Originally Posted by pfund2233:
I have 4 DCK. I charge by the hour and only charge when they are here. Well I'm getting screwed!! I have had 1 DCM just this week decide to take 2 days off!! Might I add she dose this alot... Thing is I get NO advance notice! Tuesday DCB is to come at 530am I get a text at 515am saying oh I took the day off DCB won't be there. And now I get a call saying oh I took tomorrow off and DCB won't be there! 
Then my other DCB's mom owns her own nail salon and informs me she has no clients Friday so her DCB will not be here!
2 DCKs were picked up over an hour early today with no notice... nice right! 
HOW THE HECK AM I SUPPOSE TO BUDGET AND PAY MY BILLS!!!
I'm thinking of throwing in the towel and finding a job outside of the home or changing the way I charge to a daily fee of $25-$30 and you pay me if I don't give a WEEK notice!! Thing is only 1 family dose this all the time and 1 family very seldom and the other 2 families like never. I feel like I'm punishing the GOOD families. 
I mean where is MY common courtesy?? I take a day off and I give them 2+ months notice and they don't pay me for that day off! GRRRR.... Sorry had to vent!!!! 
It's not about being curteous. It's about them being able to use you as a drop in care provider for a daily rate that is equal to what you would charge them if they were full time contracted kids. it's about money. Nothing else but money.
So you need to go to them and tell them that the drop in rate is 10 dollars an hour. The contracted SCHEDULED X days a week is X per day. They must schedule in advance and pay in advance. They can't switch days or make up days. If they need additional days then you will charge them additional days fee.
I require a minimum of three full scheduled days. Absence on one day does not mean they can swap out hours or get a refund. If they are scheduled M-W-F and they are absent Wednesday then they have already paid you. If they want Thursday they need to pay in advance for Thursday in ADDITION to the M-W-F rate.
You can't budge AT ALL. Not one time.. not one day.
That way you are guaranteed X amount per week and if they cancel you keep the money. If they need a different day you make more money.
Drop in care is VERY expensive. It's expensive because it's not guaranteed money. She has found someone who will do it for cheap. She won't stop doing this until it's not cheap.