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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Provider 2 week notice?
MomBoss 12:41 PM 07-05-2019
So i have in my contract a 2 week notice must be given by provider or parent when terminating care. Buuuuuut i may have an opportunity to start my daycare at my new home sooner, and it would be less than 2 weeks notice i would be able to give parents (i dont want any of the family to come with me so it wont be an option for them). So i mean..what happens if i dont hold up my end? For them, they still have to pay 2 weeks even if they dont come. But nobody gave me a deposit so they could technically leave without notice or giving me 2 weeks pay. I could have a great opportunity for myswlf and my family by closing my daycare sooner. This is hard..
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Josiegirl 01:34 PM 07-05-2019
Do they have any inclination you might be terminating them? Are there lots of options for them locally so they're not left high and dry? There isn't any way you can take them temporarily; will you be filled when you move and how far away is it from where you are now?
You don't have to answer all those ??? but just something to think about.
I know we need to look out for ourselves as much as dcps do but I don't think I could do that to them, especially the group I had when I closed. They were all great dcfs and some I cared about very very much. And there was no way my crew could've found care in 2 weeks or less.
It sounds like your contract was pretty much like mine was, no deposits, etc. Just the 'normal' 2 week notice on both our parts.
Good luck with your decision and congrats on your new house!
Rereading your post, does your contract say anything about if anyone leaves early with less than 2 weeks notice?
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mommyneedsadayoff 03:40 PM 07-05-2019
First thing I would do is take that out of your contract for the provider having to give notice. I like to give clients a heads up, but in the case of a client I just want to be done with, I want the option to be able to terminate care without any sort of notice if I need to. Second, as long as you're not charging them for that time I would do whatever makes the best business sense for you. I would just be careful that you're not totally screwing them over, because word does travel fast and people can leave negative reviews online, so if you think it will leave a bad impression on your business, I would take that into consideration. If you are planning to be done Monday morning, for example, that would probably put a bitter taste in their mouth and could lead to online negative reviews. But if you are giving them at least a week, then hopefully they would understand and be already looking for care anyway.
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lblanke 07:26 PM 07-05-2019
More than 2 weeks ago, you asked if you could text your closing letter. I gather you did not notify parents, even though your own contract says you will give 2 weeks notice. You also said you have a holding fee for a teacher and are wondering about giving it back (not sure they would go the extra 5 miles), but now you are saying it is not an option for any of your current families to come to your new daycare. If you are moving only 5 miles, you may want to keep it professional, honor your commitments and repay any holding fee that you are not prepared to honor.
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MomBoss 04:39 AM 07-06-2019
Originally Posted by lblanke:
More than 2 weeks ago, you asked if you could text your closing letter. I gather you did not notify parents, even though your own contract says you will give 2 weeks notice. You also said you have a holding fee for a teacher and are wondering about giving it back (not sure they would go the extra 5 miles), but now you are saying it is not an option for any of your current families to come to your new daycare. If you are moving only 5 miles, you may want to keep it professional, honor your commitments and repay any holding fee that you are not prepared to honor.
Im just looking at all options and scenarios that I might come across. The person who COULD come with me wont get a 2 week notice from me, she will get a different letter. The others wont have an option to come with, thats what this question was for. Should i give them a 2 week notice or not. Also, the parents text me when they are ending care, they dont say it in person or in an email or letter. Thats why i asked if It would be ok if i do the same.
Im just asking questions, its the first time Ive had to do something like this. Pardon me..
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MomBoss 04:47 AM 07-06-2019
Originally Posted by Josiegirl:
Do they have any inclination you might be terminating them? Are there lots of options for them locally so they're not left high and dry? There isn't any way you can take them temporarily; will you be filled when you move and how far away is it from where you are now?
You don't have to answer all those ??? but just something to think about.
I know we need to look out for ourselves as much as dcps do but I don't think I could do that to them, especially the group I had when I closed. They were all great dcfs and some I cared about very very much. And there was no way my crew could've found care in 2 weeks or less.
It sounds like your contract was pretty much like mine was, no deposits, etc. Just the 'normal' 2 week notice on both our parts.
Good luck with your decision and congrats on your new house!
Rereading your post, does your contract say anything about if anyone leaves early with less than 2 weeks notice?
Thank you! Im so excited to move.
My contract says they have to pay the 2 weeks regardless if they attend or not, but really how can i enforce that unless I take them to court. Which i wont do. I just see it as a courtesy, like any employer wants a 2 week notice from their employees but you dont technically HAVE to. There are 3 families that have been great to me So i would like to give them more notice than 2 weeks, so thats why this is hard. But i have a couple people I interviewed who may want to start in a couple weeks and i rather make sure my job is secure than making sure the families who cant follow me arent mad at me. Know what i mean? I could tell them “in 2 weeks care will be moving to my new residence and at the end of the month you will have to find new care because I no longer will care for children 3 and older” i just dont know how to word it though :-/
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MomBoss 04:49 AM 07-06-2019
Originally Posted by mommyneedsadayoff:
First thing I would do is take that out of your contract for the provider having to give notice. I like to give clients a heads up, but in the case of a client I just want to be done with, I want the option to be able to terminate care without any sort of notice if I need to. Second, as long as you're not charging them for that time I would do whatever makes the best business sense for you. I would just be careful that you're not totally screwing them over, because word does travel fast and people can leave negative reviews online, so if you think it will leave a bad impression on your business, I would take that into consideration. If you are planning to be done Monday morning, for example, that would probably put a bitter taste in their mouth and could lead to online negative reviews. But if you are giving them at least a week, then hopefully they would understand and be already looking for care anyway.
That will be the first thing i do!
It was going to be like a Week and 1/2 notice. So not too far off of 2 weeks. All the kids are 3 and over so i know they wont have problems finding care.
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knoxmomof2 09:11 PM 07-06-2019
I think that it's the professional thing to do to give 2 weeks notice, unless someone is in danger. I had a family with 2 boys that I recently termed. I wanted to give them no notice, Mom hadn't worked in months, but I gritted my teeth, offered them 2 weeks notice, they took me up on it and I got through the 2 weeks because it's the professional thing to do. I don't have a policy for myself on termination. I ask my families to give at least 2 weeks notice, but there's no deposit.

I know the next new thing is exciting, but don't burn a bridge. You never know who you might encounter later that is friends or related to one of these families or how you could end up with a negative review, etc..... Most importantly to me though - I believe in karma, including in business. I've seen time and again where doing what is right has saved someone's job or their reputation or come around to profit them very nicely in the end. Integrity and professionalism go a long way.
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racemom 08:24 AM 07-07-2019
If the reason these families don't have the option to move with you is because you are taking under 3 only, tell them. I think you should give them two weeks, even of you have to take them with you for the two weeks. Can you leave your daycare where it is for those two weeks? Even if you move the majority of your toys and things before, just leave enough to keep them entertained.
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e.j. 03:25 PM 07-07-2019
If it were me, I would follow my contract and give the 2 weeks notice I said I would give. If I expect parents to honor the agreement we (the parents and I) made, I think I should also expect to follow the agreement unless there is an extenuating circumstance that makes it impossible - a serious illness or injury, for example. I would give the parents a 2 week notice and then hope they find new child care fast. Maybe explain your situation and offer not to charge them for the full 2 weeks if they can find new care sooner?? That might give them some incentive to find alternate care sooner than later.
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AmyKidsCo 01:03 PM 07-09-2019
If you're only moving 5 miles away I'd make sure not to offend anyone. Word travels fast and you're not going so far away that criticism won't follow you.

When we moved from MI to WI I gave the parents a month's notice and they all stayed the whole time.
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