I do weekend care but because I didn't want to get stuck doing daycare 7 days a week I offer it on an as needed basis and if i'm available. Because of this it's more like drop-in care and the fee is in addition to whatever they pay a week. If I have a FT client that comes M-F and they need me on a Saturday then they pay me extra for that Saturday.

I use my regular handbook and just add the weekend care policies in there since my contracted clients may use me on weekends and also because non-contracted clients (drop-ins) have to follow the same policies that my regular clients follow.

You can always do whatever you feel comfortable with but I just want to point some things out. If you offer it as contracted hours then you are locked in to work weekends, meaning that if you get a M-F client and then a client that wants you on weekends, even just one day, then you could be working 6-7 days a week. What about family time and family functions etc?

I agree that you should charge more for weekends. And just to give you an idea, I charge a weekly FT rate which breaks down to $31 a day. PT breaks down to $35 a day and drop-ins during the week is $37 a day and weekends are only charged by the hour at $5 an hour so if they did a full day on a saturday or sunday (10 hours) it would come out to $50. Just trying to show you that your weekend fee should be considerably more than your normal rates.

I do like that you would ask for payment a week before. I don't particularly do this but I do ask for payment in advance. When a client reserves a weekend I don't consider it to be locked in until it's paid for in full. You should also think about making a cancelation policy. What happens if they don't need you afterall or don't show up but have already paid you?

Here's what I have (just so you get an idea).:

Additional Services
Drop-in, before/after-hours and weekend childcare is available. These additional services are not included with regular tuition rates of the scheduled hours and separate payment is expected for each of these.
This kind of care requires that you make a reservation which must be pre-arranged. A spot is not guaranteed and depends upon availability and the ability for the childcare provider to meet your needs.

To make a reservation please speak to the provider in advance. A specific date and time period will be needed and full payment must be received at the time that the reservation is made. Immediate payment is required to ensure both to the provider and the client that care will be offered at that time. A reservation will not be considered to be confirmed until it is paid for in full and so the provider will be free to schedule personal appointments or fill the spot.

To cancel a paid reservation and to receive a full refund, a minimum of 24 hours’ notice is required. If a 24 hours’ notice is not given, a cancellation fee of $10.00 per child will be deducted from the amount paid and the balance will be refunded. A reservation cancelation cannot be made after the actual start-time of such reservation. If this or a “no show” should happen payment will not be refunded so please be sure to cancel any reservations in advance. We are a very active family and planning for a day where we expect to care for a client’s child only to have the child not come is very inconvenient. Please be courteous and mindful of this.
--------------
Weekend Care
Care on Saturdays and Sundays is considered weekend care and has a 10 hour maximum per day. Because weekends are usually reserved for family time with my family, weekend care is only available at an hourly rate and has a minimum of 4 hours of care even if your child is not here for the full 4 hours. Since weekend care is during non-business hours the regular daycare routine will not apply. We will still have a meal and sleep routine like a normal day; however we will not have curriculum activities. The children will participate in family activities if any are planned.

Reply