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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Hurricane Sandy & Tuition
melissa13 05:59 AM 10-31-2012
My extreme weather policy for my center is if we should close the center parents are still required to pay the tuition. Having been hit with Hurricane Sandy pretty hard and many places still without power, I have been closed for three days. I am not sure when power will be restored but crossing my fingers that it will be today. I am struggling whether to enforce this policy because many parents are working either. Obviously my expenses are not changing and losing thousands of dollars this week will hurt me but I am dreading the amount of headaches I am going to have when the center reopens. I was wondering other peoples thoughts on charging tuition for this week.
daycare 12:03 PM 10-31-2012
Originally Posted by melissa13:
My extreme weather policy for my center is if we should close the center parents are still required to pay the tuition. Having been hit with Hurricane Sandy pretty hard and many places still without power, I have been closed for three days. I am not sure when power will be restored but crossing my fingers that it will be today. I am struggling whether to enforce this policy because many parents are working either. Obviously my expenses are not changing and losing thousands of dollars this week will hurt me but I am dreading the amount of headaches I am going to have when the center reopens. I was wondering other peoples thoughts on charging tuition for this week.
if you wrote in your policy that they pay and they signed it, then I would enforce that. My extreme weather policy for my center is if we should close the center parents are still required to pay the tuition. Having been hit with Hurricane Sandy pretty hard and many places still without power, I have been closed for three days. I am not sure when power will be restored but crossing my fingers that it will be today. I am struggling whether to enforce this policy because many parents are working either. Obviously my expenses are not changing and losing thousands of dollars this week will hurt me but I am dreading the amount of headaches I am going to have when the center reopens. I was wondering other peoples thoughts on charging tuition for this week.
You can always give a small discount if you would like, or set up payment arrangements for everyone.
Cat Herder 12:31 PM 10-31-2012
In the event of a true natural disaster like this I'd most likely split the difference with them.
It caused hardship for everyone.
It caused hardship for everyone.
biglou 03:47 PM 10-31-2012
Hmmm... I think when you fail to open your center, parents should not be required to pay. I see your extreme weather policy as a tool when rain or snow storms come to play and you are open, but some folks cannot or are unwilling to make the effort to get to you.
In a time when parents look for every way to avoid paying us for sick days, holidays, and the such, I believe requiring your parents to pay you when you are unable to provide your service is not fair.
I suggest you reconsider your plan and take the high road and give your parents a break on this one. We are running service businesses and public relations are so important. It is hard to get a parent to recommend your service to their friends and relatives if they feel cheated, and if I were your customer, I would feel cheated if you charged me for being closed.
big Lou
In a time when parents look for every way to avoid paying us for sick days, holidays, and the such, I believe requiring your parents to pay you when you are unable to provide your service is not fair.
I suggest you reconsider your plan and take the high road and give your parents a break on this one. We are running service businesses and public relations are so important. It is hard to get a parent to recommend your service to their friends and relatives if they feel cheated, and if I were your customer, I would feel cheated if you charged me for being closed.
big Lou
DaisyMamma 06:02 PM 10-31-2012
Policies are policies.
I stayed open all week and still had a parents try to get out of paying!
I'm not getting a discount on my electricity or cable this week...
I stayed open all week and still had a parents try to get out of paying!
I'm not getting a discount on my electricity or cable this week...
Unregistered 07:41 PM 11-05-2012
Hello,
I am a parent of a 4 1/2 yr old and pay $200.00 every two weeks (on time). My sons school was closed for the whole week because of "Sandy" and due to the fact that my husband and I still had to work, had to get a babysitter outside of our own town..about 40 min away to watch him at $10.00 an hour for 6 hours. That comes out to more than what I pay a week for him at school. I had to leave work 2 hours early everyday just to get him which made my paycheck short by 10 hours. Used gas that all New Yorkers were trying to fight for because of what was called shortage in gas delivery. I really believe having to put out all of that money just because the school does not have a generator is unfair to have to pay the tuition! I am sorry but they should take the high road and and give us a break!
I am a parent of a 4 1/2 yr old and pay $200.00 every two weeks (on time). My sons school was closed for the whole week because of "Sandy" and due to the fact that my husband and I still had to work, had to get a babysitter outside of our own town..about 40 min away to watch him at $10.00 an hour for 6 hours. That comes out to more than what I pay a week for him at school. I had to leave work 2 hours early everyday just to get him which made my paycheck short by 10 hours. Used gas that all New Yorkers were trying to fight for because of what was called shortage in gas delivery. I really believe having to put out all of that money just because the school does not have a generator is unfair to have to pay the tuition! I am sorry but they should take the high road and and give us a break!
Unregistered 03:36 AM 11-06-2012
I'm a mom of two and my daycare will be closed for a total of two weeks due to hurricane sandy. Like the other mom on here, I've needed to pay more for childcare than what I normally pay. It says in our contract that we do not get credited for emergency closings, but two weeks is not an emergency closing. The owner of our daycare actually asked us for tuition to help her cover costs of the storm. I thought this was in really poor taste. I lost my car, and was evacuated from my home for a week with two small kids. I will say this, if I am going to be asked for full payment we will be leaving the daycare. I'm assuming she does have insurance and I've heard from a teacher that she is not paying the staff.
Unregistered 11:29 AM 11-06-2012
my sons daycare is expected to be closed for 2-3 months due to renovations of the day care center. NOW, that's a little different than 2-3 days. Anyone know if i'm still required to pay tuition? They have set up an intermin day care on the other side of the island, which is VERY inconvenient to travel.thoughts?
Cat Herder 01:28 PM 11-06-2012
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
my sons daycare is expected to be closed for 2-3 months due to renovations of the day care center. NOW, that's a little different than 2-3 days. Anyone know if I'm still required to pay tuition? They have set up an intermin day care on the other side of the island, which is VERY inconvenient to travel.thoughts?
I am sure it is inconvenient for them too. my sons daycare is expected to be closed for 2-3 months due to renovations of the day care center. NOW, that's a little different than 2-3 days. Anyone know if I'm still required to pay tuition? They have set up an intermin day care on the other side of the island, which is VERY inconvenient to travel.thoughts?
Only you can make the decision to pull your child.
Just know they probably won't take you back later, before you make your decision.
It is a horrible situation for everyone involved.
SquirrellyMama 02:47 PM 11-06-2012
I would also not charge if you cannot open your center. I know your cable bill, water bill, etc aren't going to wait but their bills won't either. Are the parents working still?
I do not charge when I cannot open.
Kelly
I do not charge when I cannot open.
Kelly
Crazy8 03:40 PM 11-06-2012
I am not a center so this is probably a little different... I credited only for the days *I* told them I was closed. All my parents called me over the weekend saying they wouldn't be coming Monday and Tuesday as all the schools/many businesses closed in anticipation of the storm. I don't feel I should have to give them those days w/o payment since they had made the decision long before I was closed (and I would not have closed for monday). I made the decision to close Wednesday because I was without power and then was open Thursday and Friday. So I feel I am being fair in crediting them for that one day that I made the decision to be closed due to lack of power. If I had not opened Thurs and Friday I would not have charged them for those days - it was their decision whether or not to come those days.
Every one of my families had at least one if not both parents home and all are in positions where they were paid for their time out - many aren't going back to work until NEXT monday but are coming here this week (which I am fine with, transition would have been harder the longer they are out!).
Every one of my families had at least one if not both parents home and all are in positions where they were paid for their time out - many aren't going back to work until NEXT monday but are coming here this week (which I am fine with, transition would have been harder the longer they are out!).
Unregistered 12:09 PM 11-11-2012
A daycare in PA was closed for 4 days after Hurricane Sandy and still charged full tuition. They did not have to pay most operational costs that day not even electricity, no food and the staff was not paid either. Many did not have work so they already are dealing with lost wages and those that did had to pay for alternative childcare since the center was not open. If they are charging anyway...shouldn't the staff be paid?? Isn't that as bad as gas stations and hotels raising their prices? They are making more than if the storm hadnt happened! Please advise.
Cat Herder 07:28 AM 11-12-2012
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
A daycare in PA was closed for 4 days after Hurricane Sandy and still charged full tuition. They did not have to pay most operational costs that day not even electricity, no food and the staff was not paid either. Many did not have work so they already are dealing with lost wages and those that did had to pay for alternative childcare since the center was not open. If they are charging anyway...shouldn't the staff be paid?? Isn't that as bad as gas stations and hotels raising their prices? They are making more than if the storm hadn't happened! Please advise.
Personally, I think employees should be paid if the owners are receiving tuition. I can't imagine a logic or legality that allows them not to. A daycare in PA was closed for 4 days after Hurricane Sandy and still charged full tuition. They did not have to pay most operational costs that day not even electricity, no food and the staff was not paid either. Many did not have work so they already are dealing with lost wages and those that did had to pay for alternative childcare since the center was not open. If they are charging anyway...shouldn't the staff be paid?? Isn't that as bad as gas stations and hotels raising their prices? They are making more than if the storm hadn't happened! Please advise.
As an employee in that situation, I'd be looking for a better employer.
Splitting the difference is the only moral answer, IMHO.
AC32 01:35 PM 11-27-2012
My daughters daycare still forced payment after being closed a whole week after sandy. We pay $969.00 per month, I told them that I was not going to pay for the lost week which was $242.25. I'm a business owner and I would never expect one of my accounts to pay for a service that was not performed and more so with an event like "sandy". As for the utilitity companies, the cable company was crediting for the days that you had no service and the electric & gas was not working or running so you don't get charged if its not running. I agree with the post above, it's worse than a gas station!! These daycare facilities are a business that lost money due to the storm just like all the rest of the businesses that were effected. My business lost a week also, it is what it is!!! Deal with it, you should have reserve accounts for these types of things!!!!