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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Do You Give Discounts for Siblings?
Unregistered 01:14 PM 11-14-2018
Right now I care for a few kiddos all singletons. Just found out Dcg who is 2 is going to be a big sister. I talked with the parents and new baby will be coming here too. Since this is my first adding a sibling experience I was wondering how you guys go about charging. I really don't want to give any kind of discount but not sure at this point. Just wanted to see how you all handle this. By the way it will be 3 days a week.
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Cat Herder 01:17 PM 11-14-2018
I do not offer a sibling discount. Providing care to them costs me the same. My bills stay the same. My income needs to pay my bills don't change.
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Unregistered 01:22 PM 11-14-2018
Nope, I don't offer a discount. A spot is a spot.
Besides, the sibling would require the same amount of care - probably even more - so why should you get paid less for that spot?
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Jupadia 01:27 PM 11-14-2018
No discount here either, I do require parents with more then one child enrolled to give 4 weeks notice instead of two weeks. Because when they leave you have 2 spots to fill and can actually be hard on the budget if you cant fill spots right away.
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happymom 01:28 PM 11-14-2018
As a parent I've never been given discounts for siblings, nor have I expected a discount for siblings.

Going off another post, I noticed many of you have a policy of "one drop off and pick up per day per family"....I personally believe this should only be a policy IF there is a siblings/family discount. Otherwise it seems a bit hypocritical. If they were from different families there would be 2 drop offs and pick ups every day....and if there were a reason where I needed to pick up one child early and leave the other child in care, I would expect to be allowed to do that.
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Firefly 01:35 PM 11-14-2018
I used to offer a discount but I don’t anymore. It doesn’t mean any less work and over time I’m losing money.
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Cat Herder 01:47 PM 11-14-2018
Originally Posted by happymom:
As a parent I've never been given discounts for siblings, nor have I expected a discount for siblings.

Going off another post, I noticed many of you have a policy of "one drop off and pick up per day per family"....I personally believe this should only be a policy IF there is a siblings/family discount. Otherwise it seems a bit hypocritical. If they were from different families there would be 2 drop offs and pick ups every day....and if there were a reason where I needed to pick up one child early and leave the other child in care, I would expect to be allowed to do that.
I doubt you would expect that if it were in your contract before you enrolled. It isn't about tuition for me, it is about the amount of traffic and disruption I am willing to deal with in my program. Sibling slots a hard to come by here, I have no problem filling them.
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boy_mom 01:57 PM 11-14-2018
I never offered a discount to my families but my son's nursery school offers a sma discount for siblings. I think its whatever you're comfortable doing!
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happymom 02:09 PM 11-14-2018
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
I doubt you would expect that if it were in your contract before you enrolled. It isn't about tuition for me, it is about the amount of traffic and disruption I am willing to deal with in my program. Sibling slots a hard to come by here, I have no problem filling them.
I suppose you're right (about the contract), but I personally would not choose a daycare with that stipulation. To me, it is hypocritical, and if I had the foresight to recognize the hypocrisy when signing up, I would question it.

My loss, I guess, because I know you run a quality program! Just throwing my opinion in. I can see why you wouldn't want it to be an every day thing, but a few times a year shouldn't be questioned if I pay for two full time spots.
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Cat Herder 02:26 PM 11-14-2018
Originally Posted by happymom:
I suppose you're right (about the contract), but I personally would not choose a daycare with that stipulation. To me, it is hypocritical, and if I had the foresight to recognize the hypocrisy when signing up, I would question it.

My loss, I guess, because I know you run a quality program! Just throwing my opinion in. I can see why you wouldn't want it to be an every day thing, but a few times a year shouldn't be questioned if I pay for two full time spots.
A few times a year would never be a problem with most requests (doctors appt, scouts sign up, ballet recital, etc.). Same goes for early/late arrivals. Heck, I've done free care for over a year and overnights for parents emergent medical issues. Pre-approved requests are pretty easy to get. It is the double schedules (half day programs) and weekly/chronic requests I simply can't do. I am out-lawyered and outbadged by my higher earning neighbors on the traffic issue.
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happymom 02:30 PM 11-14-2018
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
A few times a year would never be a problem with most requests (doctors appt, scouts sign up, ballet recital, etc.). Same goes for early/late arrivals. Heck, I've done free care for over a year and overnights for parents emergent medical issues. Pre-approved requests are pretty easy to get. It is the double schedules (half day programs) and weekly/chronic requests I simply can't do. I am out-lawyered and outbadged by my higher earning neighbors on the traffic issue.
That makes sense! You can consider me as someone who would choose your program again!! LOL
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Unregistered 02:33 PM 11-14-2018
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
I do not offer a sibling discount. Providing care to them costs me the same. My bills stay the same. My income needs to pay my bills don't change.
Very good point! I will not give them a discount. This is my job and how I help provide income! Someday I may actually grow a backbone of my very own!
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Blackcat31 02:59 PM 11-14-2018
Siblings don't receive discounted care therefore do not receive discounted rates.

I used to have a rule of one drop off one pick up per family per day but like Happymom said, I've got a couple kids that arrive later than their sibling and my set up does allow for a parent to drop off without the younger sibling seeing them.

Currently, I offer no sibling discounts but I do have a family that has been with me for a long time now that did get a sibling discount. It amounted to about $10 per week but it came with the stipulation that if one child was absent, the other had to stay home too. If that wouldn't or didn't work for them, then the sibling discount was not an option either.

But like I said, at this time I don't offer sibling discounts at all.
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sharlan 04:08 PM 11-14-2018
Yes, I did back in the day when I was just a stay at home mom trying to make some extra money. I finally wised up and stopped.

I don't normally have siblings.
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Snowmom 04:28 PM 11-14-2018
I do not offer ANY discounts.
Siblings are actually more of a risk. Not only for the simultaneous loss of income as mentioned above, but they can also bring in back to back illnesses, they tend to be in competition (fight) more often and need more emotional support... especially with newborn siblings.

Regarding the “one drop off/pickup”: I have this policy and just reinforced it this week actually. IMHO, There are very few siblings who do well seeing their brother/sister leave with mom or dad and they get left behind. It doesn’t matter if it’s a boring dr appointment, the child left out doesn’t care. All they see is Billy gets special time and they don’t. I’m not going to be the one who is left dealing with the meltdown that the parent created.

Arrival/departure times are hard enough on the kids and us (as providers) without adding a third one to the day.
If it was a center or classroom environment where the child left out wouldn’t be aware of their parent on the premises, that would be different.
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Meeko 06:35 PM 11-14-2018
Parents who ask for a discount are actually saying

"Hey! We decided to have two kids and boy it's expensive! So we want YOU to take a cut in pay to make life easier for US....OK??

NOPE!!!!!
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Jo123ABC 06:39 PM 11-14-2018
I do $10 per week right now but will likely do away with the discount soon too because having siblings really doesn't benefit me in any way other than having less parents to deal with.
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sahm1225 09:06 PM 11-14-2018
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
A few times a year would never be a problem with most requests (doctors appt, scouts sign up, ballet recital, etc.). Same goes for early/late arrivals. Heck, I've done free care for over a year and overnights for parents emergent medical issues. Pre-approved requests are pretty easy to get. It is the double schedules (half day programs) and weekly/chronic requests I simply can't do. I am out-lawyered and outbadged by my higher earning neighbors on the traffic issue.
This. A few times a year requests are fine. But I wish parents understood that not every child can handle more than one drop off / pickup a day. Or understood that the sibling was going to meltdown if they weren’t picked up early too. Just work w me on things and please believe me when I say things (like Dcb will cry for about a quarter of the day or they will be miserable if you do xxx.) life is so much easier.
For sibling discounts - I do offer a small discount a week and the discount goes w the older sibling. I will probably phase that out soon but in the meantime, it’s worjed for me and I’ve been lucky with my sibling sets that parents just keep both home in case of any illness.
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Gemma 04:13 AM 11-15-2018
I do not offer a discount for siblings! I find that siblings actually require more out of me than the rest of the kids because they are allowed to "play rough" at home and not here, if something they should pay more, not less
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mommyneedsadayoff 07:23 AM 11-15-2018
Originally Posted by happymom:
As a parent I've never been given discounts for siblings, nor have I expected a discount for siblings.

Going off another post, I noticed many of you have a policy of "one drop off and pick up per day per family"....I personally believe this should only be a policy IF there is a siblings/family discount. Otherwise it seems a bit hypocritical. If they were from different families there would be 2 drop offs and pick ups every day....and if there were a reason where I needed to pick up one child early and leave the other child in care, I would expect to be allowed to do that.
I know a lot of providers have that policy per family, but I have it per child. The main thing I want to avoid is a parent dropping off, picking up for an appointment, and then dropping off again. That is why I encourage parents to schedule appointments either very early and bring the child after, or late in the day. I think for many people it's a way to reduce traffic, but for me it was more about not dealing with multiple drop-offs of a child, because that second drop off can be very tough when they think they get to spend the day with mom, and it was usually right before nap, so an even bigger bummer for them. If I have siblings, and one needs to come 8 to 5, but the other sibling goes to a morning program and arrives at 11, I would have no issue with that. Each child can have a contracted time, but it must remain that way, as in the other child is not allowed to be dropped off until their contracted time. No switching! Routine is very important to me. I've only had that once, though. Mom brought newborn when she went to work at 6am and dad brought their toddler a few hours later at 8 when he went to work. I got to snuggle baby one on one, so it worked well for me! This is my long-winded way of saying I see your point.

Oh, and no discounts! If anything, sibling spots are very coveted and worth even more, although I don't charge more. But I do charge the same!
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MyAngels 07:39 AM 11-15-2018
Originally Posted by Gemma:
I do not offer a discount for siblings! I find that siblings actually require more out of me than the rest of the kids because they are allowed to "play rough" at home and not here, if something they should pay more, not less
Based on my current group, this!
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Unregistered 07:58 AM 11-15-2018
Originally Posted by Meeko:
Parents who ask for a discount are actually saying

"Hey! We decided to have two kids and boy it's expensive! So we want YOU to take a cut in pay to make life easier for US....OK??

NOPE!!!!!
Excellent point Meeko!
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littlefriends 08:09 AM 11-15-2018
No. I’m only allowed 10 spots and those spots are worth what I charge.
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Tags:contract - clear, sibling discount, sibling discounts
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