My4SunshineGirlsNY 06:23 PM 02-05-2010
I just took in a new daycare boy a couple weeks ago, they hired me for full time. I have a contract which specifically states all hired days are to be paid for and the mom signed it.
The dad is an independent painter contractor so his work is up and down.
At our interview before they hired me we went over the payment rules and they hired me and returned the signed contract.
Well the boy only came one day this week...and the mom came to pay me and asked what she owed and I told her she could use one non paid day (I have a rule full time parents get 10 non paid days per enrollment year but can only use one in a week) and told her the total...she paid with no issue.
Later I get a call from the boys dad asking why I charged her $100 for one day. I politely told him it is in my contract that all hired days are to be paid and that they signed it and explained my reasons (I cannot afford to wonder if I will get paid $25 or a full week from week to week). I told him I encourage him to read over my contract.
Prior to me these parents took their son to our only center (we live in a very small town) and I was certain they would be used to this....but this father goes on to say that when they took their son to the center if he only attended one day, they only paid for one day. I almost highly doubt that or if they did she was cutting him a deal. At our interview he was telling me that the center wanted $100/week to hold his spot if he wasn't working @@ so I think he was lying.
Anyway, I'm really upset because I laid my rules out on the line at the initial interview and gave them a written contract and she signed it. I'm sorry if the father didn't read it, but she signed it.
Soooo...that just brings me to the question for you other providers...if you had a family with a father working as an independent contractor and his job was unstable...work for a few weeks and maybe no work for a couple weeks here and there...how would you work it?
momofboys 07:38 PM 02-05-2010
Originally Posted by My4SunshineGirlsNY:
I just took in a new daycare boy a couple weeks ago, they hired me for full time. I have a contract which specifically states all hired days are to be paid for and the mom signed it.
The dad is an independent painter contractor so his work is up and down.
At our interview before they hired me we went over the payment rules and they hired me and returned the signed contract.
Well the boy only came one day this week...and the mom came to pay me and asked what she owed and I told her she could use one non paid day (I have a rule full time parents get 10 non paid days per enrollment year but can only use one in a week) and told her the total...she paid with no issue.
Later I get a call from the boys dad asking why I charged her $100 for one day. I politely told him it is in my contract that all hired days are to be paid and that they signed it and explained my reasons (I cannot afford to wonder if I will get paid $25 or a full week from week to week). I told him I encourage him to read over my contract.
Prior to me these parents took their son to our only center (we live in a very small town) and I was certain they would be used to this....but this father goes on to say that when they took their son to the center if he only attended one day, they only paid for one day. I almost highly doubt that or if they did she was cutting him a deal. At our interview he was telling me that the center wanted $100/week to hold his spot if he wasn't working @@ so I think he was lying.
Anyway, I'm really upset because I laid my rules out on the line at the initial interview and gave them a written contract and she signed it. I'm sorry if the father didn't read it, but she signed it.
Soooo...that just brings me to the question for you other providers...if you had a family with a father working as an independent contractor and his job was unstable...work for a few weeks and maybe no work for a couple weeks here and there...how would you work it?
The mom should go to bat for you. That's ridiculous that she would sign it & not know what she was signing. I'm sure it wasn't written in a foreign language. I do have a family where the dad is a small business owner. Their only "request" was one I had already implemented which was that they (the dad) did not want to pay for holidays/vacation days. I do not charge for those (mine or theirs if they give me advance notice). Honestly I would not budge unless you can afford to give them a discount on weeks where he works less. But I don't think that is fair to you. I'm not sure what I would do.
ConcernedMotherof2 10:01 PM 02-05-2010
If they want to keep a full-time slot open, they need to pay for it--period. If you want to pacify them, you could offer some sort of prorated deal where they could have up to two unpaid days per week, but that's up to you. In my opinion, your contract is fair and they signed it so they should abide by the rules.
Have you thought about asking them if they would prefer to switch to drop in care? No daycare is going to hold a spot for a child unpaid, that is just insane.
You just can't get a break with your families! If you went over it during the interview he shouldn't be shocked. If I remember right, you were not sure they were going to call and use you because the dad expressed concerns regarding this but in the end said he was pretty steady at the moment so it shouldn't be an issue. Do I remember right?
If so, I would also have an issue with him calling me up and causing conflict. Acting like you were trying to screw them or where not being honest.
Since it is hard to find children where you are, if you think $25 - $50 is better than nothing then... I would tell the parents that they have 2 choices. They can pay full time with no other conflicts or arguments. Or, they could pay as you go, but if you have the opportunity to fill the spot you will and they will receive 2 wks notice. Let them know they may not change their minds once you fill the spot. If you let them change their mind that would be unfair to you since they just screwed you out of $100 per wk for how ever many wks. I allow drop in care, but I stipulate the hours and days that they may do this. Basically, I have open spots between 8:30 and 3:30 while some of my school agers are at school.
Good luck!
My4SunshineGirlsNY 07:09 AM 02-06-2010
Yup GBCC, they did express concern about if he had no work and paying for a spot and he told me he is busy now and that shouldn't be an issue right now but was possible to slow down again before spring. He told me he was pretty busy right now (and 2 weeks into watching him he isn't? I see a bad trend).
So we discussed at the interview that if he could see his work was slowing down and give me a 2 week advance notice that he wouldn't have any work, I would cut them a deal and not charge for up to 2 weeks if he didn't bring the boy at all and if it ran beyond 2 weeks I would take $50/week to hold his spot. I added a revision on the end of my original contract stating this...BUT I needed a two week advance notice. It specifically states any partial weeks (1 day or more) will be charged at a full week pay, and if they didn't need me at all I would need a 2 week notice to charge $0 for up to 2 weeks and $50 there after to hold the spot.
They did NOT give a two week notice that they were only bringing him one day PLUS my revision specifically states 1 day or more is charged at full rate.
So I am NOT backing down on this one, I am holding my groung, NOT cutting a deal, everything was very specifially stated. I am not getting mixed up in this trend I see they will create.
I told the dad on the phone that if drop in care works better for them I would be glad to do it, but that does NOT gaurentee them a spot...if someone calls for full time care, I will fill the spot. I told him I encourage him to go back and read my contract and to call other daycares because this is how most will work.
I'm greatful for this site because it gives me the strength to follow through with my rules, I'm learning...don't let parents take the upper hand or they will continue to do so. I'm not backing down on this one...if they don't like those rules, see if they can find someone that will bend them, because I am not.
Carole's Daycare 07:28 AM 02-06-2010
I have had a family for 3 years that Dad & mom both worked fluctuating hours- dad works at a car rental place & mom is a housekeeper. What I did for them was give them a base minimum of 7 days per two week period- Basically half time. They paid that in advance. every two weeks when they paid the next bill I added on for any days over the 7 they had used the previous period. I generally know the schedule a couple weeks in advance anyway, aside from days one of them gets called in. In their contract they are still responsible for 1/2 of my paid Holidays and they are responsible for 1/2 my vacation time. I can spare a spot because I'm allowed 10 under school age anyway, 12 total, and I never have that many enrolled full-time, usually 5-8, and I have 1or 2 part time. Their boy is wonderful- sweet and well behaved and lots of fun, so we look forward to the days he is here.
My4SunshineGirlsNY 07:36 AM 02-06-2010
Originally Posted by Carole's Daycare:
I have had a family for 3 years that Dad & mom both worked fluctuating hours- dad works at a car rental place & mom is a housekeeper. What I did for them was give them a base minimum of 7 days per two week period- Basically half time. They paid that in advance. every two weeks when they paid the next bill I added on for any days over the 7 they had used the previous period. I generally know the schedule a couple weeks in advance anyway, aside from days one of them gets called in. In their contract they are still responsible for 1/2 of my paid Holidays and they are responsible for 1/2 my vacation time. I can spare a spot because I'm allowed 10 under school age anyway, 12 total, and I never have that many enrolled full-time, usually 5-8, and I have 1or 2 part time. Their boy is wonderful- sweet and well behaved and lots of fun, so we look forward to the days he is here.
That is fair enough....this dad only wanted to pay me $25 for the one day he was here after telling me 2 weeks ago his work looked busy for at least another month. I bet they don't bring him back....good luck finding someone that can afford to do this that is registered