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newtodaycare22 09:48 AM 04-08-2011
I leave near DC and I know at least 1 of my family's will be effected by a shutdown. What are your thoughts on this in regards to daycare? Would you take the kids if they parents can't pay?

Yes, the mom will be home to take care of the 3yo (when she is Furloughed) but the kid will miss her friends and all of our activities. Am I a softy to say she can still come anyway, even if mom can't pay (she lives paycheck to paycheck). She's never missed a payment with me and a few weeks of nonpayment for me will not cause a big issue.
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DancingQueen 09:49 AM 04-08-2011
I didn't even think of the state subsidy side of things. Will those checks not be coming? EEEK
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Greenshadow 09:51 AM 04-08-2011
One of my families is military. They are concerned they wont get paid. I will take their children if they dont get paid because Ive had them for over a year and I trust that when they DO get paid, they will pay me in full. If it were a new family, I dont think I'd do it.
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newtodaycare22 09:52 AM 04-08-2011
Good point! I don't have any kids on that, but I wonder if it will be effected. I think I read that Medicare will be ok..so maybe so will child care assistance?
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cheerfuldom 10:05 AM 04-08-2011
let us know what happens. I don't have any families that are going to be affected (that I know of) but at this point, I am so pregnant, I will not be watching kids for free if parents are home with them. Maybe I am just a meanie but I don't work for free, period.
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momofboys 10:35 AM 04-08-2011
Originally Posted by newtodaycare22:
I leave near DC and I know at least 1 of my family's will be effected by a shutdown. What are your thoughts on this in regards to daycare? Would you take the kids if they parents can't pay?

Yes, the mom will be home to take care of the 3yo (when she is Furloughed) but the kid will miss her friends and all of our activities. Am I a softy to say she can still come anyway, even if mom can't pay (she lives paycheck to paycheck). She's never missed a payment with me and a few weeks of nonpayment for me will not cause a big issue.
Maybe I am missing something. IF the mom is home why would she need care?
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nannyde 10:55 AM 04-08-2011
Originally Posted by newtodaycare22:
Yes, the mom will be home to take care of the 3yo (when she is Furloughed) but the kid will miss her friends and all of our activities.
Nah

Sounds like she has fabulous parents. They will make sure she has tons of things to do and tons of playdates and activities. Spending time with Mom will be awesome... a blessing in disguise.

My kids love daycare but they will take time with their own parents any day of the week over coming to daycare. AS IT SHOULD BE.

Kids don't have "friendships" they way we do. They can be away from each other for a long time and within fifteen seconds of being back together they are the same as they would be one day after being away from each other.
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Unregistered 10:56 AM 04-08-2011
I'm pretty sure childcare assistance is state paid by each individual state. The government shut down is federal.. so it shouldn't affect state paid daycare. I think.
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MsMe 11:02 AM 04-08-2011
Originally Posted by nannyde:
Nah

Sounds like she has fabulous parents. They will make sure she has tons of things to do and tons of playdates and activities. Spending time with Mom will be awesome... a blessing in disguise.

My kids love daycare but they will take time with their own parents any day of the week over coming to daycare. AS IT SHOULD BE.

Kids don't have "friendships" they way we do. They can be away from each other for a long time and within fifteen seconds of being back together they are the same as they would be one day after being away from each other.
I agree i think the BEST place for a child is with their parents at all possible times. I do understand your concern for teh family and If I had a family like this that was going to be effected I think I would offer to hold the spot open for a few weeks and then maybe at a reduced rate payable when possible if it is a prolonged issue. I think I might offer that the girl come one day a week if you think they child would benifite greatly. I have a few that can go weeks with out seeing me and jump right back in and others that have an issue ofter a long weekend! You will need to do what is right for you and your program.
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daycare 11:05 AM 04-08-2011
several months back in CA, the gov. took months on end to pass a new budget. those DCP who accpeted gov. asst. did not get paid for months on end. Several preschools and in home were all shut down because of it.

I dont take state asst., so I was not affected by it.

If I had a family I trusted, i would allow for it, however, i would be writing a contract up for it and having them sign it.
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momofsix 11:06 AM 04-08-2011
I don't have military families, but my DD is in the military. They are really going to be in a tough spot for all their bills-housing, car loans, utilities...everything MY DD is ok, but many of her friends live paycheck to paycheck and are panicking. No one plans for the government to stop paying its military, and I think it's unexcusable for our government to do that.
They are stiill required to go to work! They will get back pay when things get straightened out, but in the meantime how are they expected to survive? They've already been told that their next paycheck is only going to be for one week.
Sorry for the rant, mama bear is ticked b/c someone's messin' with my baby
Anyhow, if a provider can afford to wait for payment, I would still watch the military child with the understanding that payment would be expected when they get their back pay.


Edit: Didn't read carefully-if mom is home I would think the child should be home with her.
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MamaBear 12:37 PM 04-08-2011
My husband is active duty Navy and his pay was just cut in half already. This really sucks. I just dont get why congress couldnt take a pay cut instead of our troops. Will he get reimbursed later for the pay they cut? Luckily we have money saved away, but a lot of people I know dont have that. This sucks.
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momofsix 12:41 PM 04-08-2011
Originally Posted by MamaBear:
My husband is active duty Navy and his pay was just cut in half already. This really sucks. I just dont get why congress couldnt take a pay cut instead of our troops.


Exactly, ONE of them not gettng paid would pay for at least a FEW of our soldiers!
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MamaBear 12:43 PM 04-08-2011
Originally Posted by momofsix:
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Exactly, ONE of them not gettng paid would pay for at least a FEW of our soldiers!

Amen to that!
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Unregistered 01:58 PM 04-08-2011
I have a nephew (by marriage)who is a recruiter and his wife is a school teacher and due with their first child next month. I'm so worried because he won't be getting paid and with the way our schools are here she may not have a job next year (budget cuts). What a way to start off for new parents!
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Symphony 06:59 PM 04-08-2011
It isn't just military that is being cut, it is ALL "nonessential" personnel. So my DH for instance is a firefighter for the forest service, which is federal. He will be home without pay, but anytime there is a fire during this time, they will be called to work, without pay. That is a situation where a parent could be working without pay during this time.
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Lucy 10:07 PM 04-08-2011
Shutdown was averted, so no worries.
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Lilbutterflie 02:01 PM 04-09-2011
Yup, no shutdown. Here's a link to an article:

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/1324...et-battles.htm

Phew! I have a friend who is on deployment in Afghanistan, has a 5 year son and wife at home, and will miss the birth of his 2nd son. The thought of him being there, and not getting compensated for it is just unimaginable! Thank the Lord it has been averted for now!
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Unregistered 09:45 AM 04-11-2011
Luckily the crisis was averted. :-) I'm near DC too, and had two of my four Daycare parents come to me on friday saying they would be furloughed this week and would keep their kids home with them, and did they have to pay fees.

I didnt know what to do. After some soul searching, I decided this.

I was going to offer their vacation early. I offer one weeks vacation per year for each family that they dont have to pay fees. But only after they have been in care for 6 months. Both are under the 6 months, but I was going to offer that they could take it now, but then couldnt use it again until 2012. I was also going to offer to defer their payments until after the shutdown was over.

I wasnt going to let them just not pay fees because they didnt have to go into work. But I was also sympathetic to the situation. Both families were active duty military, so their husbands would not get paid, and the spouses were government workers, so they wouldnt get paid either. I couldnt, in good faith, expect them to continue to pay fees for daycare with neither of them getting a paycheck. Hopefully it doesnt happen again, and it wont ever be an issue.
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Tags:budget cuts, economy, goverment, subsidy
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