So I just got started and have two kids as drop ins a few days a week,
they have come three days and all three mom has been late at pickup.
The first day I didn't say anything it was like 15 min late. The next day it was 40 min and I gave a 5 min grace period and charged her $1 min. That was Friday and I was supposed to be going an hour away for the weekend with friends and meeting them for dinner and I was rushing like crazy to get showered and get there late.

Today I was supposed to leave at pick up and go to the store and a couple other places but mom didnt show up until like 90min+ past regular pickup. She knew she owed and had already pretty much realized what it would cost so that is good but I don't want to be help up daily due to this. Dad has a new job and had been out of town for trainings so if he were home he would have picked them up instead of mom being late. She did call around 30min or so late to let me know she was running late but she was 104min late so I ended up making $100 extra dollars on top of my regular daily rate.

Just had to vent since I am grateful for the extra money right now but still...don't want this to be an everyday thing.

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It's going to be an everyday thing unless you put forth a policy to discourage it. Clearly $1/minute is a rate she's willing to pay and she will continue to do so.

If I were you I would tell her that the late charges are not meant as welcome overtime but as a deterent for lateness. I would explain that I have a busy family life after my daycare hours and that needs to be respected. I would explain that she has utilized care for 3 days and has been late on all 3 days by larger and larger amounts on all 3 days, which is unacceptable. I would institute a '3 strikes you're out' system and tell her that she's already used 2.

Honestly. 100 minutes late? Unless someone died then it's unacceptable and, in my daycare, they'd have been terminated on the spot for it.

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I would term (once she's all paid up) if this happens again.

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Wow...I have no late parents now but in the past I've thought about terming over 15/20 minutes late.

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Has she paid the fees already??

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Have you actually been paid for any of these dollar per minutes? If she's just giving you the words that she will do it ... it could end ugly with her just leaving to avoid the payment.

I wouldn't allow her back thru the door until she was paid up. Also, the dollar per minute needs to be PER KID.

If she can afford the dollar a minute then you have to raise it. You just need to find her threshhold that makes it where it is actually a deterent.

If you just have words for payment... gear up for a term without notice.

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$1.00 per minute, per child.

And, I'd tell her that after 3 times (which she's already been late), it goes to $5.00 per minute. Bet she isn't late anymore!

I'd tell her that she needs to contract hours. Same pick up and drop off each day and if she's going to be beyond the pick up time, she needs to designate someone to be here on time.

I'd give her a 30 day probationary letter and tell her that if she's late again, she's terminated on the spot.

SHOW her you don't play games!

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I don't even charge a late fee. My late policy is: Don't even try it . Fortunately it's extremely rare that any one does - try it, that is.

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^^This. She may not quite get that it's a hardship (especially if she's agreed to pay the late fee), and since she's already told you that Dad is out of town for training, she may think you have an understanding that it's a temporary situation that she's compensating you for.

I'd let her know that it's a problem for you, that schedule changes (related to Dad being out of town or whatever) that extend past normal hours need to be approved in advance, and that 15 minutes (or whatever you're comfortable with) after closing time you're going to start calling the people on her emergency contact list.

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I think Nannyde has a policy like this too. What do you do if someone does try it? I'd love to know, because that's the kind of policy I want as well.

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It starts at the initial interview. I stress, stress, stress that this is non-negotiable. I tell them that if there's any possibility they will run into problems getting here well before 5:00 p.m. (my closing time) that they should find a provider who is open later.

If I have a parent call me and say that they work until 5:00, but will arrange to get here earlier in order to meet my closing time I will pass on that family because I don't want this issue.

I stress it again when the family starts. If anyone begins to inch toward that time with pick ups I will reiterate it again.

Every one of my families over the years has known that this is a deal breaker for me. Apparently they value my care enough that they don't want to risk it. I appreciate the fact that they are so respectful on this and other policies as well, and don't hesitate to let them know it.

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I too don't want pick-ups after my end-time any longer. I have just sent home a revision to my contract indicating that families must be departed from daycare no later than 5:15 as I need to leave immediately. I know I will have several who will run late, pay the late fee, and never look back. How do I nip it before it starts? I MUST leave to get my children to sports. I told the parents that they could add people to their list of approved pick-up people just in case. Just yesterday I took my kids to their doc appointments and closed an hour and a half early. Two families were 3 minutes late. I had high blood pressure for the next several hours :-( I barely made it to the appointment because of traffic and trying to get out of my driveway. I was in hopes that they would be courteous and have the kids picked up actually a few minutes before the time I needed to leave. I'm really frustrated by the lack of respect lately. I am just glad I have you all to "vent" to. Sorry this is so long. I'm a big, whiny baby this month.

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I know many of you suggested contracted hours. I don't know how to do that. I have families that parents have two different work schedules and some parents who are not together and alternate parenting. Several of my parents have schedules that alternate weekly. I am SOOOOOO confused...

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Thanks for all the responses, I obviously have A LOT to learn from everyone and from my experience so far. I too need to think about contracting hours and how to go about that with the families. I think the situation has resolved itself though with Dad picking up the kids an hour or more ahead of my closing time last week, he even picked up at 12 on one day! We will see how this week goes, I do like a couple of the suggestions especially letting parents know you will be leaving and have to be somewhere as well as giving them notice after three times its a termination or will be calling emergency contacts after 15 min, all great ideas.

Mom and dad don't seem to be on the same page but Dad has definitely stepped up last week in ensuring they were picked up on time. They pay daily and paid in full including late fees every time so that was good at least.

Thanks guys,
this is a great place to get advice and vent...I really look forward to getting to know everyone!

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So update on this, I thought things were improving as dcd picks up early and drops off later when he brings the dkb, but that being said..I never know when to expect him so I am up and ready and downstairs waiting at 7:30 am not knowing when he will actually get here. It has been around 9am usually if dcd brings, and he will typically pickup a half hour or so early. He even picked up a half day early on one day which was a nice surprise but should have known it would be turned around on me at some point.

So they have a late fee for one afternoon from over a week ago and one from a day ago, and although they pay me consistently..the late fees haven't been paid because they have only ONE checkbook and it's never with whoever is picking up or dropping off and I get I can run it by one afternoon no problem but yet I still haven't gotten the money despite having gotten paid for the regular days. I wasn't worried about the one day because i thought they would pay it when they paid for their days this week, but they forgot. Add in the fact they said the dkb would be ft when his sibling went to school, now they want to just do drop in days and aren't sure if they want to do full time yet (mainly bc they prolly know I don't have the spaces filled so they don't have to worry about losing a spot and can save themselves some money although I told them it would be a pt rate if he was coming 3 days or less and ft if 4 days or more) Add in the fact that this week I was supposed to have dkb one day and dcd waited until 3 hours later to call and say he got busy and would be another hour so he just wasn't going to mess with it that day, so I lost the pay for that day. Then I skipped a day they wanted to bring him bc we had already talked about them not needing that day and I told them I would take care of some things I needed to do that day and of course they called that day and I told them I could but that I had already made plans so he said that was fine so I skipped pay that day to make a point. Then I had him yesterday and dkm was late and didn't have checkbook of course. Supposed to have him today and dcd calls at almost 9 to tell me dcb won't be here bc he is keeping him home as he isnt feeling well and feels warm and sibling has been sick already and is home too. (okay, good that he let me know and didn't bring him sick, I appreciate that although he was prollly already feeling bad yesterday and that is why he was more cranky than usual)

Okay, so all that being said, when dcd calls to tell me this I ask if someone will be coming by to pay the late fees as dcm didn't and he said I have no idea when she will be off and we were going to talk to you about that anyway, we can't really keep paying that bc we are paying the same thing we would pay for a full day and with you being out in a rural area ten min away and with the train and all it's just going to be a problem for us and can I just stay open until 6 so they don't have to pay the late fees and other places all stay open until 6..that was the only drawback to my center was the 5:30 thing but they like me and my center and want to use me..blah blah blah..oh, and can I just trade the late fees for that half day when he picked the kids up early????? what? omg...I feel like a doormat although I didn't say yes to any of that and said I close at that time so I can do things i need to do with my family and for school, etc and that there are plenty of other centers that close at the same time as i know the people running them. I also said day cares charge $5 min instead of $1 so I was trying to make my late fees reasonable in comparison. I was taken by surprise with his stuff this am but I did try to have a backbone somewhat, I don't have a handbook or contract yet and am working on that this week but I think they know I only have one other kid who is a drop in and so I don't have a lot of choice right now. I want to try to work with people and not be unreasonable but at the same time I don't want to be taken advantage of. He said he understands a late fee if its like 7:00/7:30 but for ten minutes while getting stuck by the train (which doesn't work out to ten min bc then dcm would be there at 5:40 not 5:30 and with the 5 min grace period would only owe $5 not $20..so obviously she is not leaving work in a time that will allow her to get here!!!) so I know that if the time is an issue for the couple days dcm has to pick up that I may lose them but Idk what the solution is? Charge a specific amount more per day to them for any time up to 6? make them pay a weekly fee regardless of days? I feel like they should owe for at least the one day this week when he didn't just bring the kid, Idk about charging for the days kids are sick for drop ins so I guess I just wonder how others would handle this and especially from the viewpoint of him being a drop in)?

Sorry so long, I just had to vent bc this fam has been a challenge and yet they are all I have other than one other dcb I picked up for a cpl days a week drop in. I worry about getting enough kids in to make it or how long I should wait before I have to go try to find an outside job, I am stressing about money (my income was the major income for our household as a teacher and with my hubby and I both in school he has to stay at the job where he is for now which costs us quite a bit in gas and stress and physical problems for him with his back and such). I have turned down people who wanted me to keep their kids half the day until almost 10pm and with wacky schedules and the one who wanted me to keep 3 kids all weekend for about 14 hours shifts I didn't hear back from so I have no other prospects yet>

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I just want to say that I am willing to suggest a solution to them that is reasonable for the situation because I don't want to lose them but at the same time I don't want them to think everything is open for debate.

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I recommend you put a stop to this right away. Make sure that your FT rates are cheaper than PT rates and that drop-in rates are more expensive than PT. For example this is how I charge: FT $160/week for 30-50 hours ($3.20/hr), PT $108/week for 29 hours or less ($3.72/hr) and drop-in is $40/day for 10 hours max ($4/hr) or $5/hr if they want to be part of the day.

They should reserve the time they want and stick to it otherwise they should still pay for the whole amount. PM me your email address and I'll send you my drop-in contract to give you some ideas. You can change things around to fit your needs better but these people are taking advantage of you.

I think that if they agreed to your terms already any money that they've accumulated in late fees should be paid, if you want to renegotiate their rate then fine BUT you and they already had an agreement and now they want to change it, you didn't agree to change it before they started accumulating late fees so I feel like they owe you that $.

They need to understand that although you only have them as a client you are not available to them whenever they want at their convenience. If this is the type of service that they want then they can pay extra for this. Tell them that you need to know what days they will be coming and what times, otherwise they need to call you each and every morning to ask you if you are available for care and not out doing errands, paying bills, getting your hair done, visiting a friend, at a knitting convention ... whatever. Tell them that if you don't have a client scheduled YOU ARE CLOSED.

And ... DO NOT take their child if they are not caught up with all payments including late fees. Require these to be paid daily at pick-up or ... NO PAY, NO STAY.

Trust me. I've been in your shoes. Have drop-in clients sign a contract.

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Stop it now, or they will always do it!!! You are being USED!!!!

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contract, contract, contract. Even drop ins should have one. But this sounds like they need more than drop in care. Drop in care to me is if I have a spot when I am ALREADY open and you must reserve it the night before. So they either need to contract days or understand that you won't take them on a moments notice if you don't have other kids AND they need to give you a specific drop off and pick up time the night before. I agree with the others, you NEED to put the stop to it - obviously they are not going to.

YOU need to set the rules for YOUR business. I understand you don't want to lose a client - I've BTDT but they are walking all over you and only you can stop it - even if it means losing them. If someone was EVER 100+ min. late picking up their child and I had to be somewhere I'd be calling CPS/DYFS on them!!!

I would let them know that they CAN NOT bring their child until their account is paid in full and if they can't afford the late fees there is a simple solution - PICK THE KIDS UP ON TIME!!!

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Ok…here’s my advice. I have been running my daycare for 5 years now. I ran WAY, WAY too long without a contract…WORST DECISION EVER! Just don’t do it! As much as you think you can trust people, you just can’t, BOTTOM LINE! You need to get a contract and if you need help with that I would be more than happy to share my contract with you.

On a personal note…this family is not worth your sanity! Although I realize you need the income, your family needs you, and you need your happiness! Never let any job come before your family and your happiness! You cannot put a dollar sign on your family; you cannot put a dollar sign on your happiness! With that being said if you are going to survive in this (high stress, low respect) industry my advice to you would be to buckle down tight and stand your ground FIRM now! Losing a client or terming a client here and there is all part of this business.

In my world…parent’s DO NOT book spaces and not pay.

In my world…parent’s DO NOT show up late and not pay the $1.00/minute late fee EXACTLY when it states in my contract that it is to be paid. And if they fail to pay on time I add $5.00 a day to it!

In my world…I run my business and when dad said that to you on the phone I would have told him, “Sorry bud, but this is just the way it is.” If he don’t like it…I don’t need it!

A backbone goes a long way in this industry. It sucks sometimes to have to have ‘these’ conversations with parents but the benefits of not being taken advantage of and disrespected are totally worth it!

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You are all right I have got to be firm and hold my ground and have faith that I will get other kids if this fam has to go elsewhere. I'd love to see howmyou have done your contract and anyone else's who doesnt mind sharing, I really appreciate it! I spokenwith my hubby and he feels the same way so I am going to have to lay down the non negotiables with them and there will be no kiddo nxt week until late fees are paid, I have advance notice of what days he will attend, pay in advance for those days and no late closing time for them or absence of late fees. I am going to finish my handbook and work on a contract for them and go from there. I want my policies in black and white and should have already done all this but you live and learn I guess.

I feel like this family is like my first behavior challenged child I got my first yr teaching, he put me through the ringer with everything he could pull out but he taught me alot and I learned to be a better teacher and be firm when I needed to bc of it...this fam is teaching me what not to put up with and what to be on the lookout for in the future!

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Stand your ground! You will get other kids. I just started myself this summer and I was very unsure about the whole late pick up and getting paid in advance and all of that.

I let one dcm push me to the edge because she was my only client at the time. After I got another client, I termed her (not the child, if you get what I mean). After just two weeks I picked up 4 other dck's!

It was like a clog in the drain. Once I stood my ground and unclogged the dirt, the water flowed.

I know have 6 daycare families I am serving. All of them are part time care, 2-3 days per week. Some days I am busy busy, other days I have one child. Two weeks in a row I had Friday's off!

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I am going to, they may walk but I refuse to keep being walked over and not have them be considerate on many counts. I hope that things are drastically different in a few weeks and that i won't have to go in search of a job outside the home. My other dck parents pay in advance, let me know what days in advance and the actual hours and in a decent amount of time. She already called to tell me when she needs me this week but prolly wont hear from the others till late Tom night and even then, going to have to discuss paying the late fees or no go since no one has bothered to come take care of them,

I am working on ways i can advertise or market my business tonget some dck's,

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Good for you!! YOu learn after many yrs. of providing care, you eventually take so much and you develop a back bone!!

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Well I thought they may have bailed as I didn't hear back after a conversation with dad last week in regard to the late fees and such. He finally called today wanting care for Tom and fri. I let the machine take it..gathered my backbone and called him back. I said sure I could take him as long ad both days and the late fees were paid at drop off in the am. I told him I would work w them on a temporary basis with the late fees in that I would give them two days aweek that I would charge $10 extra upmto 30 min but that if it wad more days or beyond 6 regular late fes would be charged. I pointed out that if mom were getting off at 5, she should still not be late due to a train that crosses our Ed often. I said due to that though and his temp working out of town I would work with them, they just need to make sure to communicate whenmrunning late. I also told him that he had to pay daily or in advance for their drop in days and he was fine with it.

I also asked to know when he would be dropping off as when he does drop off it isn't consistent as mom is bc he works from home. I told him I would not be able to hear them knocknif I happened to be upstairs in the am not knowing when they will be there so he said he would call and let me know when he is leaving his house so I would know. I said that is great, works for
me, see you inmthe morning!
We will see how it goes the next dew days but didn't lose the family yet and got my backbone started

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I bet it felt good!

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I agree with the others.
My dc parents are rarely ever late. Just today dcb dad was 10 minutes late and I text him. Pick up ***. I have somewhere to be.
He pulled in just then. Hopefully this little hint will get him to come on time. I have never charged a late fee because nobody is ever really late.

If he does it more often then I will have to have a chat with him but if he was 90 minutes late and I didnt need the spot filled I would say ADIOS!!! Sure she paid you but still it is so very disrespectful and I wouldnt want to do buisness with someone like that. And you shouldnt have to!

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sorry i didnt read all the posts first

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I had a family much like this a few years back. They had no issue with paying the late fee. IN fact a few times I got a text that said hey I am out at the mall so I will be late of course. How does making an extra $150.00 sound?? NO JOKE.

So what I did was first sit and have the talk (and i did have a contract and PHB) then I enforced a new rule with this family. Every single time they were late, I would raise their daily daycare rate by $5.00. example:

day 1, 20 minutes late. took the daycare rate from $45.00 daily to $50.00 a day and so on. I also charged them the $1.00 per min fee

It go to the point where the mom was paying me $150.00 per day plus late fees. Eventually they left.

What did I learn from this....well to NEVER do it again. Yes the extra money was nice not gonna lie. But if someone is going to be disrespectful and not care about you or your family I really don't think that there is anything that you could do to change that.

I have parents that are super awesome and then one or two that I need to remind from time to time what the rules are.

Like the other said: STAND FIRM. it takes time to build a back bone in this business, but if you start now you will love your job even more...

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Well the 99 minutes thing was supposedly being the only other person at an emergency med office with just her, which I can understand the whole not being able to just leave in the middle of a procedure and dad is out of town a couple days a week right now so he couldnt pick up and they have no family or anything down here. They just moved here recently so I was trying to understand the situation, what bothered me was mom not communicating where she was or what was happening. I think I have made it pretty clear they must communicate now and what the guidelines are for their situation so we will see how it goes. I am just feeling it out and seeing what happens for a couple weeks and to see if I can get some regulars in here that are ft or what in the meantime.

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