Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Termed family for chronic tardiness :(
EchoMom 02:50 PM 12-07-2012
Also sad today because I sent out an email to a family of 2 siblings I've had for almost a year. Love the kids, love the family. Almost ideal in every single way. They always were encouraging, gave presents to me for mother's day, christmas, DS's birthday, sent in extras for daycare kids to share, etc.

Great family, terrific kids.

Only problem???? They use the absolute maximum 10 hours (last year I let them have 10.5/hours a day) every single day. Never ever pick up early, ever. And chronically, chronically late. Last school year (teacher's kids) I never charged a late fee ever. The pick ups got later and later and later until kids were consistently being picked up 20min. after closing time, every time.

This year when we renewed contracts I made it very very clear that I had tightened up my policies and would be enforcing them. They've paid a $12 late fee, $8 fee, and I've still even been lenient and waved many $5-$10 fees. They still aren't getting it. I DON'T want the money, I want to close up for the day and spend 1 on 1 time with my DS and do whatever the heck I need to do!

This week they got hit with a $33 late fee. They paid it. And then on their very next day??? $7 late fee again. I mean really a $33 fee and then STILL late the next time??????? I DON'T want the money.

So, very very regretfully I termed the family. Sent out an email and gave them their final date (in a week and a half).

So sad. I wanted to keep them for the full rest of this school year. I will miss the kids, especially the younger one very very much and my DS really liked them.

But they just COULD NOT get themselves here for pickup by the maximum time and they just were totally disregarding the fees. I DON'T want the money.

Well, at least I've grown a backbone right?

Did I do the right thing?
Reply
littlemissmuffet 03:01 PM 12-07-2012
Aw, I'm sorry you were put in this position - but yes, you did the right thing. It's too bad the family was ideal in every other way.

How did the family take it?
Reply
EchoMom 03:05 PM 12-07-2012
Originally Posted by littlemissmuffet:
Aw, I'm sorry you were put in this position - but yes, you did the right thing. It's too bad the family was ideal in every other way.

How did the family take it?
Haven't got a response yet. I sent it late last night.
Reply
daycare 03:07 PM 12-07-2012
as hard as it is, you did the right thing. I just don't understand why parents don't seem to get it.

I know they think "well you are alredy home", yes that is true, but I can't really do anything as long as your children are here. I would love to(FILL IN THE BLANK) but can't as long as I have children in care.

really how hard is it to be somewhere on time??
Reply
littlemissmuffet 03:08 PM 12-07-2012
Ok, well keep us in the loop!

Sorry you had a rough day - hope the weekend gets better for you
Reply
MamaBearCanada 03:09 PM 12-07-2012
Hmmm, I wonder just how much they would have paid. It might have been very lucrative to have kept increasing the late fee each time to see how much they were willing to pay for your extra time. In all seriousness, I'm sorry you had to let them go and even more sorry that they didn't respect your time with your family.
Reply
daycarediva 04:16 PM 12-07-2012
I will be honest, this is something I would have work with a dcp on/not been so upset about. I would have given them a three strike warning, and changed my late fee to $30 EACH KID. I did this with a dcp that was a sibling set. After all, both kids ARE being picked up late. Now would they have paid $66 for the extra time? Doubt it. Mine didn't. In over a year, has never picked up late, ever.
Reply
EntropyControlSpecialist 04:21 PM 12-07-2012
Originally Posted by daycarediva:
I will be honest, this is something I would have work with a dcp on/not been so upset about. I would have given them a three strike warning, and changed my late fee to $30 EACH KID. I did this with a dcp that was a sibling set. After all, both kids ARE being picked up late. Now would they have paid $66 for the extra time? Doubt it. Mine didn't. In over a year, has never picked up late, ever.
Mine is a dollar a minute per child.


Sorry you had to let a family go that you really enjoyed. ((hugs))
Reply
kendallina 04:32 PM 12-07-2012
Did you talk to them about why they were always late? It sounds like their work hours just don't fall within the hours of care that you provide and I probably would have just talked to them and told them in person that it just wasn't working out and they needed to find alternate arrangements.

I wonder how they would have handled it if you would have approached them about it and told them that they had until a certain date to figure out other arrangements (grandma picks up, friends picks up, whatever) and if they couldn't, they would be termed. I imagine that they didn't think they'd get termed over this.

But, yeh, if you have a stated contract or closing time and a family that cannot meet it, they aren't a good fit for your program. Sorry you had a rough day...
Reply
EchoMom 05:40 PM 12-07-2012
Originally Posted by kendallina:
Did you talk to them about why they were always late? It sounds like their work hours just don't fall within the hours of care that you provide and I probably would have just talked to them and told them in person that it just wasn't working out and they needed to find alternate arrangements.

I wonder how they would have handled it if you would have approached them about it and told them that they had until a certain date to figure out other arrangements (grandma picks up, friends picks up, whatever) and if they couldn't, they would be termed. I imagine that they didn't think they'd get termed over this.

But, yeh, if you have a stated contract or closing time and a family that cannot meet it, they aren't a good fit for your program. Sorry you had a rough day...
Good points but this was the end of the road and not out of the blue at all. We have already had MANY conversations in person and through email where I made it crystal clear before they renewed the contract for this school year that if they could not make it by 5:30 then you must find a different childcare provider because I will be enforcing fees. And then a month or so ago we talked in person and DCM was super super polite but voiced her frustration with me in charging them and said some things I really really did not agree with.

DCD is a teacher and as a former teacher myself there is absolutely no reason why he shouldn't be able to make it to pick his children up by 5:30 2 days a week. He never ever ever ever ever in 1.5 school years has ever picked his children up early. He is always right on the dot or later and later and later.

They even said they felt I was being nit picky and they would "hate to have to find another provider" which I feel was threatening and out of their nature to say such a thing. I gave them a week and half notice, but I purposely made sure it butts right up to their 2 weeks off for Christmas break, so they will have from now until January 3rd to find a new provider, plenty of time.

I'm just so sad it came to this. I really wish DCD would have just made it a priority to be on time. I loved them and they loved it here.
Reply
Scout 05:54 PM 12-07-2012
This makes me sad for a few reasons. The first is I am so sorry you had to deal with this. I know it can't be easy to term someone, especially a family you like. Two, I feel for the kids that the parents didn't try to get there by 5:30 & prevent them from being transitioned again. Did you make it clear that you would term if they did not correct it? Or is it possible that they thought they could just keep paying fees with no further consequence? Keep us in the loop when you hear back. Chin up!
Reply
kendallina 06:26 PM 12-07-2012
Originally Posted by glenechogirl:
Good points but this was the end of the road and not out of the blue at all. We have already had MANY conversations in person and through email where I made it crystal clear before they renewed the contract for this school year that if they could not make it by 5:30 then you must find a different childcare provider because I will be enforcing fees. And then a month or so ago we talked in person and DCM was super super polite but voiced her frustration with me in charging them and said some things I really really did not agree with.

DCD is a teacher and as a former teacher myself there is absolutely no reason why he shouldn't be able to make it to pick his children up by 5:30 2 days a week. He never ever ever ever ever in 1.5 school years has ever picked his children up early. He is always right on the dot or later and later and later.

They even said they felt I was being nit picky and they would "hate to have to find another provider" which I feel was threatening and out of their nature to say such a thing. I gave them a week and half notice, but I purposely made sure it butts right up to their 2 weeks off for Christmas break, so they will have from now until January 3rd to find a new provider, plenty of time.

I'm just so sad it came to this. I really wish DCD would have just made it a priority to be on time. I loved them and they loved it here.
Oooh...threatening to find another provider, yeh, that wouldnt' fly with me either. I don't blame you at all for letting them go.
Reply
EchoMom 07:29 PM 12-07-2012
Originally Posted by aprilsfool77:
This makes me sad for a few reasons. The first is I am so sorry you had to deal with this. I know it can't be easy to term someone, especially a family you like. Two, I feel for the kids that the parents didn't try to get there by 5:30 & prevent them from being transitioned again. Did you make it clear that you would term if they did not correct it? Or is it possible that they thought they could just keep paying fees with no further consequence? Keep us in the loop when you hear back. Chin up!
I guess I never warned them that I would term them. But after a $35 fee didn't get them here on time the very next day I was done. Funny thing is, I Really really don't want the late fee money. It's $1/minute and I turned immediately around to buy one of the siblings a great Lego birthday present for him and he took it home that day, along with the other wonderful christmas crafts we made that day with both siblings. I hope this shows the parents I am not trying to make money off the fees, I don't want it. The point of the fee is so they get here on time!

I never warned them I would term. But I did say I would continue to enforce my policies and they said "we'd hate to have to find another provider" expecting me to back down I guess. And I told them in the summer if they couldn't make it then they needed to find a different provider.

The last straw was that after the $35 fee and then the $7 fee the next day, DCM emailed me very nicely thanking me for the crafts, present, etc. Very very nice, but asked me if late fees relate to when DCD arrives to pick up or when he leaves. This was the LAST straw. IT SHOULDN'T MATTER. It's like a 2 minute difference! And in my email I did make it clear that it shouldn't even be a question because he shouldn't be that close to the wire every single day.

She also asked me if time "carried over" from other days he is early or late picking up. Funny thing is, he has NEVER EVER EVER been early, so how could there possibly be any carry over time IF I EVEN ALLOWED that, which I DON'T.

I'm just so sad for the kids. I can't believe the dad, a teacher, couldn't leave work 2 days a week (they're only here TWO days!) to make it on time. He can work as late as he wants any other days. Just so sad and I didn't want it to come to this.
Reply
EntropyControlSpecialist 08:02 PM 12-07-2012
Originally Posted by glenechogirl:
I guess I never warned them that I would term them. But after a $35 fee didn't get them here on time the very next day I was done. Funny thing is, I Really really don't want the late fee money. It's $1/minute and I turned immediately around to buy one of the siblings a great Lego birthday present for him and he took it home that day, along with the other wonderful christmas crafts we made that day with both siblings. I hope this shows the parents I am not trying to make money off the fees, I don't want it. The point of the fee is so they get here on time!

I never warned them I would term. But I did say I would continue to enforce my policies and they said "we'd hate to have to find another provider" expecting me to back down I guess. And I told them in the summer if they couldn't make it then they needed to find a different provider.

The last straw was that after the $35 fee and then the $7 fee the next day, DCM emailed me very nicely thanking me for the crafts, present, etc. Very very nice, but asked me if late fees relate to when DCD arrives to pick up or when he leaves. This was the LAST straw. IT SHOULDN'T MATTER. It's like a 2 minute difference! And in my email I did make it clear that it shouldn't even be a question because he shouldn't be that close to the wire every single day.

She also asked me if time "carried over" from other days he is early or late picking up. Funny thing is, he has NEVER EVER EVER been early, so how could there possibly be any carry over time IF I EVEN ALLOWED that, which I DON'T.

I'm just so sad for the kids. I can't believe the dad, a teacher, couldn't leave work 2 days a week (they're only here TWO days!) to make it on time. He can work as late as he wants any other days. Just so sad and I didn't want it to come to this.
Good riddance.
Reply
countrymom 04:18 AM 12-08-2012
I'm wondering if dad was somewhere else thats why they were picking up late. I had a family like this, they just didn't care about paying extra fees, after 530pm its too much for me to deal with and my kids. I finally had enough and termed, no wait they left suddenly with 2 days notice. My dh said "good riddence" because the worst part was that we knew they could make it here on time, they just choose not to. Oh they have mentioned before how much trouble the kids where. This dcb was a dream.
Reply
MarinaVanessa 09:42 AM 12-08-2012
I think that for you, you did the right thing. If them being late all of the time didn't sit with you and was driving you crazy and you wanted to term, then you deffinetely did yourself a great service.

Personally I would have handled it a little bit differently like I would have spoken to them in person and had the term letter in hand and just told them that I didn't want their late fees, I wanted them to pick up on time and if that was something that they couldn't do then this wasn't the place for them. Then I'd leave the choice to them ... pick up on time from now on or it's an immediate termination the next time they are late or they can take their walking papers right then and there.

I have to bring up the issue of another provider that terminated care through email and the mom never got it and that turned into a great BIG mess (not everyone checks their emails regularly) so theres that issue too. I think that a phone call even would be enough just to make sure that they got the termination notice and to make sure that they know that they're terminated.

Did you terminate effective immediately or gave them a 2 week notice?
Reply
EchoMom 12:43 PM 12-08-2012
Thans Vanessa. It's always helpful to hear how others would do it, it certainly is a learning process! I'm 99% confident that they will get the email because we frequently communicate through email and my termination was a reply to her questions.

But you're right, it's always better for them to decide to leave as if it were their idea not mine.

I gave them a week and a half notice. My contract says I'll give a one week notice, and the deposit is only for one week. Plus the week and a half runs right up to when DCDs teacher winter vacation starts so they have 2 weeks of vacation time plus the week and half from me to find a new provider.

Thanks everyone so much!
Reply
Reply Up