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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Do I Charge or Not?
sahm2three 07:53 AM 07-19-2010
Ok, here is the situation. We went camping this last weekend, and got a LOT of sun. My middle son is really sensitive to it, and got sick last night. Could be from the sun, could be the flu that the dcb had last week. He only got sick once, but I notified my dc families anyways to give them a heads up. I told them that if they needed to bring their kids, that was fine that I could keep my middle son in his room and he could watch movies all day. Anyways, I had one family that came, two that didn't. Since I didn't technically close, but they chose to not bring their children, do I charge for the day or not? In my contract I say they don't have to pay for MY sick days, but I am fully capable of caring for their children, it was my son who was under the weather and I didn't close. So, what are your thoughts?
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Pammie 08:01 AM 07-19-2010
I guess I'm confused as to why you would notify your clients about this - if your son is old enough to stay in his room all day and wouldn't be with the kids, and you say you're able to care for your clients anyway...why would you call them?

Personally, I wouldn't charge the clients that chose to stay home for the day....if your son's illness was severe enough to call everyone ahead of time and give them a "heads up", then that's the same as you calling off sick for the day - in my opinion.
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momma2girls 08:04 AM 07-19-2010
I don't even tell my daycare parents that my 8 yr. old daughter is sick, when she is, we keep her in her room all day. She is not allowed to come out for anything for at least 24 hrs. When I first started doing daycare, I had given the choice to many of the parents- I only had one decide to come. THe others didn't pay me, even though I told them I was open and it was their choice to come or not. I would have my daughter in her room all day. SO from now on I don't even mention it at all to them. As long as I keep her seperated and clean, sanitize before they come, etc. I don't tell anyone that she is even home sick!
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sahm2three 08:05 AM 07-19-2010
Originally Posted by Pammie:
I guess I'm confused as to why you would notify your clients about this - if your son is old enough to stay in his room all day and wouldn't be with the kids, and you say you're able to care for your clients anyway...why would you call them?

Personally, I wouldn't charge the clients that chose to stay home for the day....if your son's illness was severe enough to call everyone ahead of time and give them a "heads up", then that's the same as you calling off sick for the day - in my opinion.
I guess I thought it was the right thing to do. I explained to them all that I would remain open, and that I was going around the house disinfecting and that my son could be kept content in his room (yes, he is old enough), but as a courtesy (because I would want to know and be able to make my own decision), I let my dc parents know.
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originalkat 08:06 AM 07-19-2010
I would still charge.
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sahm2three 08:16 AM 07-19-2010
Originally Posted by Iowa daycare:
I don't even tell my daycare parents that my 8 yr. old daughter is sick, when she is, we keep her in her room all day. She is not allowed to come out for anything for at least 24 hrs. When I first started doing daycare, I had given the choice to many of the parents- I only had one decide to come. THe others didn't pay me, even though I told them I was open and it was their choice to come or not. I would have my daughter in her room all day. SO from now on I don't even mention it at all to them. As long as I keep her seperated and clean, sanitize before they come, etc. I don't tell anyone that she is even home sick!
Thanks. I will make this my policy too I guess. Unless it is my younger child.
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safechner 08:35 AM 07-19-2010
I don't tell my daycare parents if my child is sick. I dont think it is necessary to let them know unless if you have small child/ren. If my child is sick and she will be in her room all day. Both of my daughters are very rarely get sick. My daughter hits with high fever back in Feb 2009 for a long time. I decided I took her to the doctor when I have back up provider to take care of dc kids while I was gone. Found out that my daughter had strep throat for the first time that causes high fever. She still stays in her room when we got back from the dr. I kept open and no one gets from her at all.

I would charge the parents since you are not closed.
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Daycare Mommy 09:21 AM 07-19-2010
In this current situation I wouldn't charge the parents who didn't come. That's how I do it. I call to give everyone a heads up and if they choose to come they pay. If they find alternate care they don't. I like to give them the choice to expose them or not and if they do find alternate care and I wouldn't want them to have to double pay for the day when it's my kids that are sick. (Now I don't offer the option of finding alternate care and not paying to the family that brought the sick dck last week and got us sick in the first place.) Keeping them separated once they are old enough is a good idea, but not doable over here. My house is just too small and only 1 bathroom to boot.
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tymaboy 09:27 AM 07-19-2010
If you normanly charge when they do not come then that is what you need to do. If my son is sick (17yr) I let the parents know & give them there choose. If he is puking, most of the time I will close. Yes he is old enough but I dont spend much time with him now & he doesnt need me as much so when he does need TLC I want to be able to give it to him.
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JenNJ 09:43 AM 07-19-2010
If its not spelled out in your contract, I would give them a pass this time. From here on out, I wouldn't tell them unless your child needs constant help/comforting.

When my kids are ill (1 year and 4 years) my husband can come home and help if needed or my mother in law stops by to help out. But my kids are easy when they are sick. They just like to lay in bed and watch movies. I don't even tell my dc clients because its a non-issue since my kids have no contact with theirs at all.
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professionalmom 09:59 AM 07-19-2010
I would give them a 50% discount for the day. That way no one is taking the complete hit. I feel that we are obligated to let the DCPs know when there has been an exposure. Especially since we would be PISSED if they just brought their sick kid and dumped him.her on us without a heads up, then infected everyone. So I give my DCPs the same courtesy I expect from them. But if I'm open, then they should pay for not coming. However, I can see the point of, why should they pay when the whole reason they are not coming is technically your issue (not your fault). So I would charge only 50% to the ones that did not come, except the family that brought a sick child last week. Good Luck!
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MarinaVanessa 10:56 AM 07-19-2010
I would still charge. If you let them know that you were not closing and were able to care for their children while your child was separated and they chose not to come then that's what it was, their choice.
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Lilbutterflie 11:33 AM 07-19-2010
I would not charge. I feel it's our obligation to the parents to let them know if any of our children are sick, and if they choose not to come; they should not have to pay.
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misol 07:31 PM 07-19-2010
Originally Posted by sahm2three:
I guess I thought it was the right thing to do. I explained to them all that I would remain open, and that I was going around the house disinfecting and that my son could be kept content in his room (yes, he is old enough), but as a courtesy (because I would want to know and be able to make my own decision), I let my dc parents know.
In the future - if your child is old enough to stay COMPLETELY separated from the kids all day and you are going to remain open anyway, then I don't feel there is a need to notify the parents. Their children y were most likely already exposed days before anyway.

As far as whether you shoud charge this time, I would wait and see if the parents offer to pay you or not. If they include that day in their weekly payment then great! If they don't include it then don't say anything about it. If they ask before they write the check then just let them slide for having the courtesy to ask
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tenderhearts 07:47 PM 07-19-2010
I don't tell my parents either when my kids are sick because they are old enough to take care of themselves in their rooms, BUT back when they weren't if I called them and gave them that option, I would not charge them, if you were sick and had to close they wouldn't pay you (would they? I don't charge if I had to call in sick). So for me giving them the option to keep them out I and that's what they chose I wouldn't. They may have to pay someone else to watch them. Just my opionion
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QualiTcare 08:18 PM 07-19-2010
if you don't think it's a big deal for an "older" child to stay confined to a room all day when they're sick, i just wonder if you offer that same option to parents of "older" children?

can their child come if you put them in a room with the TV? if they can't, why not?

i think the same rules you apply to your DC kids should apply to your own. you should have back up care for your own sick child if you require back up care for theirs. if you allow your sick child to stay home, they should be able to let their sick child come.

if you don't agree with that - then NO WAY should a parent have to pay because your kid is sick and they didn't come. the only way that would be fair is if you reimbursed parents who didn't bring their children when they were sick. do you do that? if you get paid because your child is sick, why do they not get paid (by discount) when theirs is?

what's good for the goose is good for the gander. you either allow sick children to be in your daycare or you don't - all children included.
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Janet 10:18 AM 07-20-2010
Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
if you don't think it's a big deal for an "older" child to stay confined to a room all day when they're sick, i just wonder if you offer that same option to parents of "older" children?

can their child come if you put them in a room with the TV? if they can't, why not?

i think the same rules you apply to your DC kids should apply to your own. you should have back up care for your own sick child if you require back up care for theirs. if you allow your sick child to stay home, they should be able to let their sick child come.

if you don't agree with that - then NO WAY should a parent have to pay because your kid is sick and they didn't come. the only way that would be fair is if you reimbursed parents who didn't bring their children when they were sick. do you do that? if you get paid because your child is sick, why do they not get paid (by discount) when theirs is?

what's good for the goose is good for the gander. you either allow sick children to be in your daycare or you don't - all children included.
If my daughter gets sick, it's usually pretty easy to keep her away from the dcks. Also, my daughter is 14 and self sufficient. The only time that I've closed due to her illness is when she got really sick last September. I didn't charge anyone for the days that I was closed.

It would be different, however, if my daughter were younger or if I couldn't keep her away from the other kids to prevent them from gettting sick. I am lucky enough to live in a bi-level house that has bathrooms on each floor. I only have the dcks upstairs so that would help, too. The bottom line for me would be that if my own child was sick and I had no way of keeping her away from the other kids, then I would have a back-up person to have her go to if the parents of my dcks didn't have a back up provider of their own.
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jen 11:05 AM 07-20-2010
Originally Posted by originalkat:
I would still charge.
Me too.................
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misol 11:05 AM 07-20-2010
Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
if you don't think it's a big deal for an "older" child to stay confined to a room all day when they're sick, i just wonder if you offer that same option to parents of "older" children?

can their child come if you put them in a room with the TV? if they can't, why not?

i think the same rules you apply to your DC kids should apply to your own. you should have back up care for your own sick child if you require back up care for theirs. if you allow your sick child to stay home, they should be able to let their sick child come.

if you don't agree with that - then NO WAY should a parent have to pay because your kid is sick and they didn't come. the only way that would be fair is if you reimbursed parents who didn't bring their children when they were sick. do you do that? if you get paid because your child is sick, why do they not get paid (by discount) when theirs is?

what's good for the goose is good for the gander. you either allow sick children to be in your daycare or you don't - all children included.
I respectfully disagree. Daycare is a place for WELL children. Sick children belong at home with their parents and that includes my own. So if my children are sick they will be at home with me. There is no way that I would send my sick child out of the comfort of his/her own home to a back-up provider. Thats nuts. Even having a spouse or grandparent come over to tend to my sick child while I work would defeat the purpose because my sick child would still be in the house.

My children are too young to stay in their own rooms right now so if they were sick enough to require my full attention then I would close for the day. I have 5 paid sick days built into my contract. If my children were old enough to remain in their OWN bedrooms which are on a separate level from my daycare then I would reamin open for business (unless I knew for certain that they had something highly contagious). There is absolutely no way that I would keep a sick dc kid in my child's private bedroom. Taking all those germs upstairs would be asking for my entire family to get sick. I don't have anywhere in my daycare area to confine a sick child to. Even if I did, I still would not care for sick kids. Sick kids belong at home.
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jen 11:14 AM 07-20-2010
Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
if you don't think it's a big deal for an "older" child to stay confined to a room all day when they're sick, i just wonder if you offer that same option to parents of "older" children?

can their child come if you put them in a room with the TV? if they can't, why not?

i think the same rules you apply to your DC kids should apply to your own. you should have back up care for your own sick child if you require back up care for theirs. if you allow your sick child to stay home, they should be able to let their sick child come.

if you don't agree with that - then NO WAY should a parent have to pay because your kid is sick and they didn't come. the only way that would be fair is if you reimbursed parents who didn't bring their children when they were sick. do you do that? if you get paid because your child is sick, why do they not get paid (by discount) when theirs is?

what's good for the goose is good for the gander. you either allow sick children to be in your daycare or you don't - all children included.
Seriously???

I wouldn't DREAM of sending my children away ill. I do daycare so that I can be there for my kids! In my opinion, shooing a sick child off to someone else to care for is the epitomy of bad parenting. I do not close when my children are ill and I do not allow sick kids to come to daycare.

Caring for a sick child is ALOT of extra work and I highly doubt most parents would want to pay for what that extra service would cost. However, if they were willing to pay and pay BIG I would consider it.

Shall I charge myself for the exta care I give to my kids when they are ill?????
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JenNJ 11:19 AM 07-20-2010
Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
if you don't think it's a big deal for an "older" child to stay confined to a room all day when they're sick, i just wonder if you offer that same option to parents of "older" children?

can their child come if you put them in a room with the TV? if they can't, why not?

i think the same rules you apply to your DC kids should apply to your own. you should have back up care for your own sick child if you require back up care for theirs. if you allow your sick child to stay home, they should be able to let their sick child come.

if you don't agree with that - then NO WAY should a parent have to pay because your kid is sick and they didn't come. the only way that would be fair is if you reimbursed parents who didn't bring their children when they were sick. do you do that? if you get paid because your child is sick, why do they not get paid (by discount) when theirs is?

what's good for the goose is good for the gander. you either allow sick children to be in your daycare or you don't - all children included.
I also disagree. If my child is ill, they have a right to be in THEIR HOME and in their own bed. The way my home is set up, anyone upstairs can stay upstairs ill and have no contact with anyone downstairs. Separate bathrooms as well. And my kids aren't in daycare, they are simply here while I work -- big difference. So they aren't sick and in daycare - they are sick and at home.

My children's bedrooms are private. I do not allow any dc kids in their rooms EVER. Would you invite an ill person to come spend a sick day in YOUR bedroom?

I "get paid" when my child is sick because I chose a job where I work from home and I am lucky enough to have help/back up if I need it. My daycare parents chose their careers as well. Every job has perks and this is one of the perks I have. I don't have to lose a day of work when someone is sick. My clients are all told when my children are sick and they bring their kids anyway bc they know I don't allow anyone ill to play in the "common areas."
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AmandasFCC 11:20 AM 07-20-2010
Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
if you don't think it's a big deal for an "older" child to stay confined to a room all day when they're sick, i just wonder if you offer that same option to parents of "older" children?

can their child come if you put them in a room with the TV? if they can't, why not?

i think the same rules you apply to your DC kids should apply to your own. you should have back up care for your own sick child if you require back up care for theirs. if you allow your sick child to stay home, they should be able to let their sick child come.

if you don't agree with that - then NO WAY should a parent have to pay because your kid is sick and they didn't come. the only way that would be fair is if you reimbursed parents who didn't bring their children when they were sick. do you do that? if you get paid because your child is sick, why do they not get paid (by discount) when theirs is?

what's good for the goose is good for the gander. you either allow sick children to be in your daycare or you don't - all children included.
I see where you're going with this, but I have to disagree too. A sick kid needs to be home with their parents. I would not put a sick child other than my own in my own room or my child's room to rest, and while my nap cots work great for nap time I would NOT want a kid sleeping on one all day - that CAN'T be comfortable ...

To me this is like suggesting that a sick parent set up a cot in their office and go to work anyway. Sounds ludicrous, doesn't it? When you're sick you need your own bed, away from noise and other distractions, to rest and just get better.
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momma2girls 11:44 AM 07-20-2010
Originally Posted by JenNJ:
I also disagree. If my child is ill, they have a right to be in THEIR HOME and in their own bed. The way my home is set up, anyone upstairs can stay upstairs ill and have no contact with anyone downstairs. Separate bathrooms as well. And my kids aren't in daycare, they are simply here while I work -- big difference. So they aren't sick and in daycare - they are sick and at home.

My children's bedrooms are private. I do not allow any dc kids in their rooms EVER. Would you invite an ill person to come spend a sick day in YOUR bedroom?

I "get paid" when my child is sick because I chose a job where I work from home and I am lucky enough to have help/back up if I need it. My daycare parents chose their careers as well. Every job has perks and this is one of the perks I have. I don't have to lose a day of work when someone is sick. My clients are all told when my children are sick and they bring their kids anyway bc they know I don't allow anyone ill to play in the "common areas."
I totally agree with this and other posts on here!!!!
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bgmeyers 11:56 AM 07-20-2010
Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
if you don't think it's a big deal for an "older" child to stay confined to a room all day when they're sick, i just wonder if you offer that same option to parents of "older" children?

can their child come if you put them in a room with the TV? if they can't, why not?

i think the same rules you apply to your DC kids should apply to your own. you should have back up care for your own sick child if you require back up care for theirs. if you allow your sick child to stay home, they should be able to let their sick child come.

if you don't agree with that - then NO WAY should a parent have to pay because your kid is sick and they didn't come. the only way that would be fair is if you reimbursed parents who didn't bring their children when they were sick. do you do that? if you get paid because your child is sick, why do they not get paid (by discount) when theirs is?

what's good for the goose is good for the gander. you either allow sick children to be in your daycare or you don't - all children included.
The same rules do not apply to DC kids and my own. I am not a parent to the dc children.
There is a huge difference between my own sick children and having someone else's sick child here. No way would I ever knowingly allow a sick child to come even if they could be isolated. I would then have to disinfect everything they came in contact with, including bedding. Do I do this for my own children, of course. I am their PARENT. A sick child should be home and with a parent or someone who can devote more one on one with them, even if it just a cold.
My own are getting alot older, but when they were little and really sick, I closed. They deserved that. They have had to share me and their home all the time, but not when they are really sick. But sometimes it's a judgement call, and if it's a cold or just feeling crummy, they stayed away from the kids. This is not an option that I can or will do for daycare children.
I do get paid sick days, and I use them. I still close if they are really sick. Did it about a month ago just to give 17 yo daughter a quiet house, and me time to take care of her and clean. I figure at the least, I am setting an example to my dc parents that this is what should be done. Stay home and be a parent.
Pay? You bet they do. Every day, open or closed. The one and only exception is after they have been with me for a year, they can take one week's worth of vacation unpaid if they give two weeks's notice. It's in my policy book and in my contract.
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Daycare Mommy 12:08 PM 07-20-2010
Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
if you don't think it's a big deal for an "older" child to stay confined to a room all day when they're sick, i just wonder if you offer that same option to parents of "older" children?

can their child come if you put them in a room with the TV? if they can't, why not?
Because I don't have a single daycare kid who has his own personal bedroom and private bathroom in my home.
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sahm2three 01:09 PM 07-20-2010
Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
if you don't think it's a big deal for an "older" child to stay confined to a room all day when they're sick, i just wonder if you offer that same option to parents of "older" children?

can their child come if you put them in a room with the TV? if they can't, why not?

i think the same rules you apply to your DC kids should apply to your own. you should have back up care for your own sick child if you require back up care for theirs. if you allow your sick child to stay home, they should be able to let their sick child come.

if you don't agree with that - then NO WAY should a parent have to pay because your kid is sick and they didn't come. the only way that would be fair is if you reimbursed parents who didn't bring their children when they were sick. do you do that? if you get paid because your child is sick, why do they not get paid (by discount) when theirs is?

what's good for the goose is good for the gander. you either allow sick children to be in your daycare or you don't - all children included.
Man, I am SO glad so many disagreed to what was said here. I agree with all of you that did disagree. This is MY childrens house and *I* am their parent. If my child had been very sick, then I would have closed.
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