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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Had to Terminate! :(
KAWISTA9 05:34 PM 11-12-2011
Well...I am probably gonna get a online spanking from most of you guys...being too nice has caught up with me!! 
I just opened in June and this family was one of my first dcf. I have worked with her ever since July. But she has always failed to be on time. But trying to understand and she always expressed that she was trying to be on time, so I worked with her. A couple of weeks ago, she got 3 weeks behind. She came in on the third week and paid all three weeks. She always came through. The next week, she only brought her son twice that week. To help her be able to pay me on time the next week, I told her that because he wasn't going to be here much that week that she could bring him for free. I did this with the hopes that the next full week she would pay on time. Well she was not able to pay and told me that she would have it the next wednesday. Well when that time came, she said that her child support had not come through. So she would pay me the next week. So again by the time she got paid, she would be three weeks behind again. Well the night she got paid, her child was here. She did not show up to pick him up. She was supposed to pick him up between 7:45 and 8. At 9 pm her sister called and asked if she had picked up her kids. I said no and she said that she was coming to pick them up. I texted her saying that her sister has called me and that I was not comfortable releasing her children to her sister without her permission. Her sister came and I released them because i did not want to keep them and it was clear that she sent her sister so that she did not have to face me. At 10 pm she calls me apologizing and saying that she was on her way to pay me and pick up her children. I said, "okay." Well she never shows. She texts me the next morning apologizing and saying that she was coming to pay me. She comes at 4 pm. Sends her daughter to give me the money. She only gave me one weeks worth of pay.
I texted her letting her know that I was terminating and I refered her to someone who charged the same rate and took ccap. I told her that this was best for the both of us. I waved the money she owed me and said that she was free to go.
Can you believe she took on the victim position and said that I did not tell her that I was planning to let her go. {What! I was never planning to let you go, but when you refuse to face me, bird feed me and expect me to care for your child another week without pay, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?} She said that she was going to she was going to wait for her sons for to cash his check and pay me for this past week.{which is a lie, because she just told me that week that he went to jail and would be a jail a while for unpaid parking and speeding tickets in multiple parishes...maybe she lied about that...who knows and even if he did pay me, by time she gets paid again, she will be three weeks behind again!} She finally just accepted it and thanked me for the services that I did provide her. She said that even though I had waved the amount of money she owed, she would still pay it because she did not want there to be a bad taste in my mouth about her. {I do not think she will pay, but if I get it, that would be nice!}
I feel horrible but I could not do it anymore...it was all my fault, but i am so happy that it is over...
I just opened in June and this family was one of my first dcf. I have worked with her ever since July. But she has always failed to be on time. But trying to understand and she always expressed that she was trying to be on time, so I worked with her. A couple of weeks ago, she got 3 weeks behind. She came in on the third week and paid all three weeks. She always came through. The next week, she only brought her son twice that week. To help her be able to pay me on time the next week, I told her that because he wasn't going to be here much that week that she could bring him for free. I did this with the hopes that the next full week she would pay on time. Well she was not able to pay and told me that she would have it the next wednesday. Well when that time came, she said that her child support had not come through. So she would pay me the next week. So again by the time she got paid, she would be three weeks behind again. Well the night she got paid, her child was here. She did not show up to pick him up. She was supposed to pick him up between 7:45 and 8. At 9 pm her sister called and asked if she had picked up her kids. I said no and she said that she was coming to pick them up. I texted her saying that her sister has called me and that I was not comfortable releasing her children to her sister without her permission. Her sister came and I released them because i did not want to keep them and it was clear that she sent her sister so that she did not have to face me. At 10 pm she calls me apologizing and saying that she was on her way to pay me and pick up her children. I said, "okay." Well she never shows. She texts me the next morning apologizing and saying that she was coming to pay me. She comes at 4 pm. Sends her daughter to give me the money. She only gave me one weeks worth of pay.
I texted her letting her know that I was terminating and I refered her to someone who charged the same rate and took ccap. I told her that this was best for the both of us. I waved the money she owed me and said that she was free to go.
Can you believe she took on the victim position and said that I did not tell her that I was planning to let her go. {What! I was never planning to let you go, but when you refuse to face me, bird feed me and expect me to care for your child another week without pay, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?} She said that she was going to she was going to wait for her sons for to cash his check and pay me for this past week.{which is a lie, because she just told me that week that he went to jail and would be a jail a while for unpaid parking and speeding tickets in multiple parishes...maybe she lied about that...who knows and even if he did pay me, by time she gets paid again, she will be three weeks behind again!} She finally just accepted it and thanked me for the services that I did provide her. She said that even though I had waved the amount of money she owed, she would still pay it because she did not want there to be a bad taste in my mouth about her. {I do not think she will pay, but if I get it, that would be nice!}
I feel horrible but I could not do it anymore...it was all my fault, but i am so happy that it is over...
sharlan 05:46 PM 11-12-2011
Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do for your own sanity.
misspollywog 06:14 PM 11-12-2011
Yep, you did the right thing. Have you thought of doing the prepay only thing? That's what I'm doing and so far so good.
AnneCordelia 06:30 PM 11-12-2011
You did the right thing! It's hard. (())
wdmmom 08:29 AM 11-13-2011
There's only so much a person is willing to take and she reached the limit. Glad you were able to see the "signs" and do what was best.
Christian Mother 09:20 PM 11-13-2011
You r really sweet to work with her. 
But, I think allowing her to get behind 3 wks creates just way to many problems. To me..leaving your child in care til 9pm with not a call to schedule pick up is grounds for termination right there. I'd have been calling all the emergency contacts from 15min past the pick up time. I think bc you know this mother and know her struggles she abused your generosity but I think you allowed her to take advantage of you. We do that when we want to help others though so I am not faulting you. I think you are in the right to term. her. She needs to take ownership for her behavior. Not paying and picking up late is a huge no no. I know you feel guilty but don't you did helped her out as much as you possible could. Now on to finding a new daycare family...happy hunting!!
But, I think allowing her to get behind 3 wks creates just way to many problems. To me..leaving your child in care til 9pm with not a call to schedule pick up is grounds for termination right there. I'd have been calling all the emergency contacts from 15min past the pick up time. I think bc you know this mother and know her struggles she abused your generosity but I think you allowed her to take advantage of you. We do that when we want to help others though so I am not faulting you. I think you are in the right to term. her. She needs to take ownership for her behavior. Not paying and picking up late is a huge no no. I know you feel guilty but don't you did helped her out as much as you possible could. Now on to finding a new daycare family...happy hunting!!
KAWISTA9 07:01 AM 11-14-2011
It is funny because this morning I got a call from another Home Childcare provider, who I am friends with, saying that she was calling asking about her services. She was not looking for care for her son, but for her older daughter. Now she just doesn't want to pay anyone for full time care for her son. Maybe she found a family member!