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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Requesting a Special Rate For Vacation - Ugh. I Love Being Put In Awkward Positions
blandino 09:09 PM 04-14-2013
I got this message from a DCD tonight. Please keep in mind, there is a language barrier, so some of the wording is a little off

Hi DCP,
I hope your weekend was going well, I forgot to bring up something on Friday when I picked up DCB.
We are scheduled for going on vacation soon (Apr 21st - May 4th), and thereafter planning to go onto a Business trip to Europe (May 19th - Jun 8th).
During these 5 weeks DCB will not be able to attend the day care at all.
With having said this can you please think about offering a special deal for this time? I understand that normally we have to pay when the kids are not present, and I am generally OK with this rule. However, since this is a 5 week period, I would like to ask for a special rule.
Please let me know. Thank you very much.
best regards,
DCD


I didn't have time to ask for wording help, but this was my response (already sent) so hopefully everyone agrees with how I worded it.

Hi DCD,
Yes, DCM gave me your vacation schedule for the next few months, and I saw how much daycare DCB would be missing. Unfortunately the way daycares are set up, is that we only have 12 spots available at any given time. So when DCB goes on vacation, we cannot take on another child to fill his spot just for 2 weeks & again for 3 weeks, since he is coming back at the end of your vacation. So if we give you a special rate, we would be losing income that we cannot make-up by taking another child, since you will be back in only a few weeks. So if we are saving a spot for DCB, it is only fair to us to get the full-time rate, since we are saving a spot for him at the daycare - even if he is not here. You do have the option to not pay for the time you are on vacation, however we cannot guarantee that we will have an opening for DCB when you return from vacation without full-payment being received. It is very standard for all daycares to charge for the spot, even when a child is not in attendance. I really hope you can understand where we are coming from. Please let me know if you have any more questions. We understand where you are coming from, and I hope I have explained why this rule is in place.
Per our contract, If you decide that you do not want to pay for DCBs spot while you are gone, we require a two week written notice where payment is still required for those two weeks.
Thank you,
DCPs


Our contract states payment is requires regardless of attendance, and we also specifically went over this point at the interview because DCD seemed surprised (actually I posted about how surprised he was), so he knew the policy. Plus DCB isn't even gone for 5 weeks straight, it is 2 weeks and then again for 3 weeks.
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Patches 11:05 PM 04-14-2013
I think what you said was just fine. It seems like he's just testing to see what he can get away with because he clearly knows yor rule since he said it right in his message.
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Sunnyyy1 04:14 AM 04-15-2013
I don't see anything wrong with what you wrote. Stand your ground no matter what.
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momofboys 06:15 AM 04-15-2013
Your response is great!!! I am just curious though, when did they tell you about the vac time? Another thing I have told parents before & I am rather blunt is this - I am sure you would not want your employer to tell you, "We won't need you for the next 4 weeks so we can't pay you. However, don't go looking for another job as we want you back in a month" Most parents understand when they put themselves in your shoes.
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blandino 06:23 AM 04-15-2013
Originally Posted by momofboys:
Your response is great!!! I am just curious though, when did they tell you about the vac time? Another thing I have told parents before & I am rather blunt is this - I am sure you would not want your employer to tell you, "We won't need you for the next 4 weeks so we can't pay you. However, don't go looking for another job as we want you back in a month" Most parents understand when they put themselves in your shoes.
They only told me last Thursday. Not even a months notice.
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MamaBearCanada 07:13 AM 04-15-2013
You did the right thing! Why should you suffer financially because they want to go on vacation?
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blandino 07:39 AM 04-15-2013
Originally Posted by MamaBearCanada:
You did the right thing! Why should you suffer financially because they want to go on vacation?
And they are still getting paid while they go on vacation. It just bothers me, because we explicitly went over vacation time when they interviewed, so he is well aware of the policy - so it irritates me that he would ask.
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momofboys 10:31 AM 04-15-2013
Originally Posted by blandino:
And they are still getting paid while they go on vacation. It just bothers me, because we explicitly went over vacation time when they interviewed, so he is well aware of the policy - so it irritates me that he would ask.
So did they respond back to your answer??
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littlemissmuffet 10:46 AM 04-15-2013
Originally Posted by blandino:
Hi DCP,
I hope your weekend was going well, I forgot to bring up something on Friday when I picked up DCB.
We are scheduled for going on vacation soon (Apr 21st - May 4th), and thereafter planning to go onto a Business trip to Europe (May 19th - Jun 8th).
During these 5 weeks DCB will not be able to attend the day care at all.
With having said this can you please think about offering a special deal for this time? I understand that normally we have to pay when the kids are not present, and I am generally OK with this rule. However, since this is a 5 week period, I would like to ask for a special rule.
Please let me know. Thank you very much.
best regards,
DCD

Hi Jane,

I'm sorry but I do not offer discounts for any reason. You knew this upon signing a contract with me. I don't appreciate being put in a position where a family asks me forfeit a month plus worth of income. I'm sure you understand.
Fees will be due as usual on (this date) in full, regardless of attendence.
Enjoy your vacation.

DCP
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TheGoodLife 11:08 AM 04-15-2013
Originally Posted by momofboys:
Your response is great!!! I am just curious though, when did they tell you about the vac time? Another thing I have told parents before & I am rather blunt is this - I am sure you would not want your employer to tell you, "We won't need you for the next 4 weeks so we can't pay you. However, don't go looking for another job as we want you back in a month" Most parents understand when they put themselves in your shoes.
I agree- I like your response, but I would try to verbally explain it like that as well! Good luck and stand your ground- it's not your problem that they will be taking those vacations, and you know they knew about it at the interview and had planned to try to talk you out of your policy when they started!
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rbmom 11:34 AM 04-15-2013
I think your response was great!!
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AmyKidsCo 11:38 AM 04-15-2013
Originally Posted by momofboys:
Your response is great!!! I am just curious though, when did they tell you about the vac time? Another thing I have told parents before & I am rather blunt is this - I am sure you would not want your employer to tell you, "We won't need you for the next 4 weeks so we can't pay you. However, don't go looking for another job as we want you back in a month" Most parents understand when they put themselves in your shoes.
I love that! I've found that most parents are understanding when you're able to make a comparison like that. Sometimes they don't think about it from our point of view until we make that comparison.
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blandino 05:46 PM 04-15-2013
Originally Posted by momofboys:
So did they respond back to your answer??
No response ! DCM dropped off and picked up today, without a word. Also, I know DCD saw the message because it was a FB message to our business page and it shows you "read at xx:xx".

No response at all. Not even a "okay, we understand".
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laceylmm 05:37 AM 04-16-2013
Anyone else thinking if they can afford two vacations, including a trip to Europe they can definitely afford to still pay for childcare!

Some people.
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momofboys 05:55 AM 04-16-2013
Originally Posted by blandino:
No response ! DCM dropped off and picked up today, without a word. Also, I know DCD saw the message because it was a FB message to our business page and it shows you "read at xx:xx".

No response at all. Not even a "okay, we understand".
Are you worried that this family may leave??
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momofboys 05:56 AM 04-16-2013
Originally Posted by laceylmm:
Anyone else thinking if they can afford two vacations, including a trip to Europe they can definitely afford to still pay for childcare!

Some people.
Yep, yep, you would think!
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Meeko 06:05 AM 04-16-2013
Originally Posted by momofboys:
Your response is great!!! I am just curious though, when did they tell you about the vac time? Another thing I have told parents before & I am rather blunt is this - I am sure you would not want your employer to tell you, "We won't need you for the next 4 weeks so we can't pay you. However, don't go looking for another job as we want you back in a month" Most parents understand when they put themselves in your shoes.

I have used this exact scenario with parents who asked about not paying. They were actually GREAT clients and it's been about 10 years and we are still in touch after they moved. The mom told me
"DCD's sister is coming to spend the summer with us and so she will be able to take care of the boys as things are a bit tight financially. But please still hold open the places for them, because they'll be back when she goes home".

I asked her...
"Imagine your boss saying that things were tight with the company right now, and the boss's daughter is going to do your job for free....so they are going to send you home and not pay you for a while. However, don't look for work, because we'll want you back at our convenience."

She looked horrified, threw her arms around me and said
"Oh! I never thought of it that way! I'm so sorry!"

I got paid all summer, tending the kids when the sister wanted time to herself.
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Meeko 06:07 AM 04-16-2013
Originally Posted by laceylmm:
Anyone else thinking if they can afford two vacations, including a trip to Europe they can definitely afford to still pay for childcare!

Some people.
Exactly!
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Meeko 06:09 AM 04-16-2013
What they were asking is...

"We're going on a lovely vacation and then a business trip (which will be paid for by the company). Please take a months worth of income out of YOUR pocket, so we can enjoy it even more".........
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Blackcat31 06:20 AM 04-16-2013
Originally Posted by blandino:
No response ! DCM dropped off and picked up today, without a word. Also, I know DCD saw the message because it was a FB message to our business page and it shows you "read at xx:xx".

No response at all. Not even a "okay, we understand".
I would HAVE to say something face to face..... "Say Bill, did you get my reply to your request for reduction of rates during your vacation? Do you or Jane have any questions? Thanks for understanding."

It would just bug me to no end to not get a response from them and I am not very good at letting things like this just sit....without some kind of acknowledgment from the parents.
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TheGoodLife 08:26 PM 04-16-2013
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I would HAVE to say something face to face..... "Say Bill, did you get my reply to your request for reduction of rates during your vacation? Do you or Jane have any questions? Thanks for understanding."

It would just bug me to no end to not get a response from them and I am not very good at letting things like this just sit....without some kind of acknowledgment from the parents.
I agree!
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daycarediva 09:11 AM 04-17-2013
Did they ever respond? How did it go?
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momofboys 10:26 AM 04-17-2013
Iwas wondering also if you had confronted the parents about it?
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blandino 01:19 PM 04-17-2013
I was going to today, when DCM asked if they could combine the next three payments while they are on vacation onto one check, and give it to us Friday. So I took that as my answer.

I do however think they may give two-weeks notice in between the vacations. This time, giving two weeks would have meant they were paying for the dirt week of a two week vacation anyway, so I don't think the one week was worth it to them. But it may happen between this vacation & the next one. Oh well...
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