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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Need Help With Two Things For Handbook Update
Country Kids 08:20 AM 05-01-2015
I am wanting to add two new things to my handbook:

1. No showing up after 9:00
2. Having to be at work/school for childcare.


In the case of #1, what do you do if a child has an appt. that causes them to arrive after 9:00. Is that ok or do they just not come for the day?

#2-I have a child that only attends two days a week. Parent sometimes has one of these days off but rarely. Its not like the parent doesn't see the child so in this case would you allow child to attend?

Thank you for any help you can give me!
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childcaremom 08:27 AM 05-01-2015
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
I am wanting to add two new things to my handbook:

1. No showing up after 9:00
2. Having to be at work/school for childcare.


In the case of #1, what do you do if a child has an appt. that causes them to arrive after 9:00. Is that ok or do they just not come for the day?

I have this policy and would allow child to come in late if they had an appt and parent informed me ahead of time but not during nap or rest period. This policy (for me) is to avoid having kids arrive unexpectedly throughout the day.

#2-I have a child that only attends two days a week. Parent sometimes has one of these days off but rarely. Its not like the parent doesn't see the child so in this case would you allow child to attend?

I don't have this policy so am no help here.

Thank you for any help you can give me!
I answered in bold above.
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originalkat 08:48 AM 05-01-2015
Here is my policy Regarding #1:
I request that children arrive by 8:30 AM in order to take full advantage of the entire morning program. If you will be arriving later than this due to an appointment or will not be attending for the day, you must call and notify me by 8:30 AM.

I do not tell them that they may not attend if they are later that 8:30, but I do require notification if they will be late (occasionally) due to an appointment etc... If a parent comes to the tour and has issue with the 8:30 AM drop-off time then they usually bring it up. When they find I am a stickler on it they do not end up signing up. This has happened twice and both times the parent worked in a restaurant or store and did not have to be to work till later. I have also termed a child (once) for arriving after 8:30 on a regular basis.

Regarding #2
I do not have a specific policy regarding having to be at work or school, but I do have information in my enrollment paperwork that indicates my program is designed for working families that require full time childcare. I dont accept part time kiddos for this reason.
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Blackcat31 09:03 AM 05-01-2015
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
I am wanting to add two new things to my handbook:

1. No showing up after 9:00
2. Having to be at work/school for childcare.


In the case of #1, what do you do if a child has an appt. that causes them to arrive after 9:00. Is that ok or do they just not come for the day?

#2-I have a child that only attends two days a week. Parent sometimes has one of these days off but rarely. Its not like the parent doesn't see the child so in this case would you allow child to attend?

Thank you for any help you can give me!


#1. I don't care when a parent drops off. I like that a family spends time with their kids and I don't want to rob them of any extra time in the day just to rush to daycare by a set time. That will happen at school so I don't bother to have that rule when they are little. Childhood flies by too fast.

The ONLY rules I have about drop off are:
#2. I don't care where parents go or what they do when use my services. As long as I can reach them it's up to them how they use the services they purchase.
I am not their parent so I refuse to parent them. kwim?


Sorry I am not much help as I don't have those rules and as a parent, I personally wouldn't agree to them nor would I choose a provider that had them. (I know lots of you do, I am just sharing MY personal opinion)
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daycarediva 09:04 AM 05-01-2015
I require advance notice (24 hour minimum) of appointments. I don't accept kids after 9 without notice.

*eta* I have this policy because parents dropping off in the middle of circle, story, centers and/or structured outside play disrupted the entire group. A parent consistently brought a child at 10:30-11 and complained that the child never had art up, or knew the songs the other kids were singing. I run a preschool program, so we have a school schedule. The parent and I ended up parting ways after I told her that she may as well look for basic child care since that's all her child was getting out of my program anyway (lunch/nap/free play until pick up).

I also added that I don't accept children after prearranged appointments between 11:30-2:30 (lunch and nap). I suggest to parents that appointments be made in the afternoons so that they don't miss whole days of work, and the child doesn't miss a whole day of care. Pretty much all of my parents have agreed that's best and schedule everything for after nap. Win=win, they leave work early and I get fewer kids at the end of the day.

As for the other policy, I don't have it. I have SAHM kids. I wouldn't know how to word and/or enforce it, either.
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Annalee 09:34 AM 05-01-2015
I allow children to come on their parents off days, but I set the 8:00 AM rule as a cut-off so I can plan my day. The problem I had was when kids would sleep till 9 or 10 and then parents would bring them and nap is at 11:30 which is disrespectful to me and the children in my care. NOT HAPPENING here! I have lost a child over this rule...ironically a cop and a nurse parent that cussed me out royally, but they can go somewhere else! I should have known because they were late for the interview and their first question was "what are you gonna do to me if I am late?" They lasted 3 days....started on a Monday and they were done by Wednesday......continually tried coming in at 10:00.
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Annalee 09:42 AM 05-01-2015
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
#1. I don't care when a parent drops off. I like that a family spends time with their kids and I don't want to rob them of any extra time in the day just to rush to daycare by a set time. That will happen at school so I don't bother to have that rule when they are little. Childhood flies by too fast.

The ONLY rules I have about drop off are:
  • Be courteous about the times you schedule. (let me know if you are running late or not coming within a certain amount of time)
  • Drop offs cannot occur during lunch or rest time
  • Late drop offs do not equate to late pick ups. (contracted pick up times still apply)
  • Child must be able to fully participate in normal activities (ie if parents were late because they let Jr sleep in, Jr better be able to still have a quiet rest time or they'll have to come pick Jr up)

#2. I don't care where parents go or what they do when use my services. As long as I can reach them it's up to them how they use the services they purchase.
I am not their parent so I refuse to parent them. kwim?


Sorry I am not much help as I don't have those rules and as a parent, I personally wouldn't agree to them nor would I choose a provider that had them. (I know lots of you do, I am just sharing MY personal opinion)
I live in a small town and one of the main qualities listed on my Annual evaluation by parents now and previously is that I am ADAMANT about my contract and they KNOW UP FRONT what is expected. I think there are alot of "flying by the seat of their pants" daycares in this area so having set rules even when it comes to drop off has helped my business. I stand behind the rule "if a parent wants a provider's services they will find a way to make it work!"
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Blackcat31 10:17 AM 05-01-2015
Originally Posted by Annalee:
I live in a small town and one of the main qualities listed on my Annual evaluation by parents now and previously is that I am ADAMANT about my contract and they KNOW UP FRONT what is expected. I think there are alot of "flying by the seat of their pants" daycares in this area so having set rules even when it comes to drop off has helped my business. I stand behind the rule "if a parent wants a provider's services they will find a way to make it work!"
I am adamant about my contract/policies and rules but I just don't see the point of the required drop off time when it doesn't mesh with my parenting philosophies and I try hard to make sure I only enroll parents that have the same philosophies.

I totally agree that having set rules definitely helps but having set rules (and enforcing them) have nothing to do with "what" the policies are...kwim?

I don't know if that makes sense or not.......
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Annalee 10:29 AM 05-01-2015
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I am adamant about my contract/policies and rules but I just don't see the point of the required drop off time when it doesn't mesh with my parenting philosophies and I try hard to make sure I only enroll parents that have the same philosophies.

I totally agree that having set rules definitely helps but having set rules (and enforcing them) have nothing to do with "what" the policies are...kwim?

I don't know if that makes sense or not.......
Right now, I don't have a problem with parents keeping their kids on their off days so I don't feel I am interfering with their time. One pair only comes Thurs/fri and pay all week. I have 3 other fams (5 kids) that only come 3 days a week (not set days) but I get paid. I do see your point on "staying with your kids" but my other 5 kids will be here rain/sleet/hail/tornado/earthquake, etc. And if I allowed them to, they would come in all hours of the day, not when they had spent time with their parents but when they WAKE UP they are with me So I am going to regulate that to my benefit.
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Unregistered 10:47 AM 05-01-2015
I don't care when they drop off. They know the schedule and what they would miss. I do ask they call or text to let me know.
I don't care what they do when I am providing child care for them. As long as I'm getting paid and they stay within their contracted hours.
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Thriftylady 11:31 AM 05-01-2015
BC, I have a question for you then. My issues with parents who drop off late or willy nilly in my daycare, is simple money and supplies. If I say prep for meals and snacks and I make to much for a child that may show up, I am throwing out food, and that costs money. I already throw out more than I would like anyway, because my kids eat all junk at home. The other one is still money, because of things like art and craft supplies. If they show up and I don't have it ready I have to hurry and get it out, and then the flip side I get ready and they don't come. So how do you get around that?
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Blackcat31 12:10 PM 05-01-2015
Originally Posted by Thriftylady:
BC, I have a question for you then. My issues with parents who drop off late or willy nilly in my daycare, is simple money and supplies. If I say prep for meals and snacks and I make to much for a child that may show up, I am throwing out food, and that costs money. I already throw out more than I would like anyway, because my kids eat all junk at home. The other one is still money, because of things like art and craft supplies. If they show up and I don't have it ready I have to hurry and get it out, and then the flip side I get ready and they don't come. So how do you get around that?
For food and snacks, it doesn't matter if they no show... you planned and paid for the food according to the number of kids that were scheduled.

Like this:
If you planned snack for 5 kids and have 5 kids present, then that would be 5 kids worth of food gone. (5 servings eaten)

If you If you planned snack for 5 kids and have 4 kids present, then that would be 5 kids worth of food gone. (4 servings eaten/1 serving tossed)

In BOTH scenarios 5 servings of food is paid for an gone. I don't really care where it goes, just that it is all gone. I KNOW this is a hard one for most people to get over as it seems so wasteful but honestly you have to get past that because it is what it is and in the trash or in the tummy.....it's gone.

As for the arts/crafts it's kind of the same thing except that you can keep the craft items that didn't get used by the kid that didn't show up.

I don't allow earlier than scheduled drop offs so I don't have that issue buuuut if I didn't operate on contracted hours and had a kid show up earlier than normal and I wasn't prepared for them (with enough food or supplies) I would just tell the parent that and expect them to figure it out because it's one of those things that falls under the umbrella of "your failure to plan is not MY problem to solve".

Does that help?
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Thriftylady 12:13 PM 05-01-2015
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
For food and snacks, it doesn't matter if they no show... you planned and paid for the food according to the number of kids that were scheduled.

Like this:
If you planned snack for 5 kids and have 5 kids present, then that would be 5 kids worth of food gone. (5 servings eaten)

If you If you planned snack for 5 kids and have 4 kids present, then that would be 5 kids worth of food gone. (4 servings eaten/1 serving tossed)

In BOTH scenarios 5 servings of food is paid for an gone. I don't really care where it goes, just that it is all gone. I KNOW this is a hard one for most people to get over as it seems so wasteful but honestly you have to get past that because it is what it is and in the trash or in the tummy.....it's gone.

As for the arts/crafts it's kind of the same thing except that you can keep the craft items that didn't get used by the kid that didn't show up.

I don't allow earlier than scheduled drop offs so I don't have that issue buuuut if I didn't operate on contracted hours and had a kid show up earlier than normal and I wasn't prepared for them (with enough food or supplies) I would just tell the parent that and expect them to figure it out because it's one of those things that falls under the umbrella of "your failure to plan is not MY problem to solve".

Does that help?
It helps I guess. I do contracted hours also and my problem is with one mom who brings my two SA kids willy nilly sometimes. I guess the waste IS my issue, most likely because of how scarce food was growing up. I never went hungry, mom always found a way to feed me and tried to hide it from me, but I saw it. That and it makes my hubby nuts if he is around so it doesn't help that he starts nagging also lol.
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Blackcat31 12:22 PM 05-01-2015
Originally Posted by Thriftylady:
It helps I guess. I do contracted hours also and my problem is with one mom who brings my two SA kids willy nilly sometimes. I guess the waste IS my issue, most likely because of how scarce food was growing up. I never went hungry, mom always found a way to feed me and tried to hide it from me, but I saw it. That and it makes my hubby nuts if he is around so it doesn't help that he starts nagging also lol.
If you are looking to solve the problem of mom just bringing her kids all willy nilly and without schedule, you could always do the 3 strikes you are out rule and that 99.9% of time gets parents to start being on time or communicating AHEAD of time.

Tell mom that she MUST tell you 30 minutes PRIOR to the time they are scheduled if they are not coming. If she fails to tell you and just no shows or doesn't call until 15 minutes prior or after, then she earns a strike.

3 strikes you are out (term). I tell parents that I value my time and am respectful of theirs so if they can't be reciprocal in this behavior then I am not the program for them.

Like I said 99.9% of them get their ducks in a row once they realize THEY are jeopardizing their spot.
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Blackcat31 12:24 PM 05-01-2015
Oh and the food waste....I TOTALLY understand but your rates should reflect the costs of your meals and snacks if you aren't on the food program so that you aren't actually losing any money when you toss something.
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Thriftylady 12:38 PM 05-01-2015
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Oh and the food waste....I TOTALLY understand but your rates should reflect the costs of your meals and snacks if you aren't on the food program so that you aren't actually losing any money when you toss something.
Yeah my food costs are included in my rates, and not to bad since I do most stuff from scratch and such. I think it is the IDEA of throwing it out that just gets stuck in the craw. I suppose I need to just get over it, but so far not an easy task lol.
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