Originally Posted by SnowDayMom:
Alright, I'm losing steam on this (finally), but I think I can find a *lil* bit more for one point.
Blandino, I get what you're saying, but I think it's a bad analogy. You're describing an employee on SALARY. My daycare is not on "salary" from me... What if you work at Macy's and you're not on salary, and you show up one day and Macy's is closed due to a power outage, I'm pretty certain Macy's would NOT pay you that day.
On the other hand, I DO pay by the week. It's not salary, but then it's actually not hourly either...so maybe this is some hybrid situation where there is a point in there somewhere... I'm not sure I have the energy left to ponder deeply (the only kinda pondering I know how to do) on this twist, but at least I can see from your post that it's not just black and white.
Blandino, though, you brought up a REALLY interesting point about bad weather. Part of what irks me is that the daycare center is closed when other businesses are open. That drives me crazy. My thinking was, "they don't have to bus the kids anywhere, so how do they justify closing?" But, I hadn't considered that you are RESPONSIBLE for getting the child help in an emergency situation, and so maybe that's a justification for closing when so many other establishments are open.
Now frankly, I'm not 100% sure it's a great argument, because maybe all you're legally responsible to do is call the police/firemen/ambulance and if they can't get to you, it's not your fault. (sorry, I'm thinking strictly about your liability, not whether or not that's a good idea or a "nice" way of thinking!! That's what we lawyers do...think about liability.) But, Blandino, it's a really good point worthy of further pondering...
There are some really great thinkers on here! (and clearly a lot of savvy business owners) So while I have your attention, I'm curious about your thoughts on another situation at my daycare:
This particular center has at least two "Teacher In-service Days" per school year. These are days when they are "closed" (but of course I have to pay) so that their teachers can train, clean, organize, decorate classrooms, etc. As you can imagine, I find this outrageous. I know, I know...you're surprised about that. 
*If* they were a private school, I could see this happening. *If* I was paying them for their private kindergarten I can see sucking it up. Fine. But when my child is an infant, or a preschooler, or whatever, I can't see the justification around having a Teacher In-Service Day. My husband owns his own business--he doesn't "charge" his customers for training his staff, or for a special day of keeping up his offices and warehouses. Sure it's built-in to what he charges, as it should be, but there's not a special day when his customers all have to pony up $50 and don't get service in return because he's training his staff.
I'm starting to recognize why Primrose calls themselves Primrose SCHOOL. Because then they can say, "YOU, SnowDayMom, might see us as a daycare, but you're actually paying for private school for your infant (har har), so that's why we need a teacher in-service day, just like any other SCHOOL."
Also, you can probably see from this that the snow days are not the ONLY area I'm feeling a little taken advantage of here, when I'm already paying for an expensive place as it is (i.e. don't slip extra costs in too, please!). There's also a $50-75 "supply fee" I have to pay at the beginning of every school year. Grrrr.
I know I could change schools, but my hubby thinks it would be too disruptive for my lil girl, and he doesn't have the same sense of personal outrage around perceived "unfairness" as I do. 
But within the next year I may "retire" from what I'm doing, and then I'll pull her out and watch her myself. Money will be tight, but then I'll have more free time to spend with my kids, and maybe put some of my energy toward helping others! (as one of your respondents suggested)
I also close for snow days but only when a SOE is declared. Years ago I was always open because, being an in-home, I didn't need to travel. Then during one particularly bad storm, one of my dck's became violently ill. Fever of 102, projectile vomiting, etc. the roads were so bad that no one could come get her for over FIVE hours. If the situation had worsened, I could not have gotten her out. Certainly no emergency vehicles could have gotten in. Now you say, perhaps your liability would be covered by simply making the 911 call. Great and all, but honestly, that would be cold comfort if the worst happened. Further my state licensor told me at the time that had emergency vehicles not been able get to my home because my drive/ exits were not clear (and during major storms they are not, immediately anyway
) I would get cited, perhaps lose my license and face criminal charges (the latter I gather would be if a child was seriously injured/killed) Now, nine times out of ten I'm open and everything is fine, but that one time something happens...
But to answer the original post about fairness - here is the kicker - a few years ago I put it to my dcp's - I asked if they would rather me NOT charge for the snow days we *may* have each year (in reality it's about one or two days) but take away the week of vacation to off set that (at the time none of them were using the vacation) Every single one of my dcp's chose to keep things as is. I think that is the issue with the concept of "fairness" what you (general you) may think is fair, others may not. Then what?
I am not familiar with Primrose but know of other centers like it. A good friend of mine and her hubby are both doctors. When they toured centers, she told me she refused to consider any place that called itself a "school" because in her experience they took the school calendar schedule thing too far.
she's in the ER, and he's in a private practice, both far from family they just don't have the luxury of snow days. They wound up getting a nanny from a foreign country (through a service) - very expensive but worth it for them.