Does anyone have NON FEE DAYS???

My daycare has been open since 2010 and since then I have only offered children 5 sick days a year/per child where I don't charge fees for. Since I opened i have had many parents who wanted to keep their kids at home for many reasons, relatives visiting, doctor's appointments, vacations, etc.

Some parents have stuck to my policy where if they are not here for the day the fee is still due, but others have come in that week and said their child will not be here on a certian day and then deduct that days fee from their cheques. UGH!!

I understand that parents need to keep their kids at home if they are sick and that some days they dont require my care. How do you handle this? Do you give a break on the fees? How much notice do you require?

Also, I have found it hard to confront parents that aren't complying with my contract face-to-face. How do you deal with parents not wanting to pay for missed days?

I plan to hand out my revised contract very soon and STICK TO IT!!! I want to be fair to the parents but it's also a business for me and some parents are taking advantage. (One child wasn't here almost 15 days last year, without pay. And he's only here two days a week).

I appreciate your input and love coming on here to hear everyone's opinions. Makes me feel that I'm not alone in all of this :)

Sarah

The ONLY unpaid days in my contract are MY sick days..... If a parents keeps their kid home too bad they still pay .....and my fees are paid in advance so there is no chance of non payment.... If I am sick they deduct it from the next pay period. No pay no care!

I charge per month and it includes all sick days or days that they stay home for whatever reason. Also, payment is due at the beginning of the month, this way they won't be reducing the payment for the days they missed. I find this was works best. I haven't had a problem with payments yet. I make sure to go over the contract with parents in detail first before they sign to avoid confusion or arguments later on. What you could do is give a reminder note a couple days before payment is due and just say this is a remider that payment of (whatever amount they owe) is due on (date).
Good luck. And let us know how it goes.

I'm the same as Crayola kiddies ~ only sick days that are unpaid are mine. I have it put into my contract that if a little one is away ill and or if I call to have that little one picked due to illness, all fees still apply.
It's not easy dealing with someone who tries to get away with something...if you let them, they will keep doing it and will also try to get away with other things down the road. For myself, I put things on paper and give parents a memo regarding any issues. It is then in their file and if I ever have to terminate then I have something to show them as to why. I think that might just be my last job spilling into this one :laugh:
It took me a couple of years to start growing my back bone for parents who tried to get away with something ~ I think it's all in the approach and how you word something too. It doesn't have to be a my way or the highway attitude but having said that, there has to be a mutual respect and if it's not there on the parent's end....time to do some thinking if it's a right fit.

You have to remember, that a home daycare is a business too!

If I'm open, parents have to pay. The days that I close, they don't need to pay. It's not that I don't care if they have a funeral or their child is sick; they have to pay to keep their childs spot. They don't pay, that means that I can advertise for that spot!

Thanks for the replies. So you think that I'm being too nice to include Non Fees for personal days in which they don't need care??

Also, I included the 5 sick days so they don't bring in their kid when they are sick, otherwise they will try to bring them in when they are. I just hate the confrontation at the door and sometimes you don't realize that they are sick until later that morning.

How do the parents respond to paying for sick days for their children?

My sick days??? What are those??? I haven't taken ONE sick day since I have started and have only closed for one personal day.

Regarding payment, I have arranged biweekly payments for my parents and this is where I have a problem with one of my parents coming with her cheque every two weeks with some days deducted. I'm not going to take that ANYMORE!!! I'm losing too much money with this spot.

Yes! you are being too nice. Go ahead and give 5 sick days. but keep count and when they are at the end of those days send them an email reminding them of the days they have taken off and that they will be charged from then on.

I would send an email out to all parents as a 'friendly' reminder of the rules of these no fee days and that some maybe 'inadvertently' be taking advantage of this by neglecting to pay after they have used up their 'fee free days' . this way you don't feel as though you have to confront just one family. Those who do follow the rules will know that this particular email does not apply to them. make sure you admit fault to letting it slide in the past and that you will no longer be able to over look it.

Your post is me right now! lol

I also have a hard time confronting the parents on following my rules.....but I'm getting better! and the only non-paid days are my own - vacation & if my daughter or myself are "too" sick.

No unpaid days! If you're open, they pay. It's the norm, and you're worth it. :)

Have the Parents pay in advance. For example today is my pay day for the next two weeks. I have 5 paid sick days for myself amd two personal days...and 3 weeks paid holidays. I remind parents they are paying for the spot .....not necessarily by the day. As far as parents bringing sick little ones I ask would you want me to let other peoples children in if they were this sick? I will admit my children are older....so they don't really catch daycare illnesses anymore .... I have had a few showdowns with parents in the past over paying when there child is sick. I have stuck to my guns, not always easy....we all worry about the bottom line, but in my experience the parent doesn't want to go through the hassle of finding a new provider..

There is no "parents are entitled to non fee day" if their child is sick or visiting with a relative. If you are open, they pay. I had one family once try to not pay for 3 days that their grandma was visiting and watching their child. I said point blank. You missed three days in your cheque and you need to write me a new one. I tell them, if I'm open they must pay. And don't give them free sick days either. This is too much money you are losing. You are a business first.

If you let things like this happen and not have the confidence to say things to parents, you will eventually down the road find yourself resenting the parents and your daycare business.

Good luck.

I give my parents two weeks in the summer (July/August) and 5 days Sept to June that are non-fee days. Doesn't matter to me if the child is sick, doctor appointment, grandma in town the number is the same. At the same time I get the same amount of paid days so if I close because I am sick the first 5 days I take off are paid. Anything else is paid by daycare families and for me an unpaid day.

I have started all these families knowing that there will be no fees for sick days so I don't think it would be best to take them out right now HOWEVER any new children I take on I will revise my contract to if I am open they will have to pay, if I am closed, no pay. It's just a lot easier to keep track of.

Playfelt- Why did you choose to offer these non-fee days, which are 15 days in total?? Do you take the same days off in the summer? Do you find that this is a lot of income lost?

I have no unpaid days for any reason and I have never had a parent try to deduct fees from my pay! Maybe because you are giving them some, they think they can squeeze a few more out of you...give an inch and they take a mile! My parents know that they pay the same amount every week...they mostly pay monthly and give post-dated cheques. Zero issues!

I am another you pay for the SPACE you are occupying regardless of the use - our income is limited to the # of children we are legally allowed to have and being self employed is challenging enough to keep a 'steady' income - I choose to have fee payment policies in place that help keep my income as steady as possible as well as much notice as possible if it is going to 'dip' due to someone terminating care until I can secure a replacement client!

Seriously if people buy a 'gym membership' to the gym the gym is open 7 days a week and your membership contract indicates you are able to attend 7 days a week - if you only attend THREE days you do not go into the gym and say I want a credit for the 4 days I did not use this week, if you rent your apartment based on a months rent and go on vacation for two weeks and are not 'using' your apartment you do not go to the landlord and say 'I am only paying HALF my rent this month cause I was on vacation' ... why is it so hard for society to see childcare the SAME way you committed to the SPACE in the program regardless of its use your FEES were determined based on this same model .... if your provider has given your FIVE days off throughout the year 'unpaid' she factored that INTO your fees as well do not get greedy or you will find yourself with NO UNPAID DAYS like the rest of us who have decided it is just 'easier' than trying to be nickle and dimes by people who do not GET IT :rolleyes:

No, I have no no-fee days. They have reserved a spot, doesn't matter if they're here or not. Just like daycare centres and preschools. My vacation days, however they are never charged for. I take a lot, which the parents know up front. They accept to live with my vacations and I accept that I dont' get paid for any of it.

I always emphasise right from the initial e-mail, the fee is for the SPOT, not for the days the child is present. The fee is payable whether the child is here or not, regardless of the reason. If I choose to close the daycare either for sickness, personal day or vacation, THEN the fee can be deducted. I'm so happy that my parents understand this. My dcb missed 2 days this week with a cold and they paid the full amount. Being the pessimist that I am, I was fully expecting them to short pay 2 days, but they didn't!! Yay!

You are being waaaaay too nice! I started out doing that but cut it out after the first year. Now I even have 3 paid personal days per year in my contract in case I get sick so I can get paid. After all, it's the little ones in my daycare who bring in the germs. My only unpaid days are my closed for vacation days. Otherwise full week fees are due all year.

Here it is really simple: The daycare is opened, you pay. It's closed, you don't be!

I had three teachers in care and all had one year olds when I started here in Ottawa. That gave them the choice of paying only for part of Christmas or March break or using the days since at the time it was hard to get kids and teachers especially as they expected to not have to pay. My version was like a compromise to them and they agreed to care.

Since then I have kept it in. Some families don't use the 5 days at all. Some use them at Christmas which is the most common and I don't really care since it gives me free days. I also found that parents did keep kids home when sick and use a day and one day of lost income meant no fighting with parents over bringing sick kids and less got sick so it worked all around.
5 days for 10 months works out to half a day a month and that is not a lot of lost income. Parents get a sense of not being nickle and dimed either and compared to when I didn't do it I really think it has helped our relationship - yes we are a business first but we are in a service industry and I'm sure we all remember which restaurants treated us better than the others and are more loyal to them etc.

Try explaining it like tuition for school. You are paying for the spot- whether or not your child is there.

I give NO "free" days. Basically, if I am here to work then YOU pay. Period. And you also pay me for all holidays even if I am closed.

I make this VERY clear both in my contract AND verbally in the interview. There is no way in HELL I would allow a parent to get away with deducting payment from a cheque.

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Originally Posted by Inspired by Reggio

I am another you pay for the SPACE you are occupying regardless of the use - our income is limited to the # of children we are legally allowed to have and being self employed is challenging enough to keep a 'steady' income - I choose to have fee payment policies in place that help keep my income as steady as possible as well as much notice as possible if it is going to 'dip' due to someone terminating care until I can secure a replacement client!

Seriously if people buy a 'gym membership' to the gym the gym is open 7 days a week and your membership contract indicates you are able to attend 7 days a week - if you only attend THREE days you do not go into the gym and say I want a credit for the 4 days I did not use this week, if you rent your apartment based on a months rent and go on vacation for two weeks and are not 'using' your apartment you do not go to the landlord and say 'I am only paying HALF my rent this month cause I was on vacation' ... why is it so hard for society to see childcare the SAME way you committed to the SPACE in the program regardless of its use your FEES were determined based on this same model .... if your provider has given your FIVE days off throughout the year 'unpaid' she factored that INTO your fees as well do not get greedy or you will find yourself with NO UNPAID DAYS like the rest of us who have decided it is just 'easier' than trying to be nickle and dimes by people who do not GET IT :rolleyes:

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BAM> that's it.... :p

THANKS to you ALL!!! It seems like a majority of you have the "Pay if I'm open, and No pay if I'm closed" philosophy. This would make it a lot easier on me as well.

I was thinking of keeping the no fee days just for full time kids sick days but now I'm going to cut it out completely. It's just not fair when I am expecting a certain pay every two weeks and sometimes it's less. NO WAY am I going to let that happen again.

I also used to have one week paid vacation but now I've changed it to two weeks vacation unpaid so I think the parents will appreciate that they won't have to pay when I am closed.

Thanks PLAYFELT for your explanation of your non fee days and I think I read a post from you about a year ago about your non fee days and I think that's why I was thinking to add it to my revised contract. But when I hear of so many of you ladies not deducting fees, then why can't I.

Also, who offers a discounted fee for when parents go on vacation with their kids?

No discounted fees for parents vacation time either. Again they are paying for the spot...up to them if they use.

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Originally Posted by zen39

No discounted fees for parents vacation time either. Again they are paying for the spot...up to them if they use.

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Exactly! I have a family heading to the tropics this Wednesday so will be away for 2 days this week and all next week too. You bet they are paying for these 2 weeks before they leave. They can afford to go to a hot sunny place so they can afford to pay for their daycare space too. It's simple.

As far as confrontation for sick children, don't worry about enforcing your contract because if you DO NOT then you are giving parents the message that you DON'T take your contract seriously so WHY SHOULD THEY? Oh ladies, please enforce your contract rules to the letter.

The only days that are non fee days are days that are my vacation days. I just added 5 paid personal days to my contract, I have already used 2 due to the stomach flu. My parents pay full fees for everything else unless they take vacation time outside of mine, in which case they would pay half fees.

Oh Honey, you've got to put a stop to unpaid days for sure! I charge a set fee per month, which clearly states that this fee is set regardless of child's actually attendance due to them having a family vacation, sick days, relatives visiting, etc. The way you can explain it is to bring up examples such as paying rent, or tuition. It stays the same and is expected regardless of whether someone decides to camp in a tent for a month, or goes on vacation. When people pay you, it should be for the space that you are securing for them and their child for the month, regardless of the attendance.
And for part time, I always establish a set amount of days which have to be paid for each month as well, regardless of attendance. So one little girl I have, her mom is a flight attendant with an unpredictable schedule but said she would most likely need 10-12 days per month, so I told her I would take her in but the set fee would be for the 10 days no matter what, if there were days that she was not here, etc. She would add to the pay of course if she ended up using 12 days. And I also had to think about late charges due to her job and additional fees if she was staying and eating dinner with us, etc.
If people have a problem with that, then I wouldn't consider them secure enough, or fair enough to me to be my clients. Its the whole babysitting notion that is the problem. Some people think that if their child is not here, why should they pay? But don't know that a dayhome/daycare is a much bigger committment and responsibility than that.

I have a client who told me this week that the grandmother is going to take the little girl for two weeks in July and she mentioned that her husband was upset about paying for these weeks. I have never, ever had issues with this family paying but I may have to use 'the speech' that I learned from the experienced ladies = Think of it like a gym membership - you go or not - you pay!