School board "snow days"

[Busy ECE mommy]

I live in Ontario, and our area seems to get snowstorms on weekends for the last few years, so I've never had issues with snowdays and school closures etc. so far.
I've had teacher clients asking about snow day policies, and whether I will be open or not(they have to pay for all scheduled days) They are working the same school board that we are in, and fully intend to bring their kids in even if they are not working. Our street usually isn't plowed until 2 days after a storm, as we are on a quiet crescent. Do any of you in Southern Ontario(Halton/Peel etc) have "snow day" closure policies in your contracts, and how have you worded the policies? Thanks in advance.

[bright sparks]

I live in Niagara Region and do not close on snow days. I just don't think that all parents will always take the day off work even if the board closes. For starters, what about all those daycare families who do not have school aged children...they won't be effected. I find that it is a minority that a school closure effects in terms of home daycare. Yes there are those families with a child in daycare and a child in school who will be required to take a day off for the school aged child, but I'm not going to close and have half my families not be effected by a school closure, and I'm certainly not going to allow those that are effected a day off daycare with no charge if I am still open. The school boards in Southern Ontario are notorious for being inconsistent with their board closures for snow. My kids have both been in the Halton board and the Niagara board at one time or another. I remember one year when Niagara, Brantford, Peel and GTA boards all closed but Halton stayed open. I then recall a few weeks later after an uproar that Halton closed when there really wasn't the need to but all the other boards stayed open. It's erratic and unpredictable and sometimes the closures are necessary and sometimes they aren't. I need consistency with my income and I can open regardless of the weather. It is very very rare that no family would require me due to the snow causing me to have no children. I know some parents who have opted out of driving into work, but have travelled the short distance to my house so they can still get work done at home.

So as my contract simply states, regardless of the cause of absence, if I am open for business, everyone pays. I bet that teacher parent is getting paid!

[Fun&care]

I always stay open and even if parents opt out of driving to daycare they are still charged the usual fees. I need a reliable income and I'm not about to lose pay because of weather conditions that are out of everyone's control.

[AmandaKDT]

I'm not from Ontario, but there are lots of school closure snow days here in Manitoba. Unless the weather has affected my ability to provide care (like the power being out), my daycare is open and it is up to the parents to get them here. Even if school is closed for students, teachers will either still be expected to report to the school or will work from home - so I would not be surprised for them to send their kids. I worked as a teacher before and was expected to make a "reasonal attempt" to get to the school in bad weather when the schools were closed, unless the highways were closed.

I don't think you need to have any special wording in your contract. You just state that if daycare is open then fees must be paid.

[Rachael]

I live in Ontario, and our area seems to get snowstorms on weekends for the last few years, so I've never had issues with snowdays and school closures etc. so far.
I've had teacher clients asking about snow day policies, and whether I will be open or not(they have to pay for all scheduled days) They are working the same school board that we are in, and fully intend to bring their kids in even if they are not working. Our street usually isn't plowed until 2 days after a storm, as we are on a quiet crescent. Do any of you in Southern Ontario(Halton/Peel etc) have "snow day" closure policies in your contracts, and how have you worded the policies? Thanks in advance.

For clarification - Are your teacher clients parents of a preschooler who is in your care all day long or are they the parents of children who come just BAS ?

Do you close your whole day care on snow days so no one comes? Or do you mean you just don't accept the school age children? Or is it just these particular clients who you thought would pay for the day but never come 'cause they are off themselves?

Sorry but really struggling to understand exactly what your situation is.


If they choose to drop off a toddler/preschooler and you are open for other toddlers/preschoolers, what odds does it make? Do you expect all other clients to have their child at home when they are off for the day or just teachers on snow days? Or is it that you hoped that school closure for the parents, would mean fewer children for you even though they are paying?

Sorry I'm not seeing what the issue is if they bring their child, presuming you are open anyway, esp as you are charging them.

Or are they school age children and the teacher parents are saying that they are going to come normal time on a snow day and drop off their child but return when the child would usually be leaving for school to get them. Then they will be back with their child at the time school normally ends and leave their child until they end of business day? Again, it's a bit unusual for sure, but since they are being charged for the day regardless of attendance, I'm not sure what the issue is. It's not like the parents have any control over the school closure.

I have two teachers now and usually have at least one. Sometimes they drop their child off and take the snowday to achieve their own errands/work from home, sometimes they stay home with their child on a snowday. Like you, my clients pay based on days registered not attendance but I wouldn't expect them to pay and refuse to provide care too.

OR do you routinely close for everyone on a snow day ? I've only ever heard of that when every client is school age.


In terms of wording, presuming my understanding is correct, and you want payment but aren't willing to provide care on storm days, then I guess you could put something like this....

School Age Children
A place has been reserved in the day care for your child before school, from <opening time> until <bus leaves/gets dropped at school> and again after school from <end of school> until <closing time>. All day care for school closure dates is not automatic and therefore must be agreed in advance subject to availability and if such an arrangement has been reached, school closure dates will require the full date rate of <$xx.xx>.
Before and After school fees are required regardless of attendance and therefore payment is required for snow dates, teacher training dates, statutory holidays, and any other circumstance where the school closes short notice. Please be advised that care will NOT be available for school age children when school is closed unless all day care has been agreed and paid for.
There is not the option to transport your child to day care for a couple of hours in the morning and again late afternoon. If the school is closed to students, then so am I.

[superfun]

I have all teachers children in my care, and i would assume they would go to work to get caught up on stuff if there was no students for a day. However, that never really happens around here. Sometimes the busses don't run, but walking students still attend.

[Rachael]

I have all teachers children in my care, and i would assume they would go to work to get caught up on stuff if there was no students for a day. However, that never really happens around here. Sometimes the busses don't run, but walking students still attend.

That happens here too.

Sometimes no buses at all. Other times they say buses will not be travelling down unpaved roads so all the students who live on gravelled streets either have to walk to a paved bus pick up point, get a ride in to school, or miss the day. We also have situations where the buses run but it's up to driver's discretion if they will travel down certain roads - usually narrow roads or roads which require a u-turn are missed.

In any of the above situations, the school is actually open and so all of the teachers are expected to be in.

Depending on how close to the school the teacher lives, some will drive in even if the school is closed to students and get some work done but those who live further afield tend not too.

Teachers here although all working for one school board can sometimes work in a very urban area and other times work in the middle of nowhere. They tend to pick a day care close to their home not always close to their work.

[Lee-Bee]

Teachers don't get the day off so snow days. They are expected to work and they do in fact have children in their care. It is very, very rare that on a snow day the school is empty of students. All the walkers still attend and a large number of bussers get dropped off. The only thing that isn't running on a snow day is the school buses.

[Rachael]

Teachers don't get the day off so snow days. They are expected to work and they do in fact have children in their care. It is very, very rare that on a snow day the school is empty of students. All the walkers still attend and a large number of bussers get dropped off. The only thing that isn't running on a snow day is the school buses.

I guess this is something else which varies by Province.

Here - a snow day means the school is CLOSED to staff and students alike. Teachers do get the day off although some opt to work from home, others hit the ski slopes. A snow day means the school is completely empty - no custodian, no canteen staff, no admin, no teachers, no support staff, no students.

The decision to close is based on safety of travel (buses/parents driving and walkers alike) and likelihood of declining weather during the school day which would adversely affect the journey home.

We have instances where the buses don't run - but these aren't termed as snow days since the school is open for those who are able to get in.

[Lee-Bee]

I guess this is something else which varies by Province.

Here - a snow day means the school is CLOSED to staff and students alike. Teachers do get the day off although some opt to work from home, others hit the ski slopes. A snow day means the school is completely empty - no custodian, no canteen staff, no admin, no teachers, no support staff, no students.

The decision to close is based on safety of travel (buses/parents driving and walkers alike) and likelihood of declining weather during the school day which would adversely affect the journey home.

We have instances where the buses don't run - but these aren't termed as snow days since the school is open for those who are able to get in.

This makes so much more sense to me! I always found it odd that if it was too unsafe for buses to be on the road then teacher's shouldn't be on the road either! When I was teaching there would be 1-2 teachers per school that didn't make it in, since numbers were a bit lower in each class due to no buses we'd shuffle kids around to stay in ratio. Also, since not all kids were present regular teaching wouldn't take place but "snow day activities" instead, fun games and extra learning activities.

Funny how different provinces do things...and how easily we forget that 'our; way isn't everyone's way!

[bright sparks]

This makes so much more sense to me! I always found it odd that if it was too unsafe for buses to be on the road then teacher's shouldn't be on the road either! When I was teaching there would be 1-2 teachers per school that didn't make it in, since numbers were a bit lower in each class due to no buses we'd shuffle kids around to stay in ratio. Also, since not all kids were present regular teaching wouldn't take place but "snow day activities" instead, fun games and extra learning activities.

Funny how different provinces do things...and how easily we forget that 'our; way isn't everyone's way!

Maybe it's a board thing not a province thing. Snow day in Halton and Niagara board means the schools are closed. Buses are cancelled all the time but that's seperate and is not something the schools have any control over. It's the bus companies call. If it's a snow day don't drop your child off, at the most there will be administrators there. Schools are officially closed!

I've had teachers kids who worked in both boards and I've had my own kids in both too so clarified the actual true meaning

[momofnerds]

My rule is that I'm open BUT if your not going to work because of weather conditions DO NOT risk the lives of your children to bring them to daycare. Plain stupid if you do so you can have the day off.

[mickyc]

For myself when there are big storms I always seem to have all the daycare kids no matter what. My husband always finds it odd that he can't make it to work sometimes (he drives 1.5 hours to work) but I always have all the daycare kids no matter what. Parents still have to work and when they don't have a great deal of driving to do to get there then so be it. I usually find most parents pick up early those days just to make sure they aren't late. I guess we'll see how this winter goes as I have a couple different families.

[Busy ECE mommy]

I'm in Halton, and I was referring to complete school closures, not buses being cancelled and schools still open. When I worked in a centre, all the licensed daycares were closed if the school board was closed, so I wondered if I should put the same policy in place, that I close if the schools are closed. My street is treacherous, due to lack of plowing, sometimes with 2 or more feet of snow high(for days) I know the teachers will be at home. I also find that on bad weather days, my parents are always late-they don't plan to leave early or send an emergency person for pickup, so I'm always stuck with a bunch of late kids-it drives me crazy!

[bright sparks]

I'm in Halton, and I was referring to complete school closures, not buses being cancelled and schools still open. When I worked in a centre, all the licensed daycares were closed if the school board was closed, so I wondered if I should put the same policy in place, that I close if the schools are closed. My street is treacherous, due to lack of plowing, sometimes with 2 or more feet of snow high(for days) I know the teachers will be at home. I also find that on bad weather days, my parents are always late-they don't plan to leave early or send an emergency person for pickup, so I'm always stuck with a bunch of late kids-it drives me crazy!

That sounds pretty awful!! The thing with closing is that for those parents who can get to work, they can not go to work if you close. You can't please everyone I know, but by closing when your ability to offer care is not impaired, I'd be pretty frustrated if I was a parent. It could potentially cause financial hardship for a parent which may not be your problem, but in my opinion, you have no reason to close of your own. Whether a parent chooses to come to daycare or not is their choice. Some people will have that choice taken away from them if they are snowed in or have a long commute on dangerous unplowed routes but by closing you are penalizing those who can go to work and need to work. Reinforce your policies for late pick up and on bad weather days verbally and to their face remind them to allow extra time because should they be late, you are still charging regardless of the weather. We live in Canada and should prepare for these things. Fortunately in the last 10 years in Halton, there haven't been even a handful of these situations causing mass closures, but it sounds like your location is a real issue when it comes to road clearing.

Just to add as well, I wouldn't be looking to lose over $200 of income due to a snow day that does not in any shape or form restrict my ability to do my job. It may be thoughtful to a parent's circumstances, but that doesn't pay my bills and is a no brainer to me.