Originally Posted by nikkimcc:
Our daycare lady has us update our records every year, sign a new policy etc. Well there are a few updates to the policy and one of them is a preschool "status".
Let me explain...there is Full time status, where you guarantee her 27 hours/week, and have to pay her for certain holidays and a few personal days a year. If you only get 20 hours in in a week, you still pay her for 27. Then tehre is Part time/drop in status, where you don't guarantee any certain # of hours, but you pay a little more per hour and don't have to pay for any holidays/personal days.
WELL...now there is a new "preschool status"...It says children in preschool will be charged for the ENTIRE DAY. CAN she legally do that? My son will start preschool in September...it's almost like she put that in there JUST because I mentioned preschool. Mon-THurs he'll be in preschool from 8-11:30 am, and at daycare from 11:30 until 4:30pm. On friday theres no preschool so he'll be at daycare all day.
Its a total of 14 or so hours a week that I'll have to pay her for when he is in preschool. So should I be mad...or should I be nice about it. I haven't signed the new contract yet, not till I talk to her.
Shouldn't I have the choice of what status i want him to be? What if I only worked M-T afternoons and all day friday so he was home with ME M-Th mornings...I'd be able to have him Full time then. Does that make sense? Why should it matter WHERE he is mon-thurs morning, as long as he still gets in FT hours?
My husband has been picking our son up early and staying home with him somedays recently, (but he's still been getting his FT hours in) so maybe she figured that between preschool and my husband being able to be with our son some days, that I'd drop him to PT status and she'd lose out on a bunch of hours? My husband farms so the fact that he is able to pick him up early and such is only temporary, as harvest is just around the corner. She knows this because her husband also farms.
Maybe I should find a different daycare...
Different people consider a f/t day a different amount of hours. In our state a p/t day is under 5 hours for daycare assistance (meaning they will only pay for a p/t day if under 5 hours), that doesn't mean a provider has to charge for a p/t day. Many charge for a f/t day for even 3 or 4 hours, because your child is taking up an entire f/t spot and it is rare for a provider to be able to fit a child in the few extra set hours to make up the money they are losing. In almost all cases, a child is taking up an entire spot (or the time they are there is preventing the provider from filling it with another child to get paid her full rate).
In my state, most providers do not accept school children, just for that very reason (parents of school children have difficulty finding daycare). Even if a provider can find a child to fill some of the time to make up for the money she is losing, it doesn't work well, because she has to have that spot open on inservice days. So, we are supposed to keep a f/t spot open for a p/t rate. Parents are usually charged a f/t rate. I used to charge a p/t rate, but was losing to much money, so I raised my p/t rate (yes daycare is about the kids, but we do have bills to pay). Parents need to realize, we are "juggling" our schedules (Dr. appts for our families, activities, etc...), we have to remember and juggle each families schedules, many times with little notice (early/late drop off/pick up and absences) and then to try and fit in other kids to fill pockets of time doesn't work.
I hope this explains it better. Merry Christmas