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-   -   Drop In Care (https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84533)

Nurse Jackie 11-03-2016 04:48 PM

Drop In Care
 
Those of you who do drop in care how exactly do you do it? I have 2 drop-ins enrolled right now. One Dcm contacts me the day of and I let her know if I have space if so she pays at drop off. The other Dcm does drop in care 2 days per week. She would give me her schedule for 6 weeks and pay for all 6 weeks of care at once. So she pretty much had contracted care for 6 weeks which worked out fine for the most part, but because I committed to the 6 weeks of care I would have to turn away potential Dcf who needed full time immediate care due to age/ratio dcg is under 2. Dcm will not be coming for a couple of weeks this month and with holidays being right around the corner I'm expecting she'll miss a few more days so that means I'll be short money those weeks. I told Dcm moving forward to contact me the friday prior to the week she needs care and if I have the space she can pay just for that week of care. She seemed ok with it. I had a interview today with a family who's interested in drop-in care. Dcm schedule changes from week to week. They don't want to pay for a full week of care if they don't need the days but want the days to be available if they need it. I told them with drop in care they don't have a guaranteed spot and that they would need to contact me each friday to see if I have space. How do you handle situations listed above?

Leigh 11-03-2016 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by Nurse Jackie:
Those of you who do drop in care how exactly do you do it? I have 2 drop-ins enrolled right now. One Dcm contacts me the day of and I let her know if I have space if so she pays at drop off. The other Dcm does drop in care 2 days per week. She would give me her schedule for 6 weeks and pay for all 6 weeks of care at once. So she pretty much had contracted care for 6 weeks which worked out fine for the most part, but because I committed to the 6 weeks of care I would have to turn away potential Dcf who needed full time immediate care due to age/ratio dcg is under 2. Dcm will not be coming for a couple of weeks this month and with holidays being right around the corner I'm expecting she'll miss a few more days so that means I'll be short money those weeks. I told Dcm moving forward to contact me the friday prior to the week she needs care and if I have the space she can pay just for that week of care. She seemed ok with it. I had a interview today with a family who's interested in drop-in care. Dcm schedule changes from week to week. They don't want to pay for a full week of care if they don't need the days but want the days to be available if they need it. I told them with drop in care they don't have a guaranteed spot and that they would need to contact me each friday to see if I have space. How do you handle situations listed above?

If they want the days reserved for them (have those days available when they want them), then they're NOT drop in, but they're contracting for care, and they pay for all days that they want available, regardless of whether they use them. Drop in, they ask if I'm available, if I am, they come and pay my higher drop in rate, if I'm not available, they don't pay. So, if the DCM wanted me available for her 5 days a week, she pays my full time rate every week.

LysesKids 11-03-2016 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by Nurse Jackie:
Those of you who do drop in care how exactly do you do it? I have 2 drop-ins enrolled right now. One Dcm contacts me the day of and I let her know if I have space if so she pays at drop off. The other Dcm does drop in care 2 days per week. She would give me her schedule for 6 weeks and pay for all 6 weeks of care at once. So she pretty much had contracted care for 6 weeks which worked out fine for the most part, but because I committed to the 6 weeks of care I would have to turn away potential Dcf who needed full time immediate care due to age/ratio dcg is under 2. Dcm will not be coming for a couple of weeks this month and with holidays being right around the corner I'm expecting she'll miss a few more days so that means I'll be short money those weeks. I told Dcm moving forward to contact me the friday prior to the week she needs care and if I have the space she can pay just for that week of care. She seemed ok with it. I had a interview today with a family who's interested in drop-in care. Dcm schedule changes from week to week. They don't want to pay for a full week of care if they don't need the days but want the days to be available if they need it. I told them with drop in care they don't have a guaranteed spot and that they would need to contact me each friday to see if I have space. How do you handle situations listed above?

I specifically tell families that drop in care can only be scheduled up to 7 days in advance & there is a limit of 20 hrs week, limit 10 days per month ( if a parent schedules 3-4 five hr days in one week that's on them because that leaves less days for the rest of month), provided a spot is open for booking. I also explain that unless it is for school or work reasons, it is not allowed to be used as childcare credit for tax purposes.

I have a mom that just wants one day a week to run errands without a baby; she can't use that for the tax credit because it essentially comes down to me me being a babysitter for one day each week so she can do whatever she wants

renodeb 11-03-2016 10:06 PM

If the parent is paying for a block of time then that is not really drop in care. When I do drop in they call to see if I'm available for a day here and a day there and they pay right then.
It sounds as if you have handled those situations just fine. Just make sure your not loosing a chance to fill a ft spot.
Deb

cassiesue 11-04-2016 06:04 AM

I do drop-in care. However, I never reserve a space or contract days for them. Drop-in, at my center, requires 24 hours notice. If I am available we make an agreement at that time. I have a 3 hour minimum for drop-in care. In addition, if for any reason they cancel the drop-in care once we made the agreement they still have to pay for the care they requested.

Nurse Jackie 11-04-2016 06:54 AM

Thank you ladies for your responses. Ive been open a little over a year and just wanted to make sure I was making the right decision changing the way I handled things. Do any of you have a drop in contract you mind sharing?

Blackcat31 11-04-2016 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by Nurse Jackie:
Thank you ladies for your responses. Ive been open a little over a year and just wanted to make sure I was making the right decision changing the way I handled things. Do any of you have a drop in contract you mind sharing?

I don't have any special or different rules for drop in families than I do fore regular families. The only difference is payment is due in cash AT drop off.

If they reserve time with me and cancel, they get one more chance. After they cancel the second time, I am no longer willing to reserve time for them.

Otherwise, my contract has space for families to simply indicate whether they are drop in, 3, 4 or 5 days a week.

Everything else as far as policies applies no matter what their enrollment status is.

Gemma 11-04-2016 09:07 AM

I offer Emergency Care to my df, meaning I will take their kids after hours if needed...for a Fee of course

finsup 11-04-2016 10:16 AM

I offer drop in care but I explain it to parents as its a random day here and there. Snow day, adult doctor appointment that you can't bring your kiddo, regular care is closed etc. They can contact me the day before and if I have space I will accept them. They pay at drop off.

With the woman who wants to schedule it out 6 weeks in advance...If I had an open spot, I would write up the contract to become void I the event of a full or part time family signing on. And making it very clear upfront that I am in the intervewing process. They would need to pay weekly, and the rate would be at the drop in rate (should be higher then a full or part time rate, at least in my opinion).

The family that wants rotating days, no. no. No. Dont do it. You will end up loosing money been there, done that. I would explain that is not drop in care and in order for the days they need to be secured, they will need to pay a full time weekly rate.

cassiesue 11-06-2016 05:49 PM

I have only been in business about 2 years. This site has made me aware that I need to redo my contract and create a separate handbook. As it stands now my contract is almost 5 pages long & almost all of it is devoted to fees. I also have the parent sign numerous times throughout so they can not claim they did not see that part and that they only skimmed through and signed the last page. My drop-in care is detailed in the fee area. I'll post an example below. It is for a girl that used to be full-time, but is now enrolled as a drop-in only, even though she is here regularly:

The aforementioned child is enrolled on a Drop-in care basis. Drop-in care is available on a first come, first serve basis, provided that I have an opening and it does not cause me to exceed the legally acceptable provider to child ratio. Drop-in care is not guaranteed as I prefer to fill all of my slots with clients who can commit to a consistent and permanent full or part time schedule of care.

________________________ __________________
Parent Date


A minimum of 24 hours notice is required for all Drop-in care. If you need to cancel care that has previously been arranged, please give as much notice as possible. However, any scheduled Drop-in care that is canceled without a minimum of 12 hour notice or if you are a no show you will be billed an inconvenience fee of $25 as this could have prevented me from providing care for someone else that could have used that time slot.

________________________ __________________
Parent Date


Fees: The fees for Drop-in care must be paid in full at drop-off. All fees must be paid in cash or using a debit card at Drop-off prior to the commencement of care. The rates for Drop-in care for the aforementioned child is as follows:

A minimum drop-in rate for anything less than 3 hours = $25

Anything over 4 hours but less than 11 hours = $35

Anything over 11.25 hours a day or sleeping over (school day) and catching the bus = $45

Anytime care is extended via a sleep over on a non-school day = $55
*If there is no care scheduled for the next day the child must be picked up no later than 10 a.m. For example: If the child catches the bus on a Friday, but you are off on Saturday and thus the child is not scheduled for care on Saturday the child must be picked up by 10 a.m. to avoid incurring additional charges. So if she caught the bus here on Friday and you planned to pick her up on or before 10 a.m. the rate would only be $55.

* However, if she is scheduled to come both Friday and Saturday as in you have arranged Drop-in care for both days and you work 2 – 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and she rides the bus to here on Friday and you want to let her sleep over Friday night so you can sleep in or something on Saturday; she can stay over and the rates due would be as follows: Friday’s care extends over till Saturday = $55, there will be no need to pick her up Saturday morning until such time as you get off that night after work then Saturday would be billed the regular rate of $45. Therefore a minimum of $100 would be due at drop-off.

For the purposes of fees the week begins on Saturday and ends on Friday. Child care fees are due and payable on each and every Friday for the next week of care.

________________________ __________________
Parent Date

^^^ So that is mine, but I imagine I will be changing it as well when I update everyone's contracts and redo my handbook.

I would love to see anyone else's that is willing to share. I probably put more in there than is needed, but I just don't want the parent to have an out as in s/he did not understand my fees. Thus I go a little overboard in my explanations. :confused:

Unregistered 11-06-2016 08:37 PM

I contract days for my rotating days baby. The mom has to pay for 3 days regardless of how many she uses and I charge her more per day. My normal daily rate was $20 so $100 a week. I made the 3 day rate be $25 so she pays $75 a week so it's like I am only missing one day.

Jupadia 11-07-2016 05:30 AM

Hey I've one drop in care in the past. Could now but don't have anyone as my previous drop in kid has moved on to kindergarden this year. I have always made sure the parent understands that the space for drop in is based on my numbers for the day. buy if I were to sign a full time kid that this space will no longer be available unless someone was out sick. FOR me I only required the parents to ask the night before if I have space and then pay at time of drop of. sometimes they would ask ahead of time and that would be fine as well.

Nurse Jackie 11-07-2016 03:33 PM

Thanks likethis


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