes off Friday you would still pay $100, not $75. |
Originally Posted by SilverSabre25: |
Originally Posted by Hunni Bee: |
You can't argue with a signed contract.
My handbook states I get 2 paid weeks of vacation and 5 paid sick days. BUT I also have an option in my contract that gives the parents the right to pay a small percentage extra each week to cover those times or just pay a regular weekly fee and pay me during those times. I have yet to have a parent take the option of paying a little more so they don't have to worry about paying me during vacation times. But the option is there. I've held many positions, including in the corporate world for almost 7 years. I got 5 paid weeks of vacation, national/bank holidays, and 3 weeks of sick leave each year. Let me say this, I have NEVER worked as hard as I do now that I'm in the home daycare world! It's insane the toll that it takes on my body and mind! I need and deserve a break from the chaos of my kids. I love my kids... Soooooooo much! But dang! I even need a break from my own child from time to time! Can I get an amen? |
What about when the daycare "changes" after having signed a contract. Not to worried personally because I only have 1 child in daycare and only for another 6 months. There are benefits to staying at home that I don't have. I also have benefits that my daycare provider doesn't have such as paid vacation. As for being self employed, what about other service industries that are self employed? Such as dog grooming and hair stylists? They don't charge when your not there.
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Originally Posted by Symphony: |
Originally Posted by busymomof2: If it were true as some providers here state that I am 'renting space', then when the daycare is on vacation, I should be able to take my child there to play with the toys. And No, Unregistered simply means, I have a busy job and don't want to waste my time arguing. |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: As it was already stated before ... some provider charge for vacation and other's don't (I for one don't charge my families when I close due to vacation but I do however charge if they go on vacation/sickness etc.). I think that your argument to collectively sue and force regulation on child care providers (business owners) is outlandish and juvenile. We have freedom to enterprise as we each see fit without regulation for a reason ... and by we I mean all business owners. It is the responsibility of the consumer to be well informed about the product or service that they are "purchasing" and then deal responsibly with the consequences if they choose to be uninformed in what they are "purchasing". This argument reminds me about the woman who sued Oreo because her son was fat (who was purchasing and allowing the child to eat the Oreos?) and the elderly woman who sued Mc Donald's because she ordered a coffee, spilled it on herself and got burned (who's responsibility was it to properly handle a hot beverage?) ... what ever happened with common sense? You can't honestly believe that it is anyone elses responsibility to make decisions for you without you putting in any effort on your part, I would hate to live in a world like that. In the case of provider's charging for their vacation time: It is the consumer's responsibility to read the contract and policies, understand them, ask questions and then decide whether or not they believe the program is a good fit for their needs or not and to decide whether they agree with the terms or not. If not then they are free to continue their search for child care until they find a program that they agree with ... not everyone charges for provider vacation, all programs run and work differently. If a child care provider changes the policies after a client signs up then the consumer can terminate services (with proper notice as the consumer agreed to) and then find alternative child care that better suits their needs. It's that easy. |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: I'm so sick of loser parents complaining about paying for daycare. Deal with it OR STAY HOME AND DO IT YOURSELF! |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: Also, public schools still collect tax dollars even though they are open 9 monts and have about 1 to 1.5 months off even during those 9 months. |
I do agree with the recent comments, but do you guys realize this thread is 2 years old? Don't let this unregistered poster get you all worked up. :)
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Originally Posted by butterfly: The topic of paid time off and provider "perks" will always be a relevent topic and one that will never be agreed upon by both sides of the argument. :) |
Originally Posted by Blackcat31: I like to compare daycare shopping to home shopping. What you look for a home to purchase you start off with a list of wants and needs and have an idea of what your budget looks like and as you go visit each house you get a feel of whether your list is realistic for your budget or not. You may find out that you might have to sacrifice some if the "wants" on your list in order to find something that's more realistic to your budget or might even want to go ahead and spend a little more to get that perfect dream home that you fall in love with. |
Love it
You tell them!! We work hard and take BETTER care of their children then any Childcare center would ever do!! It like a private school!! You get what you pay for!!
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Originally Posted by Unregistered: If the answer is yes, then why wouldn't the answer be yes for your provider to do the same? The fact that you may have to pay another provider has nothing to do with the fact she can legally receive a paid vacation if it is in her contract and you signed said contract. |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: |
I say kudos to anyone that can get vacation or sick pay from their daycare parents, however it's not really fair to say that if an employer pays you holiday or vacation pay then it's to be expected that your daycare provider should get same. Your employer does not pay someone else to do your job if you're off for a week, therefore it is not costing your employer double the wage if an employee is off. There is no way in my area that if someone pays me $150 a week and I'm off for a week for them to pay $300 in daycare costs for that week. That does not fly here at all. People cannot afford that here. Again, if that's what you do, then good for you, that's great really! My point is when it's compared to employers and employees it's not comparing apples to apples.
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Originally Posted by Unregistered: I think I will change my contract just to eliminate any confusion that says a holiday is paid if the child is usually contracted to attend on that day. That's just how I do it. Each provider is different. It's the contract that matters. What you signed and agreed to in your contract is what you are responsible for. If it wasn't in the contract, then there is a legitimate issue. |
Originally Posted by lovemykidstoo: I take the week off, and NOT ONE of my 14 families pays for someone else to watch their children. They either have the time off, use vacation/personal time, or have family watch the child. I take mine the week between Christmas and New Years (20-2 this year), and most of my parents aren't working on those days. |
Originally Posted by blandino: However, my two daycare parents get NO paid time off at ALL. It also makes it harder that the mom of special dcg and her infant brother has NO family willing or able to care for the special dcg in case of illness or closing. Moms sister will occasionally be able to help with the baby but none of the family are willing or able to be trusted to do the things he medically fragile child needs. BUT, mom is able to re arrange if one of them is sick so that works. The other daycare mom has NO FAMILY whatsoever here and NO sick or vacation time whatsoever. I've had to exclude twice on one of the three kids since they started seven months ago. Mom was able to get off work for the kids illness. However, if I had families who did traditional work, I would also ask for days off and vacation time. But the type of families I provider care for, it just isn't that way. The rare time I HAVE to take time off for something, i let the two moms know ahead of time and they request that day off of work. I do take thanksgiving day, Christmas Day, and the Saturday before Christmas off. I let them know when they sign up and remind hem so they can request the day off work. |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: It is truly that simple. |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: Go figure. And the selfishness of people rear it's ugly head again! Same with Thanksgiving. People are SO SELFISH they EXPECT stores to be OPEN and SCREW people's families because hey, THESE PEOPLE want to do what they want to do and if they're not able to do so, they cry and whine. Meanwhile people who make crap pay at walmart or wherever, are FORCED to go into work, missing valuable time with families. People's expectations/priorities are WAY off these days. SELFISH is what I call a parent who is UNWILLING to provide a paid vacation. We providers have your kids LIVES in our hands, but we are undeserving? Because it INCONVENIENCS you because you have to pay a backup? I call HOGWASH on that anyway. I HAD a backup *I* paid and PROVIDED (when I went on vacation) and parents would NOT use the backup (certified, fingerprinted, SAFE, and she helped sub when I had 1/2 day appts with doctors or my kids or I got sick), rather paid someone else, then WHINED about having to do so! Um, NO, there ARE always other options! But sometimes parents are TOO STUPID to take them. And just because SOME jobs do not come with a "vacation package" does not mean that parents work 24/7. They DO get some sort of time off that they COULD be spending with their child. They choose not to because after all, "If I don't get to, NO ONE GETS TO" is the mentality. Never mind that rearing children FOR YOU is incredibly difficult. You could choose other daycare if you don't like the contract. You could choose another job too, just like providers can. The providers, though, choose their time off and YOU EITHER SIGN OR DON'T SIGN in agreement. If you signed, then you have to be quiet! You agreed at that signing at that interview before you ever brought your child. Do not sign up if you do not agree and this wouldn't even be a question. Once again, people not really paying attention to what they are doing or signing up not knowing the terms or not caring...just proves once again, that people are ridiculous. See, everyone wants dcproviders to work their tails off, hardly ANY pay, NO time off, but as long as YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT and your kid has a place to go, hey, that's ALL that matters and in spite of your signing a contract, you want providers to bend over for you and break the rules YOU agreed to. Nope. This is TRULY a thankless job and I'm so glad I left. I miss the kids, but sure as heck DO NOT miss the parents and their horrifically selfish and rude behaviors. |
really?
It must be nice for you when not being able to pay twice in the same week to care for your children, or be forced to take the week off of work to care for them yourself an "inconvenience". For some people it would mean losing a weeks pay, taking any vacation pay they were entitled to, or even losing their job for taking a week they weren't entitled to. Does anyone realize that these days, more and more employers don't provide benefits, or paid vacation, or sick days? No one is required to provide these things. If they are, there are ways around it. Hiring all part time employees for instance. The point is, for some it is more than a mere inconvenience, it is a serious financial hardship that might have serious consequences. Yes, contract signed...should have read it. But in the long run, everyone may feel that they should get a weeks paid for not working at all, but no one really deserves it. If that were the case it would be a national law and everyone would get it. As it is now, the people that work the hardest, have to pay for their own daycare, instead of hiring a live in nanny. Better than 50% of the time they probably don't get paid for time off.
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Originally Posted by Cradle2crayons: |
I wonder where the parent vs. provider mentality began. Most providers I know are also parents...
Having children is not mandatory. Making a provider feel guilty for a parents lack of financial planning is just wrong. Becoming an independent provider is a huge risk and initially a financial burden. I pushed through it, saved and did without for years. Now, 20+ years of service later, I enjoy paid vacation. I refuse to feel guilty for it. :Sunny: |
wording in contract for provider time off....be careful
For any Canadians on the forum...here is a link.....please scroll down to "how many holidays can I take."" The wording in your contract is very important. You should no use the terms "Paid sick days" or "paid vacation" for the provider or it can get you and the parents in trouble with CCRA.
Please read the link for alternatives. http://www.ccprn.com/en/information-...or-caregivers/ |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: I think we see way way way more parents taking "me" days and bringing their kids to daycare so they can "get stuff done" while using up their precious time off then we do parents with no vacation days. |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: What does that have to do with me or my business? Most of the parents I deal with have 30 days of vacation days a year. |
I have been on this forum only a week, and have read and reread this thread. I must say that it's got my feathers ruffled a bit. I have typed a few snarky responses to make myself feel better and then deleted them before posting. LOL!
I'll just say this: This profession would be significantly less stressful if more parents understood the critical importance of their child care provider's happiness and sanity, and how it directly correlates to quality of care for their children. We do deserve a vacation, and I'm going to stick my neck out a bit and say that I think providers who do not take any kind of paid days off at all are doing themselves and their colleagues in this profession a disservice. You deserve time off, you NEED time off, and heck yes you better believe that you deserve to be paid for it once in a while. |
Blasphemy
Myself, I think that charging a customer for a service that is not being provided is blasphemy. I myself own two businesses, one with 40 employees, so I hope that my opinion is taken into consideration.
My employees get vacation time, yes, it is an EMPLOYEE BENIFIT. But do I charge my customers to pay for my employees to go on vacation? Of course not!! This is an overhead cost to running a business. As a business owner, I am stuck with overhead costs. As a dayhome, these people are running their own business. This cost should be their overhead as well. If they want to pay themselves during their vacation time, it should come out of their profit margins just like every other business out there. A business is a business, you provide a good or service. Charging customers for a service that isn't being provided is NOT RIGHT. It is poor business and, in my opinion, theft. Anyone in their right mind who signs a contract agreeing to this term is an idiot. |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: |
Well gee, maybe if dcproviders didn't get dirt cheap pay for their services their profit margin might be high enough to save a little bit towards a vacation or just a week off. I don't get sick pay, or vacation pay, I get about 5 paid holidays, I have to be here for the 1st child to arrive until the last child leaves. I don't get to 'duck out' of work for a few minutes for a dental appt., dr. appt., to drop my car off at the mechanic, etc., etc. Most of us work 10-11 hr. days, plus plan dc meals, shop for dc meals, clean dc area, keep up with dc paperwork, attend dc workshops, conferences, are part of local dc networks. We have to abide by certain regulations the state expects; certain ways of cleaning, running our dcs a certain way, keeping up with loads of paperwork paperwork paperwork, tolerating parents and inspectors in our homes all the time, having dc insurance, keeping our homes safe, trying to please parents without compromising everything else we're trying to do....all while trying to earn minimum wage or if we're lucky a little bit more. In fact, out of my meager earnings comes toys, equipment, craft supplies, repairs(usually because of damage done by dcks). Oh wait, I could've taken a week's vacation last summer but that would've meant I couldn't have afforded the mulch on my playground to protect the dcks. Thinking about it all, maybe we should have the state regulate our vacations, I'll bet they'd agree we need them and should get them paid!!
The general person has no clue whatsoever, what we spend to stay in business. Tax write-off? Oh sure, but damn, we still have to find that $500 for mulch. So where does it come from? Either the little magic dc fairy or wait, that's right, I didn't get a vacation last year. Now that I think about it, nor did I get one the year before. And the year before that? I did take 2 days when my dad died. Not paid. Don't ever talk to me about the injustice of paying your cherished provider, the carer of your beloved children a week's pay because s/he needs a break. Care-giving is a hard job, a draining exhausting job. A prime job where burn-out can easily happen. Do you want someone caring for your child, who is burnt to a crisp? Or fresh and fun, their morale has returned because the dcf's have helped them enjoy a measly week off out of 52 of them. Even with state paid kids, we get to have 10 paid days off a year. I don't take them all. I don't need to because I'm not closed that many. Most(I'm certainly not saying all) families see more importance in giving their 1 yo a huge birthday party costing easily a couple hundred bucks, buying baby Reeboks, or eating out a couple nights a week, or having the most expensive iphone, car, boat, fill in the damn blank, rather than paying 1 week for their provider to take a breather?? And then yeh, there's always reading the contract before you sign it. :rolleyes: |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: Profit margin? There are plenty of daycare providers who make NO profit at all. They don't have the guts to charge what they are worth or what they need. I charge by the year. I let my clients pay weekly or monthly. I don't discount for my days off. Do I get a rebate on my storage shed if it is empty? Do I get to not pay for the gym membership on days that I don't use it? I could go on and on. There is nothing wrong with charging for days off, ESPECIALLY when you and your client agree on it before entering into a contract that the client signs. I HAPPILY paid my daycare provider for days off-she earned it, just as I do now. The last thing any parent needs is a burned out daycare provider who can't afford to take a day off to recharge, IMO. |
One of the earlier posters stated to think about it that we as parents get paid by our employers for vacation so providers should be afforded the same benefit. Here is the difference. Providers are not our employees or employers. I have read countless times on this board that childcare providers are their own boss. They are a service provider. When my maid, landscaper, dog walker or hairdresser go on vacation I don't pay them their normal fees for the week. I either skip that service for the week or I use someone else and pay them their fee.
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Originally Posted by Unregistered: |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: On a side note...someone with a landscaper, dog walker and maid can probably afford to pay their babysitter for her vacation. ;) |
Originally Posted by Blackcat31: |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: It is always enlightening to hear complaints about paying for daycare from people who can afford maids, landscapers, and dog walkers. Totally love what Blackcat said above. :D When I provided childcare, I made $25 for an 8.5+ hour DAY to watch a child. I probably would have made a better living per hour in one of those other services since it seems people are willing to pay more for those luxuries than they are for the care of their CHILD. |
I personally cannot believe how worked up parents get about paying their provider's vacation pay. Your DCP cares for your child(den) every day, in many cases they spend more waking hours with your kids then you do! They are so important in your child's life and they deserve paid vacation.
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