Two Weeks Notice

I have a question for you experts. Since I've opened, I haven't had to deal with any kids leaving until now. I just got notice that one of my dck will be leaving to go to a preschool, and they gave their 2 weeks notice (last day will be June 26th). When they signed on with me, they gave me 2 weeks deposit to cover for the last 2 weeks of care. But they are, as of now, paid up until the 19th of June (pay was last Friday for the following 2 weeks). My question, do I now owe them a week's pay? Apparently they've known he was leaving when they paid last week, but decided to wait until today to tell me, so this seems to have kinda screwed things up. This also comes at a horrible time since my hubby has been out of work and we SERIOUSLY do not have the money for me to pay her! Any advice would be helpful! Thanks.

You'll owe her for any unused days. The deposit is meant to cover the final 2 weeks of care...since they pay ahead of care then that money is not yours. Technically, it wasn't yours to spend when they gave it to you...it should have been put in a savings account to pay yourself for those final weeks (or in this case to pay yourself one week and return the extra week).

You'll need to find a way to find that money to give them on their last day of care.

Yes, you will owe them a week's pay back. They gave the proper notice and have paid the 2 week deposit to be used towards the last 2 week's of care. It just so happens that they gave notice between pay periods.

FWIW, I ask for a month's notice of withdrawal and upon starting, a one week deposit to be used towards the last month of care. It gives me lots of time (usually!) to fill the space and I still get 3 week's of pay from them so I'm not totally blindsided financially.

As already said, the deposit is used to cover the last 2 weeks of care. When a family gives notice you either pay yourself from the deposit if you have saved it or work for free if you have already spent it!

A little blurb in your contract saying the deposit is not refundable would save you from being in this position again. If a family gives less than 2 weeks notice they forfeit the remainder of the deposit.

In your current situation, you will have to pay them back.

Yes, you will owe her. If she paid up to 19th July and you had two weeks deposit from them, then when she leave on 26th, she only had one week fees attributed to notice period. You will owe her one week fees back.

It never come a good time but she followed your policies so she owed that money on final day of care, not later. Your financial situation not her issue just like if she had been laid off, it would not be your issue if she was struggling to pay fees.

I take two week deposit too for notice period but I require 4 weeks notice for this very reason.

Thanks ladies! I knew that I would probably have to pay her for the one week, but was hoping for a weird loop hole! Sigh..... I have also taken into account all your suggestions regarding notice and have already made the changes to my contract. Live and learn I guess.....

I always use my deposit towards their first 2 weeks of care that way I never have to worry about keeping the deposit for later use. I also require 3 weeks notice when someone is leaving. 2 weeks is never enough.

On a side note - it really bugs me when people know they are leaving and leave it to the last minute and blindside me. I actually put it in my contract that I ask for people to communicate with me their future plans so that I can maintain a proper waiting list. I had a mom once pick up her daughter at 5 on Friday (she had paid me for the next 2 weeks that morning) and tell me her daughter was done and not coming back those 2 weeks. I was so schocked. Now 3 weeks is required and I will likely push it to 4 weeks eventually.

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Originally Posted by mickyc

I always use my deposit towards their first 2 weeks of care that way I never have to worry about keeping the deposit for later use. I also require 3 weeks notice when someone is leaving. 2 weeks is never enough.

On a side note - it really bugs me when people know they are leaving and leave it to the last minute and blindside me. I actually put it in my contract that I ask for people to communicate with me their future plans so that I can maintain a proper waiting list. I had a mom once pick up her daughter at 5 on Friday (she had paid me for the next 2 weeks that morning) and tell me her daughter was done and not coming back those 2 weeks. I was so schocked. Now 3 weeks is required and I will likely push it to 4 weeks eventually.

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This has to be the "look out for myself so others can't screw me mentality" where they feel if they wait till last minute then the daycare provider can't end care before they are ready for it. It sucks for the kids who don't have time for good byes and all that.

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Originally Posted by mickyc

On a side note - it really bugs me when people know they are leaving and leave it to the last minute and blindside me.

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Dear parents,

If you know you're leaving, please let me know. Even if it's 2 months away. If you give me a firm leaving date, I'll respect it. I will appreciate it. I will know that you have taken me into consideration, even in a small way, when you made your decision. It will prevent the awkwardness that comes from learning about your decision to leave from your child. It will allow me to fill your vacancy with the right family and not the most convenient. And it will give me time to say a proper goodbye to you and your child when the time comes. Thank you.

Just wonder if those who would like to know with more notice than the contracted time, have ever given extra notice to employer when leaving. Is it common to give extra notice? When would you/have you done it?

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Originally Posted by Suzie_Homemaker

Just wonder if those who would like to know with more notice than the contracted time, have ever given extra notice to employer when leaving. Is it common to give extra notice? When would you/have you done it?

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Actually, yes. I gave more than a month's notice in the one job I've ever quit. Every other job I've had, ended when the kids grew up and the parents didn't need me (as a nanny) or the parents pulled the kid's out of my daycare. I have never terminated a daycare contract.

I don't think it's always possible to give lots of notice for these types of situations but what I don't understand is when the parent knows they are leaving and doesn't say anything for weeks. That's all.

Here, the law is that parents aren't required to give any notice. We aren't allowed to have any amount of mandatory notice in our contracts. They have to give notice of termination in writing but they can do that any day, and walk out with no further - anything. The most fee we can charge is $50 or 10% of what's left in the contract. So...yah, notice is greatly appreciated.

Even though I ask for as much notice as possible, I completely understand why parents only give the notice that they agreed to in the contract. In my case, that's a month. I've had a couple give more but usually it's just the 2 weeks (my old requirement)

I don't think I've ever given more notice than needed personally so I can't expect others to do so.

Okay, that make sense. I was thinking it was common practice to give more than contracted to in some fields.

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Originally Posted by kindertime

Dear parents,

If you know you're leaving, please let me know. Even if it's 2 months away. If you give me a firm leaving date, I'll respect it. I will appreciate it. I will know that you have taken me into consideration, even in a small way, when you made your decision. It will prevent the awkwardness that comes from learning about your decision to leave from your child. It will allow me to fill your vacancy with the right family and not the most convenient. And it will give me time to say a proper goodbye to you and your child when the time comes. Thank you.

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I totally get what you are saying, but in reality and in the mind of the parent, what you say you will do is not a guarantee. Just using what you say as an example, not necessarily meaning that you won't be true to your word, but still lots of people won't stick to good morals. If someone gives a couple months notice because they know so far in advance, there is absolutely nothing stopping the provider from looking for someone to fill the spot and getting shot sooner when an immediate start comes along. The parent only has to give 2 weeks notice so they do, potentially leaving the provider in a tough spot, but it works exactly the same way if the situation was reversed. I understand when people don't give more notice, although for me in my world, it would save a lot of hassle and it's generally the way that I have had to turn people away because I did not foresee a spot opening up, even though this parent had made these plans for such a long time. It's frustrating to say the least. As long as people stick to their contract I feel I can't grumble. It's when I get no notice that it drives me mad.

I'm in a similar spot now. I am closing in 6 weeks, and I haven't given notice and won't until 2 weeks before. I have known I was closing for over 6 months, but looking out for my best interests, I can not risk these parents leaving me early for fear of financial disaster. My giving up work is reliant on that income. I am sticking to my contract and while I really wanted to give additional notice, because really why wouldn't I, there was no guarantee that these families wouldn't find alternative care and leave sooner so I opted not to.

Kinder time - I love how you worded that. I may have to borrow it if you don't mind.

I would never terminate a family early EVER just to accommodate another family coming in. I have expressed that in all of my posts in other discussions. I have had parents tell me with plenty of notice what their plans are. I get an end date and advertise for that starting date. If someone requires care early that is to bad, it opens when my current family leaves. If they need it later they must start paying for it when it is open or take the chance and wait and it could potentially be gone.

I had a family book my daycare 6 months in advance because their current provider gave 6 months notice and my next spot was opening in 6 months as well. There are providers who will give lots of notice and families who will stay until the end. Personally I don't think I could ever give my families 2 weeks notice.

As for when I worked out of the home my employer was aware I was applying elsewhere. He gave me a great reference. When I wasn't coming back from mat leave I gave him 3 months notice.

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Originally Posted by mickyc

Kinder time - I love how you worded that. I may have to borrow it if you don't mind.

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I don't mind at all. I only wrote that here, it isn't in my policies. I find there is a difference between what I wouldn't do and what I expect others will do. Like you, I would never terminate a family early to accommodate someone else. I have, in fact, never canceled a contract with a family. I have told parents that I can't accommodate their upcoming part time needs but they had nearly a year's worth of notice on that. But that doesn't mean I expect that from the parents. After 10years, I fully expect the unexpected everyday. A few years ago, there was a family that was so excited to get a spot with me, they waited a few months until I had an opening and it was all good, I thought, but in 6months, they gave 2 weeks notice cuz they had a spot in the big center. They had obviously just been using me as a backup until they got the center spot. Now, these people were not strangers. I knew the dad when we were kids. This is a small community. If I started kicking people out for no reason, that would become widely known really quickly. News travels fast here. And the system that I work in is different than the rest of the country if you are private. All of my paperwork and all of my contracts are overseen by the coordinating office. If I am doing something that is not allowed, I will lose my license. There is a law that governs contracts and I have to follow that too. If I canceled a contract without serious cause, I could be sued. So...after all that, I just try to respect the contract but I don't really expect the parents will.

I think it's hard to say that you would act a certain way if you aren't in that persons shoes. Also I think it is sad that the "bad" parents if you will, have tainted our expectation of parents. A lot of us are committed to the belief that parents will screw us over without a second thought which I just don't think is true. I also think that even when we are left hanging, it's not always with the intent to hurt us or even because they are awful people, but perhaps more so that we do not know what kind of situation led to an often rushed decision. Changes of plans, financial circumstances or otherwise, are rarely clear to us from the outside regardless what anyone claims to know, it's generally an assumption based on the little info one has, but isn't always accurate.

There is a reason why a family pulls their kid with no notice. Just because we don't understand why, and because it screws us up and breaks contract, doesn't mean that it wasn't the right thing for the family or in some cases essential. It hurts us either financially or emotionally, but such is life. Good People make poor choices and also make the best choices for them given current circumstances. I also think in terms of notice, the contract is there for a reason. I don't think it is reasonable to expect anyone to give more than the contracted notice. Of course if you can, then why not, but things change. For example, If I gave my families notice 3 months ago and they left early because there are a shortage of providers and they didn't want to turn down an opening in case they were left panicking at the last minute, I actually wouldn't be able to go to University and would have had to defer for a year and advertise for more kids. I can't foresee whether or not this will happen, only thing I can do is stick to my end of the bargain which is to give 2 weeks notice. Some people just don't have the luxury of choice. This isn't the same as terminating and filling a spot with a better offer, I understand that. But I do think that looking out for oneself is something that more people should do better. A lot of the problems on here stem from doing something in the best interest of others when it comes at a personal price. I am not prepared to do that, because that is when there is a higher risk of getting burnt.

I require a 2 week deposit when a family signs up....this is usually a few months before their starting date. This deposit is TOTALLY NON REFUNDABLE AND DOES NOT GO TOWARDS ANY DAYCARE WHATSOEVER!...This deposit is to know that the family is SERIOUS...AND ALSO TO COVER A LITTLE BIT OF THE LOSS I INCUR DURING THOSE MONTHS...., IE....THE SPOT MIGHT HAVE BEEN OPEN LONG BEFORE THEIR STARTING DATE....AS A RESULT....I WILL NEVER OWE ANYONE MONIES WHEN THEY LEAVE....JUST THE WAY I DO IT....