Crazy Weather-when to close?

[Daycare123]

Hey Everyone!

Just wondering how everyone in southern Ontario is handling the threat of some pretty stormy weather. Do you clothes when schools close? Do you close at all? How do you handle it with your families?

Thanks in advance!

[playfelt]

I leave it up to parents to come or not to come. I do plan ahead and make sure I have foods that don't need cooked such as cold meats, cheese, crackers etc. and have them cut up ready to go just in case I need to grab them and head for the basement or whatever. I have flashlights charged so we can see if the power goes out and generally on stormy days plan to stay upstairs to do things instead of being in the basement where it is harder to monitor the weather and really dark if the power goes out.

In most cases if it is that bad parents are staying home too or will go to work but then be sent home early to get their kids.

Mostly it is life as normal just with some extra precautions in place ahead of time.

[Big Hearts]

In winnipeg we get -40 weather in the winter if the schools close in my area we are closed too. I would just make sure i have supplys for everyone for a few days. Good luck and be safe

[adelaide]

In winnipeg we get -40 weather in the winter if the schools close in my area we are closed too. I would just make sure i have supplys for everyone for a few days. Good luck and be safe

Do you still charge when you close or not?

[mimi]

I would charge as the weather is beyond your control and if it is that severe it is a safety issue. I have never closed due to weather myself, but if I hear businesses are closing then I would contact parents for early pick up.
When I was in University I worked parttime for a major department store. If the store closed early due to weather you knew it was bad outside. We would announce store closing while people were still coming in the store and the majority, I kid you not, were mom's with babies and toddlers in strollers. They would give the staff an incredulous look when we would tell them the store was closing. I can't imagine what they told themselves to make it ok to take their little ones in the car to the mall on a dangerous weather day. :no:

[Inspired by Reggio]

I leave it up to parents to come or not to come......

This is typically me as well .... IMO I am here and do not have to commute to work and if the parent is comfortable community in inclement weather that is their choice and their burden to bare if they get into an accident or stuck somewhere!

If I am open and they choose NOT to come because of inclement weather I still get paid and that is clearly in my contract ~ it is no different than if the child is sick or on vacation if I am here and ready willing and able to work than I get paid for that service being 'here'.

Now that said if we were going to be without power and therefore in the winter without HEAT for a LONG period of time than I would likely suggest clients stay home because it gets harder to entertain the masses long term without power as well as keep enough food on hand for that many day after day and well likely parents would not be working anyway if they too have no power in the community ;)

Thankfully we have a wood burning fireplace and other camping stuff to survive without power for a few days should we need!

[Inspired by Reggio]

.... I can't imagine what they told themselves to make it ok to take their little ones in the car to the mall on a dangerous weather day. :no:

Yup ~ last winter we had a 'stormagendon' here in Southwestern Ontario and almost everything in the city was closed ~ no buses, no schools, no malls or stores, no libraries or public services and emergency staff only at hospitals and so forth and the Mayor had asked non essential businesses to stay closed and anyone who did not absolutely HAVE to work to stay home and off the streets so that they could get them cleared safely and so forth .... all of my other 4 clients stayed home for like 3 days due to this weather but you want to know who managed to make it in everyday for the full 9 hours the STAY AT HOME MOM and when she noticed others had not come she asked if she could pay me extra to take her school age kid since I had space as she'd dragged her out in the car as well to drop off the younger one :no:

Their stupidity to risk their lives and their children's lives for what some quiet time at home for the parent and some 'socialization' with their OWN SIBLING out of their house? But bright side it allowed me to earn an extra $105 that week.

[Daycare123]

Thanks everyone! I think what makes the most sense is to follow the lead of the local schools.

[Daycare123]

I agree with mimi-most circumstances for closures I don't charge-but severe weather is completely out of my control so I would not consider that a case to reimburse fees...

[apples and bananas]

If there is bad weather I'm not going anywhere, so if parents want to bring thier kids, that works for me. I leave it up to the parents. But I do not charge if they choose not to come . I don't want anyone putting themselves at risk because they want to get their money's worth.

[sunnydays]

I have never closed due to severe weather, but I suppose in extreme circumstances such as a prolongued power outage, I would have to. Otherwise it is up to the parents and I will not be taking the kids out in very bad weather. In fact, if there is freezing rain or some other severe weather, I will just keep my son home from school so that we don't have to get him to and from the bus stop (well teh buses will be cancelled anyway).

[DORITOSGIRL]

I am staying open. Its not like I have to commute in the weather
but here in the north end of Toronto I do not think its will be any big deal. I have lots of bottled water ( I always do) and snacks and meals that do not need cooking.

[Starshine]

I can't see myself closing unless we lost power for an extended period of time.

[Momof4]

I'm open all the time and if parents want to get their children to me even when they take the buses off the roads and tell everybody to stay home then I have to work. But my contract states that missed days for any reason are payable so that covers all kinds of weather or any reason that arises.

[3xbluemom]

I probably wouldn't close for bad weather unless we were without heat in the winter or our house was flooding or it was otherwise dangerous for the kids to be here. Buuuuut, if parents were going to bring their kids to me in spite of dangerous road conditions - especially a SAHM!! - I probably wouldn't be inclined to be overly understanding if they were late picking up due to the weather. (Different if it turns bad midway through the day then if it's already blizzarding when you drop them off.) I wouldn't be getting up early so they could take extra time getting to work either!