BentleysBands 05:18 AM 01-11-2011
I had a new dcb start yesterday. No payment at drop off. Which is fine so long as I get at pickup. Some parents go by bank on the way to pickup. I require payments prepaid for the week. Well she comes in last night and asked if she could make payments every otoer Friday. Meaning this Friday she will back pay a week and prepay for next week. Sucks but I understand and accepted. How Can I rewrite her payment contract? Everthing I have written sounds silly. Thanks
dEHmom 05:22 AM 01-11-2011
Payment is due in advance. Friday payment shall be made for the following weeks care. If she is paying on biweekly schedule then she owes you on friday for this week, next week and the week after. is this friday her payday? then she owes you this week, next week, and the week after, if her payday is next friday then she owes you this week, next, and the following 2 after that.
She will always be a week behind if you just get her to pay this week and next. Then you're getting paid in 3 weeks from now. Don't do it. Advise her she owes you 3 weeks pay this friday if she wants to do it that way. Or she pays every morning at drop off time.
She just started yesterday, I'm assuming she signed a contract stating she agreed to pay prior to care, and she's already "ignored" that fact and assumed you'd be fine with payment on friday. She should have discussed that with you before she started her child in your care. Watch out. I see this being a problem. If she only pays you this week and next, then the week after next you will be watching for a week without prior payment.
BentleysBands 05:39 AM 01-11-2011
Yes she will be paying for this week and prepaying for one week. I completely see what u r saying and do agree. I'm Just looking at how I can word a letter
dEHmom 05:47 AM 01-11-2011
Just state, All payment must be made in advance. Simple. Tell her if she wants to back pay this week, on this friday, she also has to prepay for the next 2 weeks. Then after that there's no need for wording for a contract, it's just simply "all payments must be made prior to care" or "in advance"
I have a no pay no stay policy unless someone comes to me AHEAD of time (and not just a day ahead of time) and explains a certain situation they are in. If they need to adjust and spread it out, or pay a day or to late then fine. If they need to borrow from their parents to pay for daycare I don't care. You wouldn't expect to be able to continue going to the gym if you didn't pay because you're short. Sorry, I understand people use daycare so they can go to work, but this is my work, and if you're not going to respect that I have specific paydays, and I have bills to be paid on certain days, then you are not a good fit for my services. And just the fact that she didn't ask or discuss this with you prior to the first day is enough to make me think twice about her. What is she going to do down the road? How do you know she doesn't plan to use you for a few days this week and then disappear?
Just get her to sign a letter stating that you've agreed on payment for __________ to __________ to be made on friday the ____________. After that payments are due in advance biweekly starting _____________.
lvt77 06:18 AM 01-11-2011
i would not change your payment schedule right after she just signed your contract...she should have told you before.....If you change this for her, well then she will expect you to change all of your other PHB rules as well too..
here is a letter that I use:
Prior to your child’s admission to our day care, we entered into an agreement that daycare fees are due and payable PRIOR to your child's attendance. All day care fees must be paid on the last day of the week that your child attends care, one week in advance wither they are present or not. You further agreed that if payment was not made in advance, your child would not be admitted to the daycare until all past fees were brought up to date.
This is just a reminder of that agreement, and request for payments are made on time. Please understand that if fees are not paid in a timely manner, we are unable to pay our obligations, or meet the daily monetary requirements of running this family daycare. We only wish to provide the best care possible for your child, and, unfortunately, money is required to do so. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
dEHmom 06:22 AM 01-11-2011
Originally Posted by lvt77:
i would not change your payment schedule right after she just signed your contract...she should have told you before.....If you change this for her, well then she will expect you to change all of your other PHB rules as well too..
here is a letter that I use:
Prior to your child’s admission to our day care, we entered into an agreement that daycare fees are due and payable PRIOR to your child's attendance. All day care fees must be paid on the last day of the week that your child attends care, one week in advance wither they are present or not. You further agreed that if payment was not made in advance, your child would not be admitted to the daycare until all past fees were brought up to date.
This is just a reminder of that agreement, and request for payments are made on time. Please understand that if fees are not paid in a timely manner, we are unable to pay our obligations, or meet the daily monetary requirements of running this family daycare. We only wish to provide the best care possible for your child, and, unfortunately, money is required to do so. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
right on. Mind if I steal this for my stash of forms/letters?
lvt77 06:23 AM 01-11-2011
its yours....") glad i could help
dEHmom 06:24 AM 01-11-2011
Thank ya!
Hopefully I never have to. But sometimes in situations like that, you just can't find the words. It's also good to have the templates there, and just rip one through the printer.
lvt77 06:28 AM 01-11-2011
I find that letters are good ice breakers...I have no back bone...lol
If I cant send a letter, I email it....
dEHmom 06:31 AM 01-11-2011
I am the same way. I am a lot of talk, but face to face, I don't have the words to bring it up. I'm always searching for the right moment and then it's too late.
I have improved greatly on this, and realized that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. I am much more confident over the phone or through the computer. I just get nervous when there is eye contact, like they are going to see through me and know that I'm just a feable little woman, and everyone knows I'm too nice. I generally like to please people, and have trouble saying no.
lvt77 06:33 AM 01-11-2011
u sound just like me.....lol i love letters
marniewon 07:42 AM 01-11-2011
It sounds like you already agreed to it, so a lot of advice you are getting won't really apply here. Personally, I understand that it's hard for someone (sometimes) just coming into care to come up with the money before care starts. BUT, she signed the contract knowing payment was due in advance. I probably would have agreed, but only for this week. I would work out a payment plan where she would pay an amount more than that week's amount every week until she was 100% prepaying.
This is probably what I would write to her:
Dear DCP,
Yesterday you came to me to ask about paying every 2 weeks, which would have you paying a week behind every other week. My daycare is pre-pay only, as stated in the contract that you signed. However, I do understand that it may be hard to come up with the money before care when first entering my daycare, so I have agreed to, this one time only, allow you to pay this week at the end of the week. At this point I would like to offer you two options and you can let me know which one will work best for you.
Option 1: On Friday, January 14 you can pay for this week and the following 2 weeks, and continue to pay 2 weeks' worth from that point on. If this is the option you choose, $x [three week's worth of care] will be due on Friday, January 14.
Option 2: On Friday, January 14 you can pay for this week and the following week, adding $x per week until you are completely pre-paying for your child's care, per our contract. If you choose this option, you will owe $xx [2 weeks pay + whatever amount over that you want to charge] on Friday, January 14 and every other week after until the amount of $x [one week's care] is paid.
Please think about it and let me know which option you choose, no later than [whatever day you choose, but before Friday].
Thank you,
Bentley
I would also have her sign it and make a copy for each of you, and put it in her file, so there are no questions/issues later about this arrangement.
Michael 01:46 PM 01-11-2011
BentleysBands 02:03 PM 01-11-2011
Originally Posted by marniewon:
It sounds like you already agreed to it, so a lot of advice you are getting won't really apply here. Personally, I understand that it's hard for someone (sometimes) just coming into care to come up with the money before care starts. BUT, she signed the contract knowing payment was due in advance. I probably would have agreed, but only for this week. I would work out a payment plan where she would pay an amount more than that week's amount every week until she was 100% prepaying.
This is probably what I would write to her:
Dear DCP,
Yesterday you came to me to ask about paying every 2 weeks, which would have you paying a week behind every other week. My daycare is pre-pay only, as stated in the contract that you signed. However, I do understand that it may be hard to come up with the money before care when first entering my daycare, so I have agreed to, this one time only, allow you to pay this week at the end of the week. At this point I would like to offer you two options and you can let me know which one will work best for you.
Option 1: On Friday, January 14 you can pay for this week and the following 2 weeks, and continue to pay 2 weeks' worth from that point on. If this is the option you choose, $x [three week's worth of care] will be due on Friday, January 14.
Option 2: On Friday, January 14 you can pay for this week and the following week, adding $x per week until you are completely pre-paying for your child's care, per our contract. If you choose this option, you will owe $xx [2 weeks pay + whatever amount over that you want to charge] on Friday, January 14 and every other week after until the amount of $x [one week's care] is paid.
Please think about it and let me know which option you choose, no later than [whatever day you choose, but before Friday].
Thank you,
Bentley
I would also have her sign it and make a copy for each of you, and put it in her file, so there are no questions/issues later about this arrangement.
Thanks so much
I borrowed this and tweaked it. I agreed for many reasons.Just needed something professional sounding And u hit it right on the nose for me.thanks So much!!! She comes in 15mins and I'm So nervous bleck
marniewon 03:53 PM 01-11-2011
Originally Posted by BentleysBands:
Thanks so much
I borrowed this and tweaked it. I agreed for many reasons.Just needed something professional sounding And u hit it right on the nose for me.thanks So much!!! She comes in 15mins and I'm So nervous bleck
So how did it go?