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Hi!
I'm wondering what you out there do if you take children on field trips? Although I won't do many since my vehicle won't fit more than 2 carseats, I'm wondering how this traditionally works with admission costs? I am thinking of taking 2 children to the zoo at some point, etc so does the parent pay for this if you ask ahead of time or is it just expected to be included in the cost of childcare?
I would charge the price of admission to the parents for a big excursion. I also take the kids on bus rides. The kids under 5 are free and I just absorb (write off) my ticket cost.
If I decide last minute, like this past summer, to take the kids to a movie or something, I will pay. During the school year, when my program is far more formal, I plan out all events, and ask that the parents pay for our excursions.
I actually had a mom balk at the idea that I'd ask for her to cover field trip costs. I told her thanks, but next! lol
I would mention to the parents that you were thinking of taking the kids to the zoo and wanted to know if they would please send in the $ for admission. I would also have to check with parents and ask their permission of course, would have to schedule the trip around the children who could or couldnt go. Do you ever do fundraisers? every year I do two fundraisers to help raise money for just that type of thing. or preschool cost, playground equiptment, supplies...anything to help myself and the parents to cut costs. One year we managed to raise over 600$ for a little girl whose Daddy had cancer, we helped send them to Disney before he got too sick! Fundraisers are an awsome way to get good money for much needed things.!!!
I personally absorb the cost of all field trips and outings into my budget .... and than just choose outings that I am comfortable footing the bill for ;)
I do get clients who offer to pay when they hear we are going somewhere with a 'cost' associated with it ~ however I always thank them but decline.
I have control issues and personally do not want to be asking them to foot the bill because it opens up conflict of a clients saying 'we cannot afford to send him' or 'no we do not want them to attend we'd prefer you just stayed onsite' or it opens them thinking you should 'refund' them because you are choosing to do something they do not want the kid to do .... upon enrollment they are given a list of places I take the children and they sign 'blanket consent' for them to go to all those places at any given time and that allows me the freedom and flexibility to just go spur of the moment and so forth ~ I like to have freedom in my program and need clients to trust that anything I plan with the kids is in their best interest.
There have been a few times when enrollment was 'low' and I was able to do something special like going to a zoo or museum outside my city and I than just get permission for that 'one special trip' separate from my blanket permission slip ... so for example in September I have low enrollment and a sibling family on vacation for a week so it is going to be me and 1 daycare child for a whole week ... so one day we are going to the Butterfly Conservatory and out to lunch with my mother for her birthday, I am going to take him to see Brave cause I really want to see that ... I got permission for for those trips from that client but I am footing the bill because these are things that I want to do for ME and the kid is just tagging along ;)
I never take the children anywhere that costs me money. There are lots of parks and the library and Childreach's playroom. However, I'm close to a park that has festivals all summer and I've asked parents to pitch in $10 toward rides and I pitch in $10 per child once a summer. There are no receipts so I hope the CRA doesn't tell me someday that my note on that expense is not allowed. Also, I don't have a vehicle so we go everywhere by city bus.
I don't ask parents to pay for field trips, but I don't take the kids to expensive places all the time either. Maybe once or twice a month we will go somewhere that has an admission fee.
I feel that feild rips are a normal cost of doing business, and if its too expensive then just dont go.