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Unregistered 11:04 AM 07-26-2019
If a parent wants to pick up extra working hours outside their contracted daycare hours what would you do? how to handle it?

the first few times I allowed it until it started to be come habitual. So I found my backbone and spoke up and said they needed to stay with in contracted hours. they thought that since I am here and open anyway that it was no big deal. I had to again explain that they choose their contracted hours when they signed up etc. Now I feel like a jerk because the mom said I guess I cant pick up extra hours anymore.

Did I do the right thing? or am I a jerk now?
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Cat Herder 11:15 AM 07-26-2019
Sounds like a sliding scale may make more sense for you. It will get you paid when you have to work more, too.

Why should she be able to earn more while expecting you to not earn more?

Sample:

A: Departure by 3:30 pm – 42.5 Hours - $135.00 week
B: Departure by 4:30 pm – 47.5 Hours - $145.00 week
C: Departure by 5:30 pm – 52.5 Hours - $155.00 week
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Snowmom 11:30 AM 07-26-2019
^ Yes!

If they think they pay for open-close, they will attend open-close. I tell families at contract signing that they are to only use the hours they are contracted for. If they see a child here past their pick up time, it is because they are paying for that added time- they pay more than you do. Please respect that by staying within your own contracted timeframe.

I also reiterate that their child must be picked up before their deadline. Pulling into my driveway AT the deadline is late and will be charged $1/minute.
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rosieteddy 12:18 PM 07-26-2019
If they want to stay later than contracted time I would offer it at 5.00 dollars per hour.I would ask for cash at drop off.They can pick up hours but so can you .I might even go as far as to say 10 (ten)dollars per day over initial tuition.As long as you already have clients and don't mind the extra child.Don't forget it sounds great in summer when its light out ,but come winter that extra child can be tough.They should not get it for free though.
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Blackcat31 07:05 AM 07-27-2019
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
Sounds like a sliding scale may make more sense for you. It will get you paid when you have to work more, too.

Why should she be able to earn more while expecting you to not earn more?

Sample:

A: Departure by 3:30 pm – 42.5 Hours - $135.00 week
B: Departure by 4:30 pm – 47.5 Hours - $145.00 week
C: Departure by 5:30 pm – 52.5 Hours - $155.00 week
This is how I do it too but ONLY if the extra hours are planned in advance. No calls 30 minutes before scheduled pick up time telling me they’re gonna work later. That’s subject to late fees instead
They must schedule it a minimum of 24 hours in advance
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e.j. 07:36 AM 07-27-2019
I don't think you're being a jerk; I think, as in most cases, it all boils down to what's in your handbook/contract. Personally, I don't mind the extra hours/money as long as the parent picks up by my closing time and I have the opening. I figure if I have other kids here until closing anyway, one more is no big deal. I determine a parent's weekly tuition rate based on the hours they contract for and not flat weekly rate, though, so it's easy enough for me to charge the parent for the extra hours. They just tack it on to their payment check ahead of time if they know they'll need extra hours that week or they pay me the extra separately.
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trix23 02:20 PM 07-27-2019
I would tell them that their hours are X-Y and that if they want to stay later, you'll need to amend the contract and the pricing for that.

usually saying "amend the contract" makes them squeamish, lol.
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Unregistered 05:37 PM 07-27-2019
I worked at a center with this issue. Families had to sign up for a plan at enrollment:
1-5 hours Part time before OR after school
5-10 Part time before AND after school
10-40 Full time
40-50 Full time plus

Each rate had a set weekly rate and you had to stay withn your contracted hours in these time frames. You picked ONCE a year, no changes. After awile they did offer the option to change contracted times but they charged like $75 bucks per change
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Mom2Two 12:53 PM 07-29-2019
My contract lists the normal (contracted) hours of care. But it also lists extra charges for extra care. There's one price for extra care that is agreed upon and then there's another, much higher price for kids who are left longer without my permission.

It's something like $30/hour, but it depend on if it's a one kid or two kid family and stuff like that.

I have a minimum extra fee of $5.00.

I would really recommend adding these extra circumstances to your contract. If clients already know they'll be paying babysitting rates for extra care, they are less likely to ask, among other benefits.
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AmyKidsCo 01:12 PM 07-30-2019
I'm open 7-5 and FT enrollment entitles parents to care from 7-5. If they want to drop off earlier or pick up later they'd need to arrange it ahead of time and pay extra.

I keep toying with the idea of a sliding scale based on pick up time but it doesn't seem fair to the parents who absolutely can't pick up any earlier. And I'm worried that putting a price-per-hour out there would cause parents to look at fees as per-hour instead of per-week. Like, if my child is there from 8-4:30 I should pay the same as 7-3:30 because it's the same number of hours.
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knoxmomof2 01:38 PM 07-30-2019
I have set business hours and a full time rate. If someone were to ask me about additional hours, I would decide if I wanted to and if so charge more money. At this point, I have a 1.5 year old of my own and another on the way (plus my teens), so regular extra hours aren't attractive to me at all. When my younger ones are older, maybe? I have had the occasional question from clients where one is traveling out of town on business, the other is going to be at work late and the grandparents are away so could I keep their child an hour or 2 later on Wednesday night, for example. I just let them know that I would be available that night and it would be an extra $10/ hour or that I'm not available.

So, it's really up to you. If you want to work extra, let her know what the cost will be moving forward. Just tell her that the first couple of times were no big deal, but moving forward it will cost x. If you don't want to, don't.

I considered just doing an extra hour or 2 for my family that I mentioned above, but my free time is valuable and you teach people how to treat you. "Oddly" enough, they somehow figured it out and Dad was here to pick up on time. Had I offered it for free, he probably would've taken his time getting back.
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kendallina 05:00 PM 07-30-2019
I do a sliding scale based on pick up time and just charge $5/hr for any extra time. It doesn't bother me since I'm working anyway.

$10/hr if it's outside my normal hours, which I only offer to one family on an occasional basis because my family loves their kid...lol.
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Tags:contracted hours, contracted hours vs open hours, sliding scale
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