It's me again with another question lol!

Next week, I have to close 2 hours early. Per my contract, parents don't pay for days when I have to close the daycare, but if my daycare will be open for 8 hours that day instead of 10, should I not charge them for those last 2 hours? They haven't asked but I would feel bad charging them since I am asking them to pick their kids up early.

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8 hours is still full time care

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Nope. Long as youre not doing it all the time

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I don't charge my dc parents when I close the day care so I would either give them a refund for the 2 hours or have them deduct the amount on the following week's tuition check - but that's just me.

I think much depends on your contract and how your policy is worded. If you only say that parents don't have to pay for days when you close, I can see where you could make a case for charging full price if you're open 8 hours out of 10 since you're not closing for the entire day. To avoid future misunderstandings, though, you may want to clarify your policy so parents know they'll be charged if you're closing early but open for most of the day.

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If I close after 1200 I consider it a full day. If I need to close before noon I just go ahead and close for the day and refund the day's fees.

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I wouldn't, but then, I don't refund for anything. Otherwise I'm always feeling "nickled and dimed."

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I only refund if I close for an entire day that isn't a vacation day or sick day. I charge families the full day rate even if they only use me for a few hours. Lol too much math and tracking who owes what in my opinion!

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8 hours is considered a full day... I don't give credits/discount unless I have an unplanned closing of 5 or more hours on any day.

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ANY time a day includes lunch or rest time, its a FULL day.

No discounts or credits.

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I would offer the discount. My contract states I will credit them the following week if I need to close for any reason outside of normal holidays/vacation days so I would feel like if they are contracted until 5pm and I am closing at 3pm they are not getting their full day in. I would take their daily rate and divide it out and if they pay $35 for a 10 hr day I'd give them the option to deduct the $7 the following week. I'd say 80% of the time my families just say don't worry about it but I would offer.

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I would not discount it, but I do not have hourly/part day rates, either. You are either here, or you are not, one price regardless of the number of hours used. I am closed half day two days a year to attend morning functions at my child's school. I give the parents the option of dropping their children off at noon (no lunch served) for the regular daily rate, or keeping them out all day and not pay for the day. Every year most of the parents drop at noon.

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Thank you everyone! I think I need to change the wording on my contract. Even though I charge weekly, not hourly, i don't really have anything in there about closing early. I just have that I won't charge if I have to close a full day.

Actually, I think that I need to rewrite my entire contract!

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I also would not refund anything for 2 hours. I think my parents would laugh at me. But, they also know that they can count on me to be reliable and so if there is something they are willing to accomodate it because otherwise I would take a lot more days off!

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Since you have nothing in your contract about closing (a little) early, then I would use it to your advantage this time.
So when you send out a reminder I would word it something like:

"Dear Parents, Just a reminder I will be closing at 3:00 on Wednesday. Please make sure to have your little one picked up *BY* that time. As I will be available most of the regular day, full tuition is still due for that day. Thank you in advance for your cooperation."

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This! Also I have it in my contract that I have the authority to ask for early pickups at any time as long as I give advance notice.

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Yeah unless you close all day, I don't see the problem with getting the full fee for the day. As long as I give notice I don't feel bad.

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I agree with everyone else, don't discount.

If you do you might start hearing "We came 2 hours late today so we should get a discount..." or "We picked up 2 hours early so we should get a discount..." etc.

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I discount. I also charge a weekly fee. If I am open - they pay. If I am closed - they don't.

I feel that if I close 2 hours early, then the families have to make alternate arrangements for those two hours of care. I credit them for approx. how much my fees would be, if i charged hourly.

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It is not in my contract, but if I ever have to close early I always offer a discount. Some parents take it, but most don't.

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I opened 2 hours late one day, and I , too, do not charge for vacation days, but did not offer a discount. I had 2 families ask me if I was going to give a partial refund. I told them, sure, you pay me 115 a week for 50 hours (this was some years ago), so that's 2.30 an hour. Go ahead and take 4.60 off next week's payment if you must. That shut them up when they realized how little they actually pay for care.

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