Fees

How do you handle parents who owe? I had a parent pick up 37 minutes late and have reminded them they need to pay the late fee for four days now. They also owe copay for last week.

They want a copy of the contract they signed. Tried to say they knew nothing about late pick up fees.

How do you handle these types of situations??

[Sunshine69]

I’d give them a copy of the contract they signed with the areas they question highlighted together with a bill for amount due and a notice that they need to make payment when they drop off the child tomorrow or the child will not be accepted into care.

You mentioned co-pay. Are they subsidized?

[Michael]

Here are more threads on payment owed: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...=payment+-+due

[Littlepeopleprovider]

Originally Posted by Sunshine69

I’d give them a copy of the contract they signed with the areas they question highlighted together with a bill for amount due and a notice that they need to make payment when they drop off the child tomorrow or the child will not be accepted into care.

Exactly this!

[Cat Herder]

I send them home at the door. No attendance until paid in full in advance of drop-off.

I can print a photocopy of their signed contract in about 4 minutes. I can email the scanned signed copy in less than 1.

Yes they are subsidized clients. My state won’t kick them off assistance or do anything about them not paying copays. It’s one of the down falls of taking state pay.

[Cat Herder]

Are you not allowed to refuse attendance until paid?

[Former Teacher]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Yes they are subsidized clients. My state won’t kick them off assistance or do anything about them not paying copays. It’s one of the down falls of taking state pay.

Originally Posted by Cat Herder

Are you not allowed to refuse attendance until paid?

Yep...at my former center way back then...we weren't allowed to charge ANY type of an extra fee. Whether it's a late payment fee, late pick up fee, early drop off fee (we didn't have that lol).

Thankfully all the clients over the years never knew this and they were still charged accordingly and they paid it.

This is what happens when people don't read

[Sunshine69]

I have very little patience for subsidized parents paying their portion late.

Providing subsidized care requires so much more of my time than my direct pay clients. There’s hours of extra administrative and accounting time that goes into filling out their required paperwork. My other clients would be charged over $500/month in late fees if they paid me on the same schedule.

Less and less providers are accepting subsidized children into care.

I added a clause into my contract that I will charge late fees for late parent shares.

I’m tired of my family going without while I wait for these people to pay for services I’ve already provided.

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by Sunshine69

Less and less providers are accepting subsidized children into care.

For me it was because the subsidized parents were the most demanding, least responsible and rudest clients I have had.

Add in the low reimbursement rates and the fact that I was shorted for well over three months of pay with no recourse, "no longer in the budget".

Who in their right mind would sign up for that again???

That said, back when my state allowed me two additional children (slots) for no pay (free) of my own choosing (I had no children of my own in care) it was a blessing. I was able to speak with local DFACS caseworkers and have families in need referred directly to me. Those were some of the best clients I have ever had. I lost no pay and provided a much needed service that way.

[Former Teacher]

Originally Posted by Cat Herder

For me it was because the subsidized parents were the most demanding, least responsible and rudest clients I have had.

EXACTLY THIS!!!

I remember once this mother's co-pay for the month was $5. Yes.....5 freaking dollars!

She came in to pick up her son after a 12 hour day of "job searching" The Director mentioned that her co pay was due. The mother very nonchalantly said she would pay later since she didn't have it. The Director said "you don't have $5?!?!" She laughed it off and said no.

The Director was furious. She said that if it wasn't paid by drop off in the morning, she would not be allowed to drop off and it would be a $25 late fee. PLUS she would let the caseworker know.

She found $5 in her car

[Kajada]

Slightly off topic, but what's with all these parents asking to see their contracts? Do they not have it? I've never not had a copy of a contract/agreement I've signed - for a job, preschool, camps, whatever. My daycare parents get a copy that we've both signed (I keep the original) and I also email a scan of the signed original.

For late fees, yeah, you can forget once and then I either keep adding fees (original late fee + daily non-payment fees) until I'm over it and refuse service until the bill is paid. Or I refuse service right away, depending on the family.

[Sunshine69]

Originally Posted by Cat Herder

For me it was because the subsidized parents were the most demanding, least responsible and rudest clients I have had.

Add in the low reimbursement rates and the fact that I was shorted for well over three months of pay with no recourse, "no longer in the budget".

Who in their right mind would sign up for that again???

I agree.

The one subsidized family I have now was actually my second family to enroll when I first opened. I kept them because I like the family. Mom also had prior childcare experience running a center for the county so she understands the regulations I have to deal with. One child was a handful and mom made no bones about it and expected no special treatment. Now, the child is in Kindergarten and has made such improvement, it’s the best part of daycare for me, seeing the progress made.

I’ve interviewed other families that are exactly the way you describe. Couldn’t show up to the interview on time, let the kids behave like rabid animals during the interview, lost their paperwork, etc. By the time I had to make a decision whether or not to enroll I knew it wouldn’t work.

I’ve even interviewed some and given them all the enrollment paperwork only to be told, just in time, “Oh, by the way, we’re subsidized. You accept that, right?” NO! Not because they were subsidized, but because they weren’t up front about it.

The one family I have is the last I will accept on subsidy. Currently I’m still waiting for payment for three kids for care for the month of September. If I made the kids wait that long to feed them breakfast and lunch, I would be neglecting them. Somehow it’s acceptable for the government to deprive me of my ability to provide the same for my own kids by taking so long to pay.