Charging for SA Remote Learning Days

[Sunshine69]

The school district I’m in does in-person learning for grades pre-k through 5 four days a week and grades 6 and up two days each week.

Last year I had two SA kids before & after school. This year I have four as one full-time started Kindergarten and one SA I had two years ago came back to daycare for remote learning days. I thought I had it spelled out clearly in my contract that remote learning days are paid days whether the child attends or not. I had a lot of demand for parents looking for 1 to 3 days of care and still get calls daily for part-time care.

I only charge hourly for before and after school care and daily for the full days of remote learning. One family gets free before and after school care as I have their little ones full time and was just trying to help them with costs, however they need to pay me for the full day I am reserving for the SA child as I have to provide meals and supplies when the child is here all day.

Recently, the kids were quarantined for exposure at school. The family already getting 4 free days of before and after school care is confused why they have to pay for the whole day their child was out.

It’s hard enough explaining tuition in normal years but this year with Covid makes it especially challenging.

I’m already losing hundreds filling full-time slots with part time care. The extra supplies these kids go through with all the hand washing is ridiculous. Why is it so hard for parents to understand that we can’t stay in business unless we charge for the slots they are taking?

Do any of you providers have a mix of SA and full-time kids? How did you word payment arrangements for remote learning days?

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by Sunshine69

Why is it so hard for parents to understand that we can’t stay in business unless we charge for the slots they are taking?

Do any of you providers have a mix of SA and full-time kids? How did you word payment arrangements for remote learning days?

Tuition is based on enrollment NOT on time used.

That's the easiest way for me to explain to parents why I charge for days the kids don't actually attend.

Their absence does not decrease my operating costs.

If I have 10 spaces and parents want one, they pay for the whole space not just the time they were actually here.

Like a gym membership or car payment.
You pay a monthly car payment whether you drive the car or not. You pay the gym payment each month whether you go to the gym every day or get lazy and only go twice. Same monthly fee is due.

[Blackcat31]

The only other way to do it is let them pay for ONLY the time they use. Of course, that rate needs to be ALOT higher than what you would normally charge.

Seems they suddenly understand regular payment when you charge based on use only.

[Sunshine69]

This is a lesson learned on my part.

I regret giving them any discount at all. They haven’t paid for their SA child to attend for a year and a half now. It’s a $60/week loss in income to me and just because I want them to pay for one single day a week while I hold a spot for his virtual learning, they feel ripped off.

Never again.