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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>What Do You Charge Teachers During the Summer
DaycareMommmy 05:43 PM 02-19-2012
I have been in business for 6 years and recently have been getting inquiries from teachers. They want to know if I will charge them full price during the summer when they are off. As a provider I believe if your child is holding a space then you should pay but I want to make sure that I am being fair.
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itlw8 05:48 PM 02-19-2012
my teachers switch to p/t for the summer and they alternate days so I can have easy days or take a school age child if I want.
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Crazy8 06:24 PM 02-19-2012
I know this isn't the popular answer but I do not charge them for the summer. I honestly just can't -there are SO MANY daycares around here with plenty of openings and you can pull them out for a month or two and restart with no fees, etc. that I would just be putting myself out of the running if I charged. I know its not fair but I really just avoid taking teachers for this reason. The family I posted about a few days ago that wants to come back is a teacher and that is one of the reasons I am really hesitating (among many other reasons though).
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Meeko 06:54 PM 02-19-2012
I really don't care what the parents do for a living. I just care about MY living and getting paid a consistent wage.

I have 16 day care spots. They are a set price per month. Payment must be paid every single month to hold that spot.

No if's, but's or and's.

If that doesn't work for a teacher, they do not sign up with me.

Teachers still pay their cell phone bill year round, their cable bill year round. It doesn't change just because they use less minutes for a few months, or watch less TV over the summer.

There should be no difference just because they use less day care hours. I am open. I am working. And if I am holding open a place for their kids....I get paid.

There is no reason (other than fear of losing clients....which I see as a form of blackmail) why any provider should cut rates/hold places for teachers.

Most teachers still get paid year round even if they are at home. (and if they don't, then they need to plan and budget accordingly. It is not other peoples responsibility to accommodate them)

I have had teachers enroll kids before. They happily pay....year after year.

I have had teachers call expecting "special" rates and find out they are treated the same as every other working person. So they go elsewhere. Make no difference to me.
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SilverSabre25 07:01 PM 02-19-2012
50% for the summer and they have the ability to bring their child up to two days per week--set days.

Pretty sure most daycares around here do about the same thing.
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Sunchimes 07:17 PM 02-19-2012
We don't have that problem here. My tax dollars go to help support a subsidized day care/preschool/after school program for teachers. The only call I have ever gotten from a teacher was because her child had been bitten 16 times. When she heard my (ridiculously low) price, she said, "Oh, thanks anyway". I guess she kept him in the school day care because I'm the same or cheaper than anyone around here.

When they opened the subsidized center, at least one privately owned center and who knows how many family homes went out of business.
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Unregistered 07:32 PM 02-19-2012
I am on here because I am considering getting into daycare, but I just had to jump in on this. I am a teacher currently and I walked away from 2 daycares because of paying when care is not provided or available. The first person only took teachers kids. She did not charge over the summer, but she did have me bring in wipes, lunch, snacks and on parent teacher conference days, or professional development days she made me find someone else to watch dd and yet charged me for a full week (did not tell me about this when I choose her). She also would not watch her the extra 30 minutes on days I had staff meetings (originally said she would). She then changed her pick up to 15 minutes after the last bus picked up and that was the last straw and I left. When I went looking for DC again I refused to pay when bringing my child was not even an option. Now I do think that paying something even when I am not taking dd over the summer is fine, but full price is not. Care is not being provided; my daughter is not being feed by my provider. When I went looking I was about sold on this one provider, but she was not willing to let me pay a lower rate over the summer and I walked away. The provider currently watching dd does not charge me for the summer, but I give her "bonus money" at the end of the school year because I love her and she loves my dd and I pay her the normal rate when I have to take dd in because I am doing professional development. She likes the lighter load in the summer so she can go places with her group and she has said that my dd is easy and I am easy too so maybe that is a factor as well. Last year she filled dd spot over the summer with a school aged kid that parents did not want home alone all day.
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Jewels 04:32 AM 02-20-2012
I wouldn't personally charge a teacher for the summer, maybe for a couple days a week, but full time? if they are keeping their kid home, no way, and the analogy of they still pay their other bills, sure they pay their cell phone, but if they were barely ever using it, they could drop it to the lowest priced plan, Same with cable.
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AfterSchoolMom 05:06 AM 02-20-2012
I don't charge for the summer, and I also save throughout the school year so that I still have money weekly. I just figure out a weekly budget for the 10-12 weeks of break and put aside a certain amount each week during the fall and winter. I've taken the summer off every year since my second year. It's worth it!
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Cat Herder 05:27 AM 02-20-2012
I charge the same rate regardless of career choice or attendance.
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Meeko 07:29 AM 02-20-2012
Originally Posted by Jewels:
I wouldn't personally charge a teacher for the summer, maybe for a couple days a week, but full time? if they are keeping their kid home, no way, and the analogy of they still pay their other bills, sure they pay their cell phone, but if they were barely ever using it, they could drop it to the lowest priced plan, Same with cable.
That is true...IF the phone company or cable company HAS a lower priced plan already in place. A customer cannot simply demand one because they want one.

I don't have price plans in my day care. One space. One price.
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wdmmom 07:51 AM 02-20-2012
The first teacher I took on, I didn't charge summers.

Now I offer the option of dropping down to part time...minimum of 2 days per week. They have to pay a flat fee regardless of whether they use the days. If they do use the days, they must be picked up at their regular departure time. (Before 4pm)
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CheekyChick 08:03 AM 02-20-2012
I charge a tiny "holding fee" yet have never actually made anyone pay it.
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MrsB 09:22 AM 02-21-2012
About half of my DCKs are teachers children. I charge 50% for the summer, unless I can fill their spot with someone who only needs summer care. You wouldnt think it but teachers have lots of connections and if it means you are saving them money they will bring you business! If they dont want to pay the 50% either they find someone to pay 100% for that time or they take their chances on a spot being available in the fall! It usually works out. In fact I have 3 daycare kids that come back every summer that were referred by teachers.
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Tags:assistant, assistant - summer, summer care, teacher viewpoint, teacher's children, teachers
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