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JeepGirl6 08:36 AM 05-25-2012
I have 4 families off for the summer because they work in the school district. I do not charge them. My contract says if they are in the school/education system and have off 2+ weeks they are not required to pay ( I know its something I need to consider changing because I keep their spots available for return) I have one child that comes a scheduled 2 days a week, though most weeks mom picks up a 3rd day which is fine(mom is in the medical field) the days are not the same every week. She gives me her schedule a month in advance, so when she is only going to work one day, she only pays me for one day because that was the schedule she gave me. In my contract it says they are required to pay for scheduled days missed, so she could possibly argue this because its her schedule?? Anyway in the summer time she has relatives that are able to watch her because they are school teachers and out for the summer, so this drops her only coming 2-3 days a week to 1 day a week from June-August. The parents are not actually school teachers ( like my other families I don't charge) so how do I go about telling her this year she will need to pay for 2 days without her getting upset?
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Unregistered 08:58 AM 05-25-2012
Originally Posted by JeepGirl6:
I have 4 families off for the summer because they work in the school district. I do not charge them. My contract says if they are in the school/education system and have off 2+ weeks they are not required to pay ( I know its something I need to consider changing because I keep their spots available for return) I have one child that comes a scheduled 2 days a week, though most weeks mom picks up a 3rd day which is fine(mom is in the medical field) the days are not the same every week. She gives me her schedule a month in advance, so when she is only going to work one day, she only pays me for one day because that was the schedule she gave me. In my contract it says they are required to pay for scheduled days missed, so she could possibly argue this because its her schedule?? Anyway in the summer time she has relatives that are able to watch her because they are school teachers and out for the summer, so this drops her only coming 2-3 days a week to 1 day a week from June-August. The parents are not actually school teachers ( like my other families I don't charge) so how do I go about telling her this year she will need to pay for 2 days without her getting upset?
I have almost all teacher's kids. I used to let them pay a higher drop in rate....but last summer I let them know my policies were changing. I don't make a separate contract for teachers....I just have a part time contract and a full time. My policies say that if you need to take off a maximum of 2 months, you are required to pay a minimum of 2 days per week at part time (higher) rate. It works out to be 1/2 price of full time. Every parent did just this....and I worked it out to where I have Fridays off this summer. No one has complained. You cannot stay in business and promise to keep spots available all through the summer. What happens if they don't come back? And....you've saved that spot the whole time?????? So.....get strong.....and confident....and just tell them.
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Blackcat31 09:04 AM 05-25-2012
Originally Posted by JeepGirl6:
I have 4 families off for the summer because they work in the school district. I do not charge them. My contract says if they are in the school/education system and have off 2+ weeks they are not required to pay ( I know its something I need to consider changing because I keep their spots available for return) I have one child that comes a scheduled 2 days a week, though most weeks mom picks up a 3rd day which is fine(mom is in the medical field) the days are not the same every week. She gives me her schedule a month in advance, so when she is only going to work one day, she only pays me for one day because that was the schedule she gave me. In my contract it says they are required to pay for scheduled days missed, so she could possibly argue this because its her schedule?? Anyway in the summer time she has relatives that are able to watch her because they are school teachers and out for the summer, so this drops her only coming 2-3 days a week to 1 day a week from June-August. The parents are not actually school teachers ( like my other families I don't charge) so how do I go about telling her this year she will need to pay for 2 days without her getting upset?
I offer two options to teacher families

Option #1: Pay the weekly rate year round and use it or don't but still pay way

or

Option #2: Take what would be the year's worth or daycare and split it up into 9 months and then don't come or pay in the summer.

BOTH options make it so they pay the same as everyone else but if they choose option 2, they pay a higher weekly rate than others to compensate for the off time in the summer.

I get that teacher's only work the school year but a space is a space so they either have to pay or lose the space. I don't know any other way around it except to take SA kids in place of the lost income in the summer but you can't always guarantee that wil work. Plus I no longer take SA kids so teacher can choose between the above two options or my program won't work for them.

FWIW~ I currently have 4 teacher families. 3 take the higher rate and stay home all summer and one family comes all 52 weeks of the year and pays.
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MissAnn 09:17 AM 05-25-2012
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I offer two options to teacher families

Option #1: Pay the weekly rate year round and use it or don't but still pay way

or

Option #2: Take what would be the year's worth or daycare and split it up into 9 months and then don't come or pay in the summer.

BOTH options make it so they pay the same as everyone else but if they choose option 2, they pay a higher weekly rate than others to compensate for the off time in the summer.

I get that teacher's only work the school year but a space is a space so they either have to pay or lose the space. I don't know any other way around it except to take SA kids in place of the lost income in the summer but you can't always guarantee that wil work. Plus I no longer take SA kids so teacher can choose between the above two options or my program won't work for them.

FWIW~ I currently have 4 teacher families. 3 take the higher rate and stay home all summer and one family comes all 52 weeks of the year and pays.
I am curious about this......and somewhat considering it. If a family takes the higher rate and later in the year decides to leave your care.....I would assume the higher rate is non refundable.....right?

But (for instance) this year I termed a kid because of continued violent behavior. Would you refund any money in this instance?

I'd love to hear more! I try to get away from teacher's kids.....but they keep coming!
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Happy Hearts 09:22 AM 05-25-2012
I'm pretty sure she will be upset, but that's the nature of any business, isn't it?

We all get upset when goods and services cost more, but we still need it, so we pay. It's nothing personal.... it's business.

The best way is to be upfront with her. Tell her your concerns then she will surely tell you her concerns. Have everything written down and study it before you have the meeting.... being tongue tied, inconsistent or waffling will not help your confidence.

Perhaps, she may have to be a drop-in customer and pay by the hour. You will have to warn her though that as she is designated drop in, then there may not be room for her on any specific day. OR, she can pay a weekly fee (based on two days) to hold her spot regardless of attendance. So, she has two choices; that is not unreasonable on your part to offer this to her.

If there is no compromising then she may have to look for another daycare provider. If this continues to be worrying you, then you should NOT work with this issue stressing you out daily. Who needs that? I know it's hard because we mainly work with our heart on our sleeve and base decisions with that.

But, if you are a business, then you must put your Donald Trump wig on and proceed from there.

Have a happy day!
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Zoe 09:32 AM 05-25-2012
Originally Posted by Sparrow:

But, if you are a business, then you must put your Donald Trump wig on and proceed from there.

Have a happy day!
Everything you said was GREAT advice, but I just had to comment on this sentence. Can you just imagine that image?!
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Blackcat31 09:54 AM 05-25-2012
Originally Posted by MissAnn:
I am curious about this......and somewhat considering it. If a family takes the higher rate and later in the year decides to leave your care.....I would assume the higher rate is non refundable.....right? Yep...rates are NON-refundable.

But (for instance) this year I termed a kid because of continued violent behavior. Would you refund any money in this instance? No refunds here either. I RARELY term a kid but if I do, it is due to BAD behaviors that I have tried to work on and couldn't resolve so in my book the higher rate is compensation for the hard work of trying to "fix 'em" kwim? LOL!

If a teacher parent chooses to leave....then their loss, they still pay what we decided on when they signed the contract.

I'd love to hear more! I try to get away from teacher's kids.....but they keep coming!
I answered in bold above.

I know some of it seems unfair but in all honesty, in all my years as a provider I have not come up with a better or mare fair way of doing it so this is what I offer for teachers kids and no one makes them sign up so it is their choice.

So far, I have not had any teacher family interview and decline due to how I set up my rate structures. So it works for me.
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dEHmom 10:17 AM 05-25-2012
I just had a teacher call me yesterday and asked whether he'd still have to pay for summer hours. This was my response...


You would be required to pay full price for the space and you could use it or not. The other option is IF I am able to fill the space temporarily for the summer (which is not hard as there are always kids who need summer only care) then you would pay a holding fee to maintain your spot for September and would not be able to use the space during the summer unless I happen to have a casual opening. Should you not return in the fall the deposit is forfeited, and holding fee is NON REFUNDABLE.



I am not allowed to set my rates at whatever I want, and therefore, I cannot charge higher weekly rate to make up for the lost income in the summertime. I would still be losing money by taking on a summer only child, as their rate is a lot lower (they would be SA) and this persons space would be an infant one. So I'd likely just charge the difference in the rate from infant to SA as the holding fee.
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wdmmom 10:22 AM 05-25-2012
If she's not a teacher, she doesn't get the luxury of being off. If shewants her spot in the daycare, she needs to pay 2 days each week. If she doesnt want to, she can pay a $50 holding fee per week to keep her spot.
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momma2girls 02:47 PM 05-25-2012
when you do a holding fee each week, you must be prepared what they are going to ask you. Oh, so then I will receive daycare for those 2 days, correct? Then you are really not receiving anything to hold the entire weekly spot for them.
Since I have all teachers this is what I do- I charge 2 weeks to hold the spot, this is nonrefundable, and it is only to hold their spot here.
I have done all teachers now for 3 yrs. and it has always worked out wonderfully. I wish there was another way, but I want my summers off, and my families do not want to pay full price or even 1/2 price each week, when they are off. I actually have one family, if I had them pay all summer long, I am afraid they would drop off their children every single day, same drop off time and same pick up times!!!!!
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Tags:charging parents, summer rates
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