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-   -   Would You Charge?! (https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=88144)

Unregistered 12-28-2017 01:29 PM

Would You Charge?!
 
My own child is sick today. I always give my daycare families a heads up when someone is sick in my family so they can choose whether or not to bring their child. Only one family chose to come today. The other families chose to keep their children home. One of the families that kept their child home texted asking, in a round about way, if they had to pay for today. Technically, I stayed open since one family chose to still come. How would you respond? I don't have anything in my contract about if families pay/don't pay if they choose to keep their child home.

Blackcat31 12-28-2017 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by Unregistered:
My own child is sick today. I always give my daycare families a heads up when someone is sick in my family so they can choose whether or not to bring their child. Only one family chose to come today. The other families chose to keep their children home. One of the families that kept their child home texted asking, in a round about way, if they had to pay for today. Technically, I stayed open since one family chose to still come. How would you respond? I don't have anything in my contract about if families pay/don't pay if they choose to keep their child home.

Would you charge a family on a regular day if their child is home sick?

TheMisplacedMidwestMom 12-28-2017 01:36 PM

I also don't charge on days that I'm "closed". When my kids are sick I usually give the dck families the option to stay home with no charge. Usually whenever I offer this I would prefer they stay home. I see it as, if they come and their child gets sick, then they will be paying me for any days I am open but they are home sick. But if they take the "no-charge" day then they get a free day. No one has ever taken me up on this, they always send their kids anyway... I have had several instances where they have then had to keep their kids home and pay me b/c the dck caught whatever mine had. So if I was in your shoes, I would not charge the ones who opted to stay home. That's just me though.

Also, I offer this upfront. The text that morning reads something along the lines of "Hey, B is pretty sick today. I will do my best to not spread it, but if you'd like to keep Sally home to avoid catching anything I understand and I will not charge you for today."

TheMisplacedMidwestMom 12-28-2017 01:42 PM

Also, if its something down right nasty (stomach bug, crazy fever, etc...) then I will just close. But when its mild but something I would exclude a dck for, I give them the option.

mommyneedsadayoff 12-28-2017 02:22 PM

I have been in this situation so the way I remedied it was that I just closed and refunded. It stinks taking the pay cut, but I also don't want to work for one or two families and take care of a sick kid for half my usual rate. Most of my parents would keep their kid home, bit there is always one, so it's easier and less stressful to just close and focus on your own kids. In this case, I would refund money or offer a credit for next week, then start closing and give them no option and no grey area.

Just to add...if you can, add some sick days into your contract so your income doesn't suffer.

Pestle 12-28-2017 02:41 PM

When I close due to sickness, I refund because the families must then scramble for alternate care with no warning.

When I exclude a child due to sickness, I still charge because I had that space reserved for that child.

HappyEverAfter 12-28-2017 07:01 PM

Last week on Friday I had a dck suddenly out with the flu after having been with me open to close all week. I only had one other kid scheduled to come that day since my others were on vacation. I texted the parent of the scheduled kid just minutes before she was due to drop off and explained I had one out with a confirmed case of flu and asked if she still wanted to bring her child. She opted to keep her home and allow me time to disinfect the house. I didn’t charge her for the day because I felt she did me a favor by keeping her child home and allowing me to scrub my house top to bottom. She tried to pay me anyway and I refused. Normally I would charge simply based off the fact that I was open and they had the option to come if they wanted but I waived her fee simply out of gratitude. I did charge the parent whose child was out with flu.

lovemykidstoo 12-29-2017 05:41 AM

I wouldn't charge. When I'm sick or one of my kids is sick and I close, I don't charge my parents. I figure they have to at the last minute find someone else and pay someone else, so it's not fair that they pay twice because I"m closed. Now if they don't come because they're sick, I charge.

rosieteddy 12-29-2017 05:43 AM

As you stayed open for the day I would charge.I would however put some sick days in your contract for the new year they would be paid days.

Jupadia 12-29-2017 05:47 AM

I don't charge if I close. If one of my kids are sick they either stay up stairs with dad (who takes day off) or Nana ( who just retired so is availble) or head over to Nana's house (5 min drive away).
I'll just credit parent for the closure when they pay for the next week.


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