Hi, I'm having a hard time on whether or not to charge parents during the summer. Rt now I charge $125 weekly unless they are a drop in ($25 day). Please can you give me advise on what to charge parents and how to word it. Thanks!

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I charge the same weekly rate all year round.

My policies state "fees are based on enrollment not on attendance or time used".

I don't give discounts or credit for time off.

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Same here. Summer is more work usually too.

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Tuition is the same year round, here.

Do you close for the summer?

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I just opened in August so really new to all of this. I am an all year round daycare so figuring out what to charge for the summer as we will be going swimming and other activities that do charge is stressing me out because I don't want to scare the families off but also don't want to charge so little either. I do plan on having them pay full rate through out the summer as well just not sure how much extra do I add in to that fee for summer.Thanks for replying!

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I don’t transport so I don’t really run into this issue but can you change a “field trip fee”. The center I worked on did this. Every day of a field trip they paid an additional amount outside of tuition. They charged $4 per trip. Parents could then opt out of the trip, not bring their children that day, or pay the fee. Weekly rates did not change. After a few years of this they just upped the weekly rate $4, even though their wasn’t a weekly field trip, and stopped charging the fee altogether.

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This makes more sense.

I also do not transport children other than walking to the park, pet store, police department...... so it's all cost effective. My expenses are higher in summer but I do not increase my rates... I charge the same amount year round and my expenses balance out with some months having no out of pocket expenses and other months being expensive. All those items would be tax write offs I figure.

If you are not in a position to cover the expenses and you feel your program would suffer without them maybe charge an annual supply/materials fee or an annual registration fee, I know some providers charge parents a field trips fee.

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The regulations surrounding transportation; signatures, extra training requirements, documentation procedures, car seats, and general liability makes it something I can't do. Just the insurance costs, alone, makes it a no go here.

Be sure to check out your state regs for field trips and transportation before you commit to it.

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I will only transport by foot which I'm lucky to live really close to the public pool but they do charge an entrance fee and the movie theater is walking distance with free summer movies but charge for drinks/snacks. I think charging them a field trip fee is a great idea. Thanks everyone for helping me.

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Can you compile a list of fees for each activity and then either have the parent pay the fee upfront if the activity is planned in advance or add the fee to their invoice for that week.

I like the idea of offering the kids additional activities, especially in the summer months and parents seem to like the idea as well but rarely do any of them actually want to pay for it.

If this becomes the case in your situation, I'd consider getting an assistant or helper that can care for kids too and then taking only those kids that pay the additional fees on the field trips.

I'm like Cat Herder now days though and do not see the advantage vs the liability in taking kids on any type of field trips.

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Welcome to the world of daycare! Because you are a bit newer, I just wanted to give you a little heads up on something I have experienced in the past. When it comes to field trips, some parents are all for them and some parents are completely against them. Driving or on foot does make a difference to some parents, but going to public pools is generally a black and white type of situation. Some parents are fine with those trips, and some will say no to any swimming trips they are not attending. If your parents are all okay with it, I don't think they would have any problem paying an extra summer fee so their kids can participate in those activities. If, however, some are not okay with it , then you may have to consider finding other families or do other "staycation" type events instead of leaving.
Having a movie theatre so close with free movies would be so fun! Best of luck to you on your daycare journey!

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I got there through experience. I loved trips to the movies, libraries, state parks, skating rinks, etc. Never failed someone:

• showed up late/early and demanded we return immediately
• showed up without appropriate supplies/cash
• forgot/refused to sign the permission slip
• forgot carseat
• showed up from licensing unannounced and demanded our immediate return

Then daycares started leaving kids in vans to die of exposure at alarming rates and the regs locked us all down. Several still die in those vans every year, though.

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Those are all very good points you guys pointed out. Adding a fee of our upcoming week plans is a great idea. And also now I'm thinking i"m going to write up my summer plans and have them sign it stating that they are okay with the locations I plan on going throughout the summer. I have four kids of my own so I don't want them stuck at home because I'm with my daycare kids. Thanks everyone!

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Yep, pretty much the same for me too.....the nail that sealed the coffin for me was licensing.

I just couldn't keep up with the required paperwork and extra trainings required for even a short field trip a couple blocks away to the park.

Keeping them all confined to one home/yard is THE easiest way for all now. If parents want their child to experience the children's science museum, I heard they let parents in too!

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That is the double irony. I must have formal, detailed, signed, field trip forms for the kids to play in the sprinklers in my front yard.

Yes, you read that right.

It is located outside of a required 4 foot minimum fence. In a rural setting. In a cul-de-sac. In the middle of 2 acres of maintained grass. With adult supervision. I like to use the front yard for sprinklers because there are fewer trees for them to smack into while running with their eyes closed.

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Ugh! That is ridiculous!! Next thing you know you are going to have to have signed permission slips for you to speak to the children during the day


Considering the history, isn't "sprinklers" a bad word here?! It should probably read sp******rs" right? lol!

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I have permission slips for parents to sign for any type of water play including the water table.

You name it, I probably have a permission slip for it. I even have one for when they walk across the street to go to the bus stop.

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I don’t transport kids anywhere. Too much liability and my liability insurance cost would go way up. I would think a flat fee for the duration of the summer’s field trips would be simple.

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