I recently moved homes with my two boys that just turned 7 and 8 and started at their new school in 1st and 2nd grade at the start of the school year.

In this new school, I signed them up for latchkey, because I'm a single dad and have little other choice really. Where I lived previously, the school provided latchkey was pretty flexible, requested an expected regular schedule and charged by the 0.1 hours. They just wanted a schedule to get an idea when your kids would be there, and if kids weren't there time to time you didn't pay. If you were outside your signed up schedule regularly then they might address it with you, but were pretty flexible.

This new school latchkey program requires you to schedule and pay for a full month ahead of time. My schedule was such that I could pick my kids up around the time they got out of school on my way home from work, sometimes I could make it before the bell, other times not. But regardless whether they checked in or not I was charged for the day.

Additionally I pay for their after school snack as well, and sometimes they don't take it, but still am charged.

Is this typical? I've never heard of such a thing where you have to schedule and pay a full month ahead of time. And also where there's zero credit or even partial reimbursement. The other parents I knew from our old home and their daycare experiences were nothing like this either.

It feels like a scam really. I can understand wanting a schedule, but not fully payment a full month ahead. And honestly, it's always the same four ladies watching the kids, there's always 15-20 kids in the room, and it's not like they provide any special activities for them just run around the gym and play. Not only that, a full month payment ahead of time seems harsh too. Anything could happen in that month. Why should I be punished because things change? A week ahead I can understand, but a month?

And that's what happened to us unforutnately too. My son has been chronically sick and has not been attending school for the last month and a half. He's being homeschooled by his grandmother (my mom) who is not very mobile and is recovering from a broken pelvis. But I've paid the last month and a half and the "latchkey" won't budge with any credit or reimbursement.

I'm not too well versed on laws, but it seems that if you pay for a service you never received, borders on the side of illegal to me, regardless of what it says in a contract, especially considering this has added up to hundreds of dollars already.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

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