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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Snow Days - To Close Or Not To Close?
Unregistered 01:21 PM 01-29-2011
When there's a snow day at the area schools, some times we have all the usual children, but at others there are only like 3 who need care. With this in mind, the assistant cannot always make it into the daycare (which is in a seperate rented building from my home). So when she cannot make it in, I have all the kids bymyself, which can get really stressful, depending on which kids are there that day. Plus I have my own school age children also, who of course hate being cooped up at the daycare all day on a snow day from school!
And then there are days when there's only 3 kids needing care that day. Since it seems a waste of utilities and electric, and a pain for my own kids to have to spend all day there just for 3 kids, I was wondering about bringing those kids up to my house and having a policy where only the first *set number* of families who call saying they still need care that day would be allowed to attend. That way I'm not trying to handle a lot of kids on my own when assistant can't come into daycare, AND my own kids could spend time in their own home on their day off. And there's no wasted utilities, since they're being used anyway in my own home.
I bring some of the kids to my house pretty often anyway, and the parents are fine with it (and each child has written permisson on file).
So, what do you think? It's hard to find someone to work "as needed" who could come in spare of the moment like that to cover for assistant and I'd rather just be able to spend the day with my own kids in my own home, anyway. So I thought maybe first come first serve on those days would be best. I could still be at home, even if I am still watching a few, and my own kids get to be in there own home also. Then I'm not completely "closed" those days for the parents who really DO need me. Most of the parents have other relatives who watch them sometimes during the week anyway, so why not on a snow day, too?
And for the parents who are not "first", I should probably not charge them, should I? I'd like to, but would it even be fair, since SOME of the kids still got to come?
Thanks for any advice you have!
And then there are days when there's only 3 kids needing care that day. Since it seems a waste of utilities and electric, and a pain for my own kids to have to spend all day there just for 3 kids, I was wondering about bringing those kids up to my house and having a policy where only the first *set number* of families who call saying they still need care that day would be allowed to attend. That way I'm not trying to handle a lot of kids on my own when assistant can't come into daycare, AND my own kids could spend time in their own home on their day off. And there's no wasted utilities, since they're being used anyway in my own home.
I bring some of the kids to my house pretty often anyway, and the parents are fine with it (and each child has written permisson on file).
So, what do you think? It's hard to find someone to work "as needed" who could come in spare of the moment like that to cover for assistant and I'd rather just be able to spend the day with my own kids in my own home, anyway. So I thought maybe first come first serve on those days would be best. I could still be at home, even if I am still watching a few, and my own kids get to be in there own home also. Then I'm not completely "closed" those days for the parents who really DO need me. Most of the parents have other relatives who watch them sometimes during the week anyway, so why not on a snow day, too?
And for the parents who are not "first", I should probably not charge them, should I? I'd like to, but would it even be fair, since SOME of the kids still got to come?
Thanks for any advice you have!
Michael 04:46 PM 01-29-2011
This is a good question. Maybe someone will answer you. The weekends are slower here then weekdays. Suggest you also register as a member. 