I wanted to know if anyone has been through this and how you solved the issue.

I have a DCP that works in retail so her schedule varies daily. My issue is I know for a fact there are days she's off prior to my closing time 6:00pm. She's always here at 6:00 pm and I want it to stop. This Saturday, she picked them up 30 minutes past my closing time. Her excuse was she went home after work, took a shower and a nap and overslept. I was livid!!! I had to actually lecture a grown woman about respecting my time and I shouldn't have to do that. Not only that, come and pick up your children after you leave work. I mean, she passes my home in order to get to her home.

I have created a spreadsheet that I want her to sign weekly that will provide me with the days and times she has to work. For every weekly schedule she enters, she is required to enter her signature. I also want add on this schedule list that I will allow an hour after her schedule ends to pick up her children.

Have any of you been through this? Am I handling this the correct way? WWYD?

Any suggestions?

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I'd require an actual copy of her work schedule. What if she just enters 6pm for all the pick ups??

If that doesn't work, change her fee structure - for example, an additional $5 for every half hour after 4:30pm.

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My closing time is 5:30. I have one family that needs till 6 so I charge them more per week. If they are late (which they haven't been so far), I'd then charge my late fee on top of that. If they are earlier on some days, they still pay for me to be 'available' till 6:00. So they can choose if they want to pay a late fee say 3 days that they come at 6:00 but the late fee ends up to be more expensive then if they just pay the flat rate extra per week.

Extra fees seem to make people honor their pick up times.

Laurel

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She is a state assistant parent. She doesn't work many hours because if she did, the assistance program would have found out about it and she would have a higher co payment and not the $3 co payment assigned. So if she is working to get here at 6pm she is dropping off too early which is still an issue. They are the first to arrive and the last to leave. I've asked for a schedule before and she says she only has access at work on the employee board. I know I can get real abrasive when I smell b.s. and it been getting there. So the "I don't have access to my schedule to give to my provider" spill is getting old and frustrating. I need something from her. She is my only state pay parent and the only one that gives me a hard time.

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Ask her to take a photo of the employee board so you can see her work schedule.

Any time I suspect she isn't at work, I might just call and ask for her....just to see if she is working....

I would charge her a base rate for an 8-8.5 hour day and then charge her 1.5X's your regular rate for anything over that 8-8.5 hour day.

Sounds to me like she is taking advantage if she is the first to arrive and the last to pick up.

Do you have a late fee policy so that she gets billed for her lateness?

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I agree with BC, I'd say have her take a picture on her phone and send it to you. Can't fake that, and if you ever catch her in a lie, decide if you would want to term or not! How does she not work many hours for state assistance, but still need you open to close? Makes no sense to me!

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I charge $2 per minute for late pickups and the children cannot return until the fee is paid. She has picked up late twice and paid the fees. I really don't care about the money. I sure we don't have late fees in place in hopes if hitting the parent late fee lottery. I have it in place to deter my parents from being late.

I want to spend time with my babies and my husband. After a whole day of caring for someone else's children my children count down the time they get to have me to themselves.

I changed my contract last night to include my late fees incur after scheduled contracted hours.

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I just sent her a text message requesting a picture of her schedule.

I don't understand it. When I was working outside the home I used to rush to daycare to get my children. I just don't get it.

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She surely doesn't. And she doesn't really seem apologetic because she has her late fees in hand. This so sickening

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I thought assistance was for actual working hours only?

Why should the state have to fork over taxpayer funds for someone to watch her child off the clock??!


Stick to your guns about photographing her schedule. I don't do late fees either, unless it's a dire life or death emergency I don't play that game. Three strikes you're out. Might want to consider instituting something like that as well.

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In WI, a parent could get into BIG trouble for utilizing hours that are not for an "approved activity". That means work, basically. I did have a caseworker tell me she would give a tiny bit of leeway for a doctor's appointment (like the lady doctor) or if a parent wanted to make a VERY brief stop on the way home, but that's it.

If they catch a parent using time to go home and sleep, they'd recoup the money.

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I'm glad that you took BC's advice, this is what I did when I took clients with variable schedules. I also required that they gave me the schedule 2 weeks in advance (usually this is how in advance the schedule gets put out). Subsidized child care pays only for the time that a parent is actually in work or school (not to nap or do errands) so I made it a habit to really strict with this rule.

Because of this exact issue I stopped allowing variable schedules. I will still accept a client on subsidy or private pay that works retail type hours but they sign a FT contract and must have a consistent schedule. For me variable hours still means that I have to keep a FT spot open for them so I require them to pay for a FT slot. Any days that subsidy doesn't cover is paid by them privately. Either this helps me get FT clients on subsidy or these subsidy clients go somewhere else, either way is fine with me.

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See, this is why my state's assistance program is hard...

The whole program is set up to "benefit the parent" and not have such rigid schedules and rules...the parents are trusted to do the right thing and only use child care when they are participating in an approved activity but if they choose to take a day or hour to go shopping, have some me time or nap, the program still pays.....because it's only a small fraction of time and it is suppose to be good for a parent to get that "me time". However, if a family uses 80 hours of care in a 2 week period for an extended length of time but can only show work (or approved activity) hours of only apportion of that time, then their approved hours will be adjusted.

If they use 80 hours and can only show, say 70 on a regular or consistent basis, then they are ok with that.

When they revamped our system it left the parents with a little less responsibility to show "proof" and the provider with more of a guarantee of being paid.

I guess there really isn't a system that completely works.

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I once had a parent that had to do volunteer work in order to get daycare but the volunteer work would let this parent out ahead of time because they didn't have work, or the parent asked to get done early. Baloney!!! This parent didn't want to parent the child! Stick the child in daycare and do whatever they wanted to do! NO NO NO not working for me- Many people know how to abuse the system and they do and they get away with it. ugh!

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In ms, a mom can get TANF money in their pocket every month, state paid daycare, and food stamps even if they don't work and go to community service 8 hours a week. They also have to show "proof" (read falsified proof) of them looking for a job.

Which means they can sit on their butt watching tv while their child is in daycare and they only have to miss a few hours of tv a week.

I don't allow that. All of my parents, regardless of state pay, are on contracted hours ONLY.

If they want an overnight or date night etc they pay a drop in rate for that. I require schedules in advance and if I call and find them not at work, I will term.

I tell them all this before they enroll.

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