We have been hit with a few snow storms in the northeast these past couple of weeks, my daycare closed for two days last week and two days this week. Now I understand safety of staff but a couple of the days roads were completely clear and they closed based on forecasts, they could have done late or early closings, and for all of these days my husband or I had to take off of work and I find it unfair that they still charge us full rates. I find it highly unlikely that they are paying their staff regardless of being there or not, they probably have to burn vacation or sick days. Are there any laws and regulations for this or is it up to the individual daycare?

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If it is in their policy, I would assume it is legal.

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I say it's not fair, but like posted above, if it's in the policy they can do it.

I don't think it's right that if they are closing their doors that you should have to pay. Like you said they are more then likely not paying their staff.

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I think this is really going to vary, but of course it isn't really illegal - you're going to want to take a look at your contract/handbook. Many will state that closures due to inclement weather will still require payment. Personally I would probably tackle this on a case by case basis since it could be a one day closure or a 4 day closure - I would probably handle payment differently for different circumstances, but I also don't close unless the weather is dangerous. I live in ND so we do have a lot of weather situations through the winter months, but like everyone has said - there is nothing necessarily illegal about it (even though it is unfair), you'll want to look at your contract/handbook

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On the same note, however, are they not paying rent for the day even though they are closed? Utilities? Etc. I doubt that they get pro-rated based on the days that they are open for business. Also most places have sick/personal time that their employees can use for the days that they are unable to work and that still comes out of the Daycare's pocket.

If this bothers you (paying for days that you are not able to drop your child off) you can look for a daycare that is based on attendance and not on enrollment. Most Daycares and Daycare Homes fees are based on enrollment and not on attendance (pay for the week) but you can sometimes find some that don't. It is up to the Daycare to come up with what works for them. There is nothing illegal about this however they should have a contract that says this. If you have a contract with them read it and make sure that it's in there. If it isn't (ir in any of their policies) then you shouldn't have to pay. If it is you should always be clear about what you are signing up for.

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Most small daycares do not pay for personal days, just vacation days if that.

I worked at a daycare for 13 years. At first they could not offer vacation time. It was about 3 years while I was there before they offered vacation.

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Wow that's too bad. For my assistant I reserve 5 sick/personal days and reserve 10 days of paid vacation days just in the case that I should need to close. If I get paid I don't see why she shouldn't.

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Did you READ your contract before you signed it???

I'm sorry but it drives me nuts when parent come on here asking questions that were surely addressed in their contract. Yet, somehow they are always shocked and surprised. If you didn't bother to read your contract then don't bother to complain about the terms of it!!!

AGH!!!

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Blunt but good advise.

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lol I agree 100%.. i read on here that someone once wrote in their PHB half way through it " if you read this message tell the secret password is discount"

I know for a fact that more than half of my DCP don't read my PHB. their problem, not mine....

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So you're saying that people who run daycare facilities are in the slim minority of workers in the U.S.? Every job I have ever had would not have paid me for not showing up to work or simply choosing not to open the shop for the day. You compare paying rent and utilities, but when I can't go to work because the daycare doesn't open, who is going to pay my rent or utilities? Sounds like quite a racket to me. One missed day of work costs me more money than the entire week of tuition.

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Seriously badphish? You make that much money? Or the daycare charges that little? HAHAHAHA

Maybe the person who buys the food for the day is stuck in a snowbank? So even though there is someone at the daycare center, and you show up with your child, what is your kid going to eat all day?

What if the storm is expected to get worse? And your child will be stuck there overnight?

What if the power goes out for half of the day, and your child will sit there freezing?

There are so many what if's in these threads.

Daycares don't just close down because they can (because it's in their contract). They close down for the safety of everyone.

I have, after reading a lot of these threads on this website, I have changed my rates from $25/day to a monthly fee, and also state it can be made in biweekly or weekly payments if it's better for you. Fact is, they could charge you $30/day and not charge you for closures, sick days or whatever else. That's an extra $25/week, and $100/month out of your pocket. So what do you prefer?

You know what I make on average an hour? $2.50/ child! ( I only have 1 child right now in my care too) What's minimum wage? $10 dollars? HMMMM......This isn't factoring the bills and such yet. I understand that yes, when you factor in additional children that will be more per hour that I will be paid, but it will still be 2.50/child!

$2.50. Is that what you think makes us thieves? Whether you want to admit it or not, everyone is calling providers crooks because they have to pay for sick/snow/vacation days. Now factor out the food, and the utilities, craft supplies, field trips, etc.

Maybe if you look at what you are actually pay per hour for someone to take care of, love, nurture and provide for your child, people will stop complaining so much!

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I stay out of debates as a general rule but this point is a good one. This is something providers face every day. The parents see the chunk of money leaving their bank accounts, we see it as 1/4 of min. wage which we are expected to live off AND provide the best care possible for each life we are asked to nurture and protect. I think a snow day here or there is petty and an excuse to discount providers even more than we already are.

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This is an old post, but I'm dealing with it right now (which is why I googled it!). Let me give another perspective.

I use a Primrose (national franchise) daycare center, and frankly, I think it's completely unfair to make me pay the full tuition for a snow day. My case may be a little more understandable, because my daycare is expensive. My child's not in one of those shoe-string budget centers that would be looking at me thinking, "Listen lady, we barely charge you what we should as it is!!"

I understand having to pay if my child is sick and doesn't show up--I totally get that. Or, for example, if I want to cancel on my cleaning lady, I better give her enough notice so that she can try to fill the spot--otherwise, she's held time for me and can't make up that money. I totally get those things.

But if I buy a steak sandwich from the Corner Deli every day at lunch, and the Corner Deli one day decides to close for weather...guess what? They don't make me pay for the sandwich anyway! Why? Because THEY decided to close.

(And God, please don't respond with "But you didn't have a CONTRACT with the corner deli!!" I'm not even going to respond to those responses because they're not relevant to the point I'm making. This isn't about what's legal or what I agreed to, etc. This is about whether or not it's FAIR. This is about the morality of it. The ethics of it. The customer-service aspect of it. The "are you being a fair business owner" aspect of it.)

And yes of course I read my contract--I'm a lawyer. And all you out there shouting "didn't you READ the contract???" at these people, I think you're missing the point. I read it. And, yes, when I read it I thought it was unfair, and, yes, I chose to use the center anyway. My point is not that I'm complaining after the fact...my point is that it feels very UNFAIR and it really BOTHERS ME and makes me angry at my daycare--much like that dad that posted above who felt screwed. Not because he didn't know it was a possibility, but because it feels crappy and he (and I) are frankly just complaining.

The way I look at it is this: I am paying $50 a day for a service. If I'm willing to show up with my child for my daycare to perform the service, then my daycare should do one of two things: 1) perform the service for the $50, or 2) not perform the service but not take my $50.

Doesn't that sound reasonable? The reality is that SO OFTEN when the daycare is closed, SOMEHOW most of us other workers STILL HAVE TO GO TO WORK. So not only am I out the $50 I had to pay for services my daycare REFUSED to render that day (yeah, yeah, I know...for safety...but the rest of us are out there, so our bosses deemed it safe for us to go to work somehow...), but now I have to pay money on top of that to find different care for my child! (Care I already paid someone for, mind you!) And I REALLY feel bad for the people who simply don't get paid if they don't go to work, because sometimes those people are doubly screwed--they have to pay the $50 plus they have to miss out on their paycheck that day because they couldn't find care for their kids...ummm, care they ALREADY PAID SOMEONE FOR. (okay, I'll give the dead horse a break)

Think of it this way: Imagine you work in the city and you pay a parking lot $25 a day to park there, but SOMETIMES when you show up with your car they turn you away, but debit your checking account for the $25 anyway. Seriously. Imagine that. Most people would be outraged. Regardless of whether or not this was in the contract, how screwed would you feel once this had happened two times...three times.... ?

And please, can we just skip the responses about how my kid's not a car and the daycare providers aren't parking attendants and how dare I and devaluing and all that--This post is irrelevant to how wonderful the pseudo-moms are at my daycare, who are helping me parent my child. This argument is about the money end of things.

The daycare is a BUSINESS. And the point is simple. The daycare is providing a service, I'm paying for it, they refuse to provide it sometimes, yet I can't in turn refuse to pay for it. UNFAIR. Legal, yes. Unfair, yes.

Let's make this daycare a co-op. NOW I get it. This co-op only makes enough money to keep itself in operation and because of that, we all benefit (from low costs). Fine--in that case, I'm not complaining--we need to keep the center open, regardless of weather! But a for-profit center is different.

I read all these things about "but we (daycare owners) still have to pay the rent! we still have to pay operating costs!". So? How is that persuasive?? Guess what? If I stopped coming to work and my boss started refusing to pay me, do you think it's a valid argument for me to say, "But I still have to pay my mortgage and my insurance and buy food!!" Hell no! He'd say, "You don't provide the services, you don't get paid." Why is this universally-accepted concept so screwy when it comes to daycare?

To me it's no different than, say, a retail business. If they decide to close for weather they don't make sales that day. Or cut hair that day. Or sell gas that day. In other words, they LOSE MONEY if they choose to close for weather...so therefore most of them rarely close! But somehow when daycares close for weather they still get paid for the services they didn't render. I can't see in what world that's fair!

(And that doesn't even touch on incentive. If I got paid for not coming to work, and I got to DECIDE when I wasn't showing up, any time, any day, guess what my incentive is?)

Look, at the very least, charge me some MINIMAL amount. Some amount that doesn't include the cost of feeding the kids or profit or supplies that day. Even that would make me feel slightly less screwed.

Clearly....I'm tired of snow days.

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I got paid from my ins company for time I didn't have to work on the one rare day they closed.

Do they HAVE to pay us if they close? Nope. But they did. And they still were out money because they could not handle their member's requests, yet they paid us willingly because we do a GREAT job and don't complain about everything.

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I work at a day care and us as a staff do not get paid if we close. I see your point and I don't blame you at all for being upset.

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As a parent I think it's bull. If I can get my child to the daycare then the daycare should provide the care. The other day my wife was dropping our kid off and the normal opening person was leaving saying they was not going to be open due to the weather. The employee made it there just fine as did my wife, but left us in a bind.

I shouldn't be forced to keep a backup plan that I can use at the drop of a hat because those plans are rarely possible. At the very least if you must charge then snow days should be only 25% of a normal day. Would it kill anyone to be a honest person and not try to screw a hard working person over? Because not only are you forcing them to pay for a service you're not providing but you are making them bend over backwards to find another provider or not go into work themselves.

If I can't make it then charge me for that day, no issues at all from me. But when I can make it and you won't then yes we have issues and I will be seeking out a different provider.

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LOL...can I assume that you have a CONTRACT which states when they will close and what you will be required to pay!!

Would it kill a person to READ the contract and follow the guidelines instead of trying to screw a hardworking provider over????

Take your business elsewhere if you don't like it, the provider will likely not care. When we create our policies we realize that not everyone will want to follow them and will select another provider. It's just a part of doing business.

L

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It isn't about you and what you can or can't do. It's about properly staffing the facility so that the regulations are met.

Child care providers have many times when they receive kids early and keep them late because of inclement weather. Most often they do not charge parents for these overages because they understand that things happen and the weather can't be controlled.

They eat the cost of the extra staffing so when the snow days come they have a chance to recoop some of these costs with parents paying for the days when the weather doesn't allow them to staff their facility adequately.

It has to do with the law of averages... not about you... your wife... your kid ... that one day.

Welcome to being a part of a group. They could just charge you an extra fee daily and then not charge for the snow days they are closed. In the end you will pay the same yearly fee.

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When I worked full time outside the home, there was a big snow storm. I took the bus downtown and my husband went to drop the kids off at our daycare center. My husband got there and it was closed. He was so angry and called me to come home so he could go to work. Turns out that there was a level 3 snow emergency for the county which means the county sheriff dept. determined that the roads were bad enough that only emergency vehicles were allowed to be on the roads. My husband could have totally been ticketed for driving (in spite of his opinion otherwise, his engineering job was not an "emergency" worker ). So, even though my husband got to the daycare safely, it was not actually safe for him or the daycare workers to be on the road. The daycare needs to take into account the safety of employees based on weather conditions against the inconvenience to parents.

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My contract states that the center will be closed whenever the schools are closed for the day, but will stay open regular hours for the early release or delayed days. So I knew that up front and am ok with that policy. I realize that they still have expenses such as utilities, but I wonder myself if they are paying their staff for the day or if the staff have to use vacation time.

I think the original poster has a valid argument if this issue wasn't spelled out in the contract and if all the staff weren't paid for the day. Not paying staff for the day significantly reduces expenses so I don't think parents should have had to pay nothing for the day, but a reduced rate for snow days where staff aren't paid when closed could be reasonable to cover utilities, etc. Otherwise, if staff are paid for the day, whether it be through vacation day or work covers inclement weather closings like mine does, then parents should be expected to pay in full. Regardless though, your daycare should have had this spelled out up front in your contract and it's a shame if they didn't. If they didn't have that spelled out in your contract, I think you should call your state to find out if you have a valid argument with that daycare.

If you are looking for other care, don't be surprised if all centers charge for all snow and sick days, while home based care varies widely.

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Of course it's fair. The center must pay its' employees, just as the Federal Government must pay its' employees when shut down due to snow. It must also continue to pay the mortgage, heat, lights, and insurance. Much more goes into to the tuition costs than I just mentioned: licensing fees, supplies, toys, required training courses, taxes.

None of this goes away when a center or family day care business closes. Most legitimate Family or Center based businesses do not close indiscriminately. Much angst goes into the decision. Any small business owner knows that if the customer is not well-served, he will go elsewhere. Some of the closing decisions may be made by the insurer of the business (the insurance companies seem to be making more and more decisions for us--but that's another post!). If the day care remains open, it has to be plowed before children can be accepted. Perhaps the center cannot afford, or hasn't rolled those costs into the tuition(could be well over $1000 depending on size and location). If one child or parent slips and falls and breaks a bone, the center could be sued.

Most childcare businesses run on a shoestring profit. Many are not-for-profits (like churches) and just pay the bills. I can only speak for small family childcare, but in those places, the provider "takes home" half to 1/3 of what you actually pay. . . And is then taxed again with the "self employment tax". I know it's annoying, but please try to look at things from the other side of the fence. Would YOU be willing to exchange your position to do what they are doing? If so, what would you do when none of your employees were willing to risk life & limb to get to a $10 an hour job? If you opened without the requisite number of employees, you would be "out of compliance" and (if anyone found out, or anything bad happened) your business could be closed down or (once again) sued.

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What a great read. I am teetering on good read and stupid silly nonsense. All my forum buddies here good responses. The debate from Snowman.......eh, not so much. Its like the child that won't take NO for an answer so tries every angle until satisfied.

Bottom line is you pick and decide where to send your child to daycare. You sign the contract.

In order for me to run my childcare smoothly I charge no matter if the child is here or not for everything except if I have used my five sick days up in a year. I take Holidays off. I have two weeks paid vacation. I expect parents to have back up care. I work hard. Food is bought no matter if your child comes or not. I am paid little when all is said and done. I go above and beyond for my parents and especially the kiddo's. I am not a big center. I am a small family business. I have to depend upon a weekly anticipated income, in order to be able to do my job.

I feel it is fair to charge if you have to close down for weather. Safety trumps all. I rarely do. but.......if I had a meat head client, that didn't have enough common sense to keep off the roads in horrible weather then I would close in a heart beat. Your life is more important to me then it is you if you make a greedy choice to send your child to daycare in a horrible storm. You can't take back Dead- No debating that- It's a no brainer~

Your comparing apples to oranges.

If you want to fight for something fight for jobs for Americans that pay enough so that a choice can be made if they want to stay home with their children or make a choice to work. Fight for places of employment to have understanding of working parents and the need to take take time off for little ones for being sick, or daycare closures. Pick a fight that has more meaning then "unfair snow days"

Pay your provider well, treat your provider well, they are taking care of your most cherished possession. Respect your provider and know this person works extremely hard and long hours for little pay- Realize your provider spends more time with your child in the first few precious years of life then you do. Realize you have choices of who you send your child to and the contract you sign.

Suck it up buttercup- Life is not fair is many aspects. This is tiny in comparison of all the unfairness of the world we live in. Greater causes that a Lawyer that loves good debate could energize time with- Make it count.

I am really stuck on that suck it up buttercup.......love love love

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For my in home daycare, I watched all teacher's children. At first, I did not charge for snow days. However, one winter we had many snow days and not getting paid for all of those days killed my budget. I changed my policy to require full pay for snow days. I was there and available to watch the kids, so, I changed my policy to make snow days paid. My situation was a little different since I was technically "open".

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I would also charge if I was open and ready to provide care. I live in southern Ontario, Canada. Between heavy snowfalls and/or freezing rain, it gets pretty messy here from November to April. I don't plan to charge if I choose to close the daycare, but then I will likely not close unless the power goes out and is likely to stay out for more than a few hours (in winter).

Living where I do, with the road equipment that we have, I've never experienced weather so bad that all area roads were closed. They often will close a section of a road if there are problems on that particular section (problems like an accident or severe damage to the road itself), but you can still get where you need to go by taking other roads. They will sometimes suggest that no one should be out driving, but they don't prevent you from doing so. It's at your own risk.

I probably would close, and not charge for that day, if all area roads were closed. Around here, that would likely only happen in the event of the arrival of the apocalypse, though. LOL.

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Do you pay your lease payment if it snows and you can't drive anywhere? Do you pay for a school/college tuition if you can't go because of snow? If you dock your boat at a marina and can't use it do you still have to pay? If the answer is yes to any of the above then you should pay your childcare bill if the weather shuts them down.

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It always amazes me that people would never ask a private school for tuition back if they were going to be out, or if the school closed for a snow day. Last year I had a family that was going on two separate vacations, one 2 weeks and the other 3 weeks, and they wanted a tuition break since he wouldn't be in attendance. You would never ask a school for a break since you weren't there, and to me a private school is the closest thing to a compare to a daycare.

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It is my opinion that a licensed daycare provider who works from their home should not be closed for snow days simply because the schools are closed. The schools are closed for the safety of the children who walk and/or ride the busses that the schools provide for them. A daycare provider who is not liable for the transportation of their clients should remain open to those who are willing and able to bring their kids to the daycare. On another note, whether the parents decide it is safe enough to bring their child or not, all parents should pay full tuition for the day(s) because the daycare center should remain open. If the power is out or something more severe, this should be an acceptable reason to be closed. In conclusion, I believe that daycare centers should not be closed, but they still should require full tuition for snow days. They should be open for parents who still have to work to bring their children if they choose to do so, and if they do not and choose to stay home because they feel this is safer, they still must pay and this decision is up to them (or maybe their employer if they are required to attend work).

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Sounds like you have it all figured out.

Your child care business should be a success!

If you are not a provider and are just commenting on the subject in general....my advice to you then is to interview every provider you are able to in order to find one that has policies that meet your needs or coincide with your beliefs.

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Totally agree with this!

As a provider who normally doesn't close on snow days, I end up charging parents extra, because most of my kids are SA kiddos. It is a huge inconvenience for me when school closes because it often means a menu change. What I planned for one or two kiddos for lunch changes in a hurry when I find out at 7:30 AM I will instead have six for the day. It also means I plan extra activities and use extra art supplies. For that reason, I have in the contract what the additional fee is for non school days. But if I was going to close on school days, I would expect any parent to signed off on that contract to understand the contract will be followed.

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I have not had to close for a snow day before because my clients are smart enough not to try to take their kids out into a blizzard. However, in the event of a snow emergency, what is a provider to do when she has 12 kids trapped at her home because of weather? Roads DO become clogged and impassable-a smart provider would close when there is a risk of kids not being picked up. There are plenty of stupid parents out there who will call into work for a snow day and still risk life and limb to get their kids to daycare so that they can have a day alone. Providers who close do so for the safety and well-being of the children that they care for...they make the decision FOR that group of parents who can't be trusted to make a good decision on their own.

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The decision should be made based on whether the inclement weather prohibits or delays access to emergency services. Can 911 be called in an emergency and arrive in the same amount of time as regular weather.

If emergency services are overworked because of the weather it isn't safe to have a house full of kids who have little chance of accessing services while the others are being normally cared for.

The second concern is if staff can arrive on time and have their child care needs met.

Next, can the provider keep her property safe for arrivals and departures? A provider inside with kids can't keep the outside safe.
A center may not have access to their normal plowers in a huge snow event. Many providers have been stuck with kids while their parents are stuck in their driveway or street or on the way to pick them up. Many providers have had parents get stuck in their driveway and blocked it off for other incoming parents.

Then the odds that parents can get back to pick.up on TIME? Is there staff available to care for kids if parents are delayed?

The money is easy. Centers and providers just need to build closure days into their contract. If the average closures are five a year then build five into the contract. If they aren't used then the parents get a few days of care they didn't pay for over the course of a year. If they exceed five them refunds are issued for the sixth and over days for parents that have actually used the five days.

My experience is that most parents will call into work because of the drive but drive their kid to care so they can have a me day and an excuse if they are late. It's a pretty rare parent who will keep their kid home even if the weather is REALLY really dangerous.

Some will... but most won't.

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My state licensing agency actually recommends we have a plan in place to CLOSE when there is severe weather. It IS a safety issue. I am legally required to keep two egresses clear of snow/safe to use. What if emergency services are delayed? What if (and this happened to me---) I get stuck with a a kid when roads are impassable?

Every state of emergency I close, with pay. It's in the contract parents sign. I have NEVER had a parent question it.

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see, as a parent, I have not thought about it this way. you are right: if my child needs emergency services, and they are unable to get there in a timely manner, that puts not only my child in danger, but the provider into a pretty sticky situation. not that I mind the daycare closing on a snow day, but those aspects just did not cross my mind because I have not really been on that side of the fence.

we had 4" today. our daycare was open. I kept our daughter home. because I could, and because I do not see a point of trying to make 2 trips 15 miles away in this weather when I don't really have to. we had fun: she made snow angels and shot me up with snowballs

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What it boils down to is you are paying for the SPOT and the SPOT only! You are not paying for attendance...you should have read the contract! It is silly to sign the contract (reading it or not) and then go and complain about it! If you are so unhappy go find a daycare that you can pay for attendance.

I am a family daycare and I will be closing tomorrow due to a nasty storm coming in. I will not remain open because of the parents.

You have parents who will risk their child's life in 30" of snow just so they can go back home and have a day off without their child. Meanwhile it is pouring the snow here and you decide to wait till 5:00 to come get your child and what do you know, you cannot get to daycare. Do you know how many times parents have been hours and hours past closing because they risk taking their child out in the snow. And I even had one stuck over night with me. Their bill was well into the thousands and I never saw a penny!

So honestly, you have NO RIGHT to fuss about a contract when you did sign it!!!!

Next time READ it and avoid all these complaints

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I'm not sure where in my state you are, but we had about the same snowfall. My class had a lot of absences, but about 70% of the center's children showed up on Wednesday (1/20), including several school teachers' children. Schools were closed, of course. We had plenty of staff, but there were a couple other centers, including one big one, that had to turn parents away due to lack of staff.

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I'm in Louisville. and no, we are not teachers (my DH is software developer at a small bank chain, and I am a jobless student). what happened was, since my classes are all online this semester, I could manage my time enough to not fall behind, and this let me keep our daughter home. if the daycare was really close, she could have gone... or not. with it being 3 freeways away, I just did not feel like driving through the snow.
the daycare is relatively small, with the capacity of 49, and the director is always there (7 people on staff, including part-timers). most of the time, they are open. I think, once a year they do get into a pickle with the weather and have to close (we enrolled in May 2014, and this is the second closure due to weather).
my logic usually is, I don't absolutely have to go anywhere, so why not use this luxury and keep a child home when I don't trust the weather, the roads, and the drivers around me. I am in a much better position than, say, an emergency room doctor, who needs to be at work, come hell or high waters (used to work for one; never envied her money).

I can imagine something like Sacred Heart (it's the only huge one I know of) turning parents away because there is not enough staff. it is probably not an issue with our place.

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Any parent with a child enrolled in my daycare who "raised hell" or demanded to dictate how many hours a day I would have their child would be looking for new daycare. Like yesterday.

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THIS... I run a small business; I offer a service and set the RULES... if the parent doesn't agree to my terms of service they are free to find care elsewhere (and don't let the door hit ya on the way out)

I work long hours and pay taxes just like my clients but I earn much less than all of them... nobody will tell me I MUST do this this or this for pay; not happening. BTW, I do take off 4 weeks every year... unpaid, but still and she's hooting and hollering about not having back-up? Yeah, I never would have signed her in the first place... all my families have a back up plan in place for times I must close even unexpectedly (like illness) and I know what they are before they sign my contract

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LysesKids, I DO NOT disagree with you. You are giving full disclosure and insisting that you cannot be the only support in place. They were a facility, probably not like yours; they had many kids and staff.

When I was completely taken aback the by the first closure, they realized no one gave me a calendar. They got me one and I adjusted my schedule. Then came the one occasion when the calendar clearly said they were open, but they were closed. Everyone who also had a school-age child [whose school calendar was accurate], was not surprised. I, however, was SHOCKED. Then came the snow days... there came a point where I felt like I was the little guy against the bureaucracy (or whatever) and I needed to stand up for myself.

If the only outcome was that they learned operate more like you, great--better for the next parent. I absolutely would have appreciated if they had insisted that I have back up care; I would have been prepared. Seriously, no one told me. At 30, I was the first of my friends to have kids. Even my mom had nothing useful to offer when I told her about the mess....maybe because she raised kids in a different time?

Back to my point, that I agree with you that my response was wrong. but I still feel that my reasoning--how I got there--was not. On THOSE occasions, I was merely asking for four 10-hour days since I wasn't getting five 8-hour days--as that was the situation THEY had put ME in. (They were open 6 to 6). Their response about an 8-hour daily max (not found in their policies btw) showed me reason would get me nowhere and responded with the same lack of consideration.

A business can employ fair practices or not, deal with whom they choose, and take no crap [even as they dish it out] as they run their business, because it is THEIR call. I think in somewhere in there, they knew they were wrong. I am still proud of my creative problem solving and of standing up for myself.

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I see where you are coming from & unless they had you contracted for certain hrs (like I do), then if they are open 6-6 that's on them for trying to change the rules... I personally would have started looking elsewhere for other care too (I was a corporate person for years when my kids were little)

I always have my vacation weeks & 6 federal holidays listed out the first week in January on my website, posted by the front door & every family gets a copy lol. I don't want someone saying, Oh I didn't know you were closed this week, knowing full well they were told 6 months earlier 3 different ways. And it is unpaid leave because I figure they have to pay someone else for back up care.

In the event of severe illness & last minute closings I credit a day back on the next month, so yeah - fair practice & upfront written policies work in my favor (BTW, I am a small home childcare).

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Sounds to me like you had a bad center. There are SO MANY child care options, many do not close for weather (I only do in a state of emergency/my road is closed) , etc. and you should have gone elsewhere instead of being angry and resentful.

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.....More like bullying tactics and a severe case of entitlement.

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If she had pulled that stunt here... again I will state, don't let the door hit you on the way out; as much as I get the frustration, her way of handling it was wrong and I would terminate immediately. I'm hoping she learns something here that will make her not so entitled in the future... and yes, I had a mom like her 2 years ago; she got booted because of her entitlement attitude & "I'm paying you extra so you will take it" attitude. Hell even my neighbors were glad when she left because she acted like she was so much better than everyone

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Just following the logic here left by those who feel they shouldn’t have to pay if their daycare is closed for inclement weather....did you go to college? If your college closed due to inclement weather would you expect/demand a refund in tuition? What about private elementary or high schools? Should they refund tuition for snow days? If so, public schools should refund tax payers for snow days? If they do this, they won’t be able to cover operating expenses. All parents of young children need to create a plan to find alternative care for their children in the case of illness or inclement weather. Once your child is school age, they will need care during school vacations, summer, and snow days - regardless of whether they attend private or public school. Child care programs that never close set a bad president for new parents who often have quite a shock factor once their child reaches school age.
Create a plan and spend time with your children whenever you can. Precious memories can be made on snow days with your child!

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You are going to college for an education and a degree to get a job, high/middle school makes up the days they take off... you are paying daycare more than most in state colleges to watch your child so yes yes I do expect that I get my money’s worth like the above mentioned items you idiot

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You're rude. Having a problem making snow day memories with your child? Or just feeling guilty making life all about you or work instead?
Getting your money's worth. Gotta love that mindset. I can see how that would be the most important thing in a person's life. To he!! with the children, huh? Lemme guess, you also take off every vacation day for just you, right? Get your nails done, go to the beach, go shopping, leave child in dc. So you can be a better parent?? A better parent to do what? Send them to dc? These children are CRYING and SCREAMING for attention!! And we wonder why children seem to have more issues in present day than years ago. This is why I chose childcare, to be home with my own kids. It's such a short time in their lives, like a drop in the bucket, but means so much towards their emotional growth, feelings of security, being loved and part of a strong family unit. Like they matter to someone most of all. That's all most children need. Someone's undivided attention, acceptance, someone who truly wants to be with them just to play blocks, get down on the floor and BE with them, read stories. All of this shines through to your child/ren. Makes them feel wanted and loved OR unwanted and merely tolerated.
Quality time does NOT mean throwing them in front of the tv when you're home, or keeping them in dc longer than absolutely needed, or smacking a video in front of their face while driving anywhere, or making FB more important than listening to what you child is saying.
Unreg., maybe you're not one of those parents...I have no clue. BUT there are so many(TOO MANY) who are like that that it's terribly sad and leaves many children with no place they really feel secure and loved.
SMH at parents who have this mindset of getting their last dollars worth.

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Let me tell you something! We have more important things to worry about like the safety of the children in our care. You may not care if you wreck and hurt your child on your way to daycare but we sure do. I have had parents that would bring their children to me in a 2 foot snow storm if it meant them actually spending time with their children. This is why I will close if it is not safe. I also have to worry about an emergency situation like fires, no power an ambulance making it to our location etc...Getting your money's worth says to me you care more about the money spent than actually spending time with your kids. Days off work should be saved for when the children are ill or their is a snow/ice/bad weather day. I see parents take off what equals to weeks for themselves and their kids are still here!
I have been on both sides of this and kept me son home when it snowed even just a little and still had no problems paying daycare. If you do not like it I suggest you stay home and raise your own kids!!!
I bet you be that same parent that would bitch if you were late picking up cause the weather was bad too. You have no problems making it there to drop off. That is another reason providers close. We really feel like having your child overnight cause you paid for it right.

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Except you are charging for a service you provide. It is not your role to judge when and why people use your service. If you don't want to provide it for whatever reason then you shouldn't charge for it. All of those parents still have to get to work so people are going to work. You and your staff can too. If Walmart closes because of weather they don't call me and ask me to pay for what I was going to buy anyway.

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The bottom line here is read your contract. Not everyone charges for emergency closures. Meet with many providers, ask questions that relate to your values and beliefs, read the contract and policies and then make a decision that you are comfortable with and believe in.

Don't sign a contract that states that closures are paid.

Except for a few holidays, I don't charge if I have to close, emergency or not. But because it works both ways my clients pay when their children are sick, on vacation, mom is on maternity leave etc. If I'm open and they don't bring their kids they pay, if I'm closed then they don't pay.
You just have to find a daycare provider that suits your needs.

I don't charge for days I close and even I agree that if a parent signed a contract that says they will pay then the need to pay. If the daycare tries to charge for closed days not mentioned in the contract, move the child to another daycare. Why in the world would anyone put their child in a daycare that doesn't meet their needs?

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Its legal, if thats what you mean.
IDK about fair. check their policy handbook that you signed and you'll find out if its fair. but idk a single daycare in my town that refunds tuition for a weather day.
the idea is that they charge for the spot not the attendance.

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Example you pay for cell phone service every month, whether you have service in every area or not. Before you sign up you find out the coverage area. You still pay for the month....same thing. Fair? Absolutely not, but, I like having a cell phone and those are the rules.

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Not a snow day but I have a 24/7 daycare, but Friday night I picked my child up and was informed that Saturday school would be taking place at their other location. Not a big deal, until I get to the other location and am informed that the daycare will be closing at 10pm. Mind you its a 24/7 daycare as advertised, but closed on Sunday. They are always finding reasons to close on Saturday it seems, and its always last minute notice. Very upsetting and unprofessional.

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