I have 3 open spots. 2 can be filled with children under 30 months (though I really don't want to do younger then a year....) I'm holding a spot for a 24 month old sibling of a current DCG's until September, at that point they either need to pay for that spot or loose it.

Had a family turn in paperwork for one of the other spots. Mom doesn't work but will be starting school in fall. Kid has never been in care before, is 2.5, and doesn't nap. Mom was sure to stress that dad was very protective during the interview. They wanted Monday, Wednesday, Friday, so a part time spot. First week they wanted to come Tuesday instead of Monday, told them no problem. They paid my $50 none refundable enrollment fee and their first day was supposed to be this Tuesday, than come Wednesday and Friday this week. Than start their set schedule of Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Mom came Friday last week and paid the $50 fee and turned in shot records during nap time. kids had just fallen asleep, but her showing up and knocking (even though I have a sign with my cell number on it and telling people to call that number or come back after 2:30) caused our dogs to bark and wake all the kids up. She than wanted to talk (nervous about dcb start daycare) and come in, but due to how I have to have my home set up kids nap in the living room (old home) so her coming in would have destroyed nap time more so then she already had. So I told her to come early Tuesday or call later and we could talk then.

They have no called and no showed both Tuesday and today. Should I call them? Or move on? I have a family of 4 (ages 1,2,4,6) wanting the spots and they are fine bringing only the youngest 2 until I have space for the others. Told them by November I should know when I'll have space.

I could possibly have the space by then, I have the military family that I've posted about that I can term if need be. September I will be standing firm on my new policies, including paying on time or no care. Also her habit of covering up illness. Found out today that Friday DCG had a temp of 99.5 at the doctors office during her Friday appointment, and when leaving the doctors office she had them check again and DCG temp had been 100, so she gave her Tylenol and brought her to daycare (even though she had the day off)...

DCG was miserable and when asked Friday at pick up dcm told me she had been up late...I closed Monday because I was very sick all weekend. When asked how they were doing she confessed. But told me "but it's ok, DCG's temp never got over 101!" Because she gave her tylenol before it could get that high!!!! Ggrrrrr!!!!

Anyway, I have reason to term if I need to.

What would you do about the no show no call family that was supposed to start Tuesday? Should I call, wait it out, or just move on to the family of 4?

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In my book if you are no show, no call and day 3 has come I will start looking for a replacement child. It's states it very clearly in my policies that No pay, no stay much less no show = GONE. The fact she is already disrespecting a few policies also... yep, cut the loss and move on. The parent with the ill child... she also didn't follow policy & look what happened; I am about to cut one of those families free myself because I have a replacement for them

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I would just give them a courtesy call just to see what their intentions are. The reason I say that is I just had a family turn in all the papers, a pretty significant (non-refundable) pre-enrollment fee and I was waiting for them. Eventually, I called them (thinking maybe I got the start date wrong) only to be told that they just "weren't ready" for the baby to go to daycare and would be trying to work from home and keep the baby. Now I am sure they will be calling me back at some time and I probably will not have the spot available. But my point is, if I hadn't called I would not have even known they weren't coming. I mean they didn't even give me a courtesy call to tell me. RUDE!

Anyway, just call and see what's up.

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No nap ,no show, no care.Send a note or e-mail telling them no care they-forfeit deposit.

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Agree with the above posters! It also screams unreliable and no communication makes me nervous as how much communication will you get regarding other issues.

I would call and then probably let them go, this type of start with a family would make me nervous.

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I'm thinking about a pre-enrollment fee, how much do you charge? With every new child I find I always need to buy something new or even just use it for extra supplies or unexpected supplies.

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How would you go about wording an email regarding ending services before they have even begun?

I can't think of anyway that doesn't sound upset and rude.... 😞

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Move on.

I wouldn't even bother with a courtesy call. They know where you are and how to reach you and haven't.

The lack of respect for your policies (nap interruptions, wanting to switch days and the no shows/no contact) are enough red flags. They are showing you who they are.

I'd believe them and move on.

As for the family that covered up an illness and than doped and dropped. They'd get terminated IMMEDIATLEY with no further discussion. I don't take kindly to my other kids' health being put at risk.

Move on and fill the spaces with a family or families that will respect you, your policies and the other children you have in care.

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I wouldn't even contact the no show family. IF they did show up for care, say tomorrow, I'd turn them around at the door and tell them that I filled the spot when they no-showed from my wait list and that there was no room for their child.

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I agree w the others. If she contacts you or comes over::

You chose not show up or call the whole week. I filled the position from my wait list.

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Update:

Thursday I get a phone call on my cell during the start of nap, I don't recognize the number, I'm putting kids down for nap, so I ignore it and let go to voicemail. Who ever called didn't leave a message so I'm all like whatever, wasn't important. Then I hear my home phone ring, again I'm putting kids down for nap and leave it to go to voicemail. Once the kids were sleeping I check voicemail and it's the dad of the no show/no call kid. The message was "this is (would be dcd), return my call at number 000-000." And hangs up. 😦

So, I told my husband that I didn't really want to talk to him, as he didn't sound like he was at all going to be saying anything nice. Husband says he'll call him since he used to work with the company that the dad works for and was the one to do the interview with dad in the first place. However Thursday was a very busy day, my son had a 2 1/2 hour evaluation appointment with a neurologist. By the time we were done with snack, outside time and pick ups, and my husband and son (4) got back from the appointment and we got dinner it was 7pm and time for bath and getting ready for bed. This morning my husband called the number and left a message, ever heard back.

On a kind of better note got most of the paperwork from the family of 4. Enrolling the 3 younger kids. They were supposed to turn it in yesterday but couldn't make it, and were supposed to come today at 5:30pm (closing) to drop it off but didn't show. We went out to dinner and came home around 7:20pm to find it in our mail box... They are child care assistance, which is fine, but they crossed off my monthly rate on the payment agreement and wrote in that "the state pays"... Even though on the form it says "$$$ is your monthly rate, minus any child care assistance that may apply" this way if they loose child care assistance they still have to pay my monthly rate or if the state doesn't pay all of my rate, They have to pay the rest (which is how it works in my state) Ned that's also explained on the form. I've been burned before by not having that on my payment agreement, so I've had to spell it out.

And they forgot to supply shot records. 😞 So I'll be getting in touch with them tomorrow and making it clear (again!! It's always the shot records!) that they can't start until they turn those in.

This has been happening a lot lately. People saying that they will do something but not following through, no showing/no calling. Then showing up or calling like They still have the spot when it's been weeks later!

I had a family turn in half the paperwork a month ago, except shot records, tell me that they would see me that Friday and bring those by. I was clear that I needed them before the child could start, and I needed them by the weekend or I wasn't going to hold their spot. Last week (5 Friday's after I never heard from them) I heard from the mom saying she was going to start care on the 17th. I had to tell her that I gave the spot away because I never heard from her. She flat out hung up on me not even saying a word?! What the heck! I don't know how else I can be more clear with these people!!

I mean does anyone else have this problem or do I have a sign on my face???

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No, it's not you. Most people don't have common decency or manners anymore. Most parents also view us as employees not business owners so they are stunned to find out that they are not the ones in control.

I recently dealt with this. Dcm was in the medical field, she thought she could make decisions regarding my illness policy. Once she found out that her profession didn't reach that far(this took a couple of months) she termed. I haven't even spoke with her since. Dcd is the only one communicating for the end of the notice term and they never brought her back.

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Update: got shot records for the family of 4. I only have room for 3 so The plan was to take the 3 younger ones until I have room for the fourth. Ages are 8 months, 19 months, and 3. During the interview parents told me that they were current on shots.

The 3 year old is in fact behind on shots. Would be dcb is one shot behind from meeting my states regs for attending licensed child care. Looks like that after the 3 year old was born he went 2 years without getting any shots. He didn't start getting any until months after the 19 month old was Born. When it was brought up that he was one immunization short from being allowed to attend licensed child care and if they had record they told me that they were told 3 year old was current and wouldn't need any shots until child was 4 and wanted us to make sure that he actually needed another one. Confirmed and told them for him to attend I need a doctors note stating he was on a delayed schedule, and when 3 yr old can get the next immunization, signed and dated by their doctor.

They are looking into it today.

The thing is, at interview they told me that they had brought their 4 kids to another licensed daycare in town and after attending 3 days, their kids getting excluded for illness, and not being able to get ahold of their old daycare lady to schedule drop off after kids were better, they found me...

The shot record thing seems to be a big problem for me lately. And then once I get them, usually the day before care(which is the latest I allow) I find they do not in fact have all their shots. I tell families at interview I need them, can't take their kid if they are not up to date, but still have trouble. I hold the space for a week (sometimes more)... It's like they don't understand and don't think the regs apply to them... Because I than get asked if they can still bring kids while they get it figured out...

How would all of you go about fixing this problem?

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So, they left their old daycare because they wouldn't accept their sick children? Did I read that right? If that were the case, I'd just tell the family I can't help them out because I, too, exclude for illness. I've had to tell more than one person at the interview that I do things the same way their old daycare did.

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They told me that their other daycare provider watched the 4 kids for 3 days. During that time their kids got sick and were excluded for the illness. When the parents tried to call the daycare to tell them their children were better and ready to come back, they couldn't get ahold of anyone. No one returned they're calls. When they stopped by to drop off no one would answer the door.

After a few weeks the parents started looking for other child care arrangements.

I'm thinking that the daycare took the 4 kids without shot records and when finally getting them found out that the kids were not up to date, as the most recent shots were Friday of last week. So even at our interview back on the 1st they were most definitely not up to date on shots.

I'm thinking that they might have refused to vax and when the other daycare refused to take the kids back the parents went "fine, we'll take are kids somewhere else.", but upon interviewing with me found out that if they want to bring the kids to a licensed child care (since that is really their only option in town that will take state pay) started getting shots. Thursday last week was the day that I told them I needed shot records I believe. And the next day they went and got as up to date as can be.


I'm Thinking that they were anti vax at some point.

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Does your state require ALL kids to be immunized before attending care or are you free to choose to take non-vax'ed kids?

If you are able to take non-vax'ed kids and have no issues with doing so, perhaps you could enroll the families and charge them $X rate until ALL paperwork is returned, completed and on file in the childs file.

I don't know....just thinking out loud. I don't really have issues with non-vax'ed kids because I believe *they* are the ones at risk for not being vaccinated but what I DO know is that whenever you attach fees to parent-behavior....the behaviors are easily manipulated.

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Immunizations have to meet state licensing regs or you are fined and written up. Licensed day cares can choose to take religious and/or medical excemptions. I was taking both, but stopped taking religious when all the families wanting them straight out told me that they were not religious and either didn't believe in vaccinations or thought they were poison or would cause Autism.

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