Before this question can be adequately answered...I believe you need to establish the different levels of child care...

Are we speaking of a home mom that just babysits for extra cash?
Are we speaking of a small, unorganized provider, that may in fact keep several children...
OR
Are we speaking of an actual HOME DAYCARE.

I began my child care business 16 years ago..
From the very beginning I was REGISTERED Home (6 full time children). After 8 years, I upgraded my business to a LICENSED Home Child Care (12 fulltime children).

I have always had a PARENT HANDBOOK..with all my business policies..
Parents are required to read it, and sign an agreement that they have read and agree to it, before their child can begin in my care.

As the years have passed, I have revised my Parent Handbook many times...with up to 6 months notice to all my customers, before implementing new policies.

For the first few years I allowed parents to 'dock' my pay if I closed due to illness.
I would always tell them to prorate the fee based on the number of days I was open for business.

I took the MAJOR holidays...and always expected full pay for those...
Christmas...Thanksgiving...New Year's...etc..


I have never required parents to pay if I were closed for a full week vacation...
because of that...I do not take a yearly week vacation...
Frankly, I just can't afford to ..if I loose a full week of income from all my customers...

One year ago I had a hysterectomy.
I worked Monday...
Tuesday my sister came from out of town (17 years as a Kindergarten teacher, fully qualified to run my business) ...she ran my daycare for me, so that I could have surgery...
She was in charge Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday...
Thursday evening her son became ill with a stomach virus.
I sent her home...
and Friday morning...with the assistance of my husband...and my 4 daughters...I was back on the job...
3 days after major surgery...
On Monday my husband was back at his own job...
My 4 daughters helped me for 2 weeks...with lifting and cooking...
After that,...I was on my own again.

The daycare never closed...and my parents never really made any comment after the first few days...
I wonder how many of them would have been back to work 3 days after major surgery??

One year ago...in my most recent Parent Handbook revision...I added a section covering PERSONAL DAYS.
I allowed 10 personal days per year....at full fee..
These days can be used for illness....or personal use.
I explained that as always...if it were due to illness...I would notify them as soon as possible..
but...if it were for personal use...they would always have several weeks...if not several months advance notice..
I have always taken great care to never schedule a day off with any less than 3 full weeks advance notice, except in the case of family emergency..
ie...funeral...

After 16 years...many of my clients are repeat customers...
They began in my child care with their first child...and brought younger siblings as their families grew...so many of my clients are fully aware of the fact that it is very rare for me to close suddenly due to illness...often only once every year or two...

I will be closed next Monday and Tuesday, July 28 and 29 for personal days.
I originally posted the note notifying my parents of this closure on April 11...
More than adequate notice.

On July 1 I posted a vacation notice to my parents...
My husband and I have planned a trip for our children at Christmas...which will require me to be closed the entire week.
Normally I would not require the parents to pay for that...
However...
I have always required full pay for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so..I am requiring that the parents pay half the usual fee for that week in order for me to be paid for my holiday...
I could combine my 8 remaining personal days ...and require full pay for that week..and I did consider that...but...
I chose not to do that.

I believe that the bottom line is this..
EDUCATE YOURSELF..

The one post stated that she was entrusting the care of her child with this caregiver...and she wanted to ensure that the caregiver was well taken care of.

I can't begin to imagine that anyone would ever want to short change...or dock the pay of the person they trust to care for their precious child...
That is beyond my comprehension...

But...before you hire any person to provide child care for your child...ask for something in writing...not only for your own protection, but that of the caregiver...

A quality care giver should have a well thought out set of guidelines for what they expect.
If they do not...then you get what you pay for..

I have always been a firm believer that the bottom line is..THIS IS MY DAYCARE BUSINESS..
I establish my own hours..
I establish my fee..
I establish my policies...
A potential client must read and agree to all my policies before we can begin to be in business together..
IF YOU DON'T AGREE WITH MY POLICIES...find alternate care...
It's that simple..

so to all CHILD CARE PROVIDERS out there...
Get something in writing..
Google it..
I did..
There are allot of very very poorly written PARENT HANDBOOKS out there on the internet..
I'm amazed at what some of these providers have posted...
but...
it does serve one purpose...it showed me what NOT to put in my own PARENT HANDBOOK...as well as giving me some great ideas that I might not have otherwise thought of...
Whatever you decide...put it in writing...require parents to agree to it..
OR..
don't enroll their child in to your care..

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