Vacation Time & Parents with DC Assistance

[DaycareMama]

I am rewriting my contract and giving myself one week vacation time paid. Obviously self paying parents pay full price for that week.

But how do you charge families on daycare assistance? In Ny we don't get paid for the days the families are not here. So closing for a week means no payment from the state. I have it in my contract that families on assistance normally pay me out of pocket for the days they are out that the state doesn't pick up. So does that mean they pay me my full weeks rate out of pocket for my vacation?? It doesnt seem fair or legal to not make them pay and then charge self paying families?!
On the other hand thats a huge diffrence for most assisted families to have to pay. So do you think I should put a statement in my contract on this issue and if so what?? Since this week is a set week in 2011 should I give them a prepay option where they can pay $20.00 extra a week leading up to my vacation??
Any thoughts would help

[marniewon]

Check with your state regs before you do anything. In MI, we are not allowed to charge state paid any differently than self paid (meaning we can't charge more OR less than everyone else). In some states you can't ask for any more money from the parents than the state will pay.

Assuming that your regs okay you asking for pay above what your state pays, I would absolutely give parents the option of paying so much per week instead of all at once. If I was relying (mostly) on the state to cover my daycare, I would really have a hard time coming up with a week's pay all at once.

[DaycareMama]

I charge 150 a week so do you think it would be fair to ask for $25 extra a week for six weeks?

I couldn't do it either thats why I feel bad. But you have to charge everyone the same. Maybe I should offer everyone the pre payment option then its not singling any families out. I think i will post a note offering it when i post my vacation time.

[marniewon]

That sounds like a really good idea! Offer it to everyone so no one feels singled out - although private paid people will probably just pay that week, as they usually have that money already earmarked for daycare, but at least you offered.

Is your vacation in six weeks? I don't think $25/week is too much, but if you have even more time than that, I would offer the chance to pay less each week over more weeks.

It probably won't help for this instance, unless you are renewing contracts right now, but I've read on here how some providers will take the total amount owed for the year (and including vacation pay in there) and divide by the number of weeks attending and come up with a weekly rate - that way it's always the same, no matter if there are vacations (paid or not) or holidays in any given week.

[DaycareMama]

No its not anytime soon. Its actually the week after xmas next year. But I redo my contract as needed every january and always struggled with this.
Thank you for your input. It helps

[QualiTcare]

Originally Posted by DaycareMama

I charge 150 a week so do you think it would be fair to ask for $25 extra a week for six weeks?

I couldn't do it either thats why I feel bad. But you have to charge everyone the same. Maybe I should offer everyone the pre payment option then its not singling any families out. I think i will post a note offering it when i post my vacation time.

i would really check on this before you do it. it might not seem "fair" that parents without assistance have to pay, but there's nothing fair about the entire situation. it's not supposed to be fair. the people who can afford it have to pay for it and the people who can't afford it have the state cover it. if they cared about fair, everyone would get free childcare or child care wouldn't exist at all. same with food stamps - not fair. necessary maybe but not fair.

lots of parents at one daycare i worked for only had to pay like $5 a week out of pocket. they would definitely complain and call to see if it was allowed to be charged 25 more per week. i would call before giving them a chance to.

[SimpleMom]

Originally Posted by DaycareMama

I charge 150 a week so do you think it would be fair to ask for $25 extra a week for six weeks?

I couldn't do it either thats why I feel bad. But you have to charge everyone the same. Maybe I should offer everyone the pre payment option then its not singling any families out. I think i will post a note offering it when i post my vacation time.

If your state is alright with asking for pay, I would ask for it that way IN ADVANCE, just speaking from experience. I have been burned when offering to let them pay after the fact in this kind of situation.

If you are going to take a weeks paid vacation every year, why not do this when you renew contracts. If your weekly rate is say 150.00 per month, put in your contract that there is a monthly fee of lets just say $15.00 for provider vacation time. That way, everyone pays it over the course of the year, and it isn't a big amount for those on state assistance and for those parents who pay out of pocket, they don't have to pay two providers for one week if they need to pay a backup provider. Just make it part of your policies. It would then be up to you to save that money away each month to cover for your vacation time. Most banks have a way that you can break up your savings into different categories. So when you got paid each month, take that 15 out and put it in your vacation savings. I personally am wishing I would have thought of this idea years ago!!!!

[Rachel]

I would raise rates $3 / week and take my vacation unpaid.