Teacher hours

Do any of you who take teachers have provisions in the contract to limit the hours when long hours of care isn’t really needed for work?(ie a teacher who now wants to come during the summer, or PA days etc)
The scenario is a teacher client who comes 1 hour ahead of the rest of the clients, so essentially I’m opening for 1 family when the rest don’t show up for another 1-2hrs later. I get that during work days if there is a commute involved.
So what would you do if the parent now wants to attend during the summer and expects to come in super early again, when there is no reason for it?
I know some providers that limit teachers to a certain number of hours on non working days.
What would you do? This client is on a school year contract only, so I was looking forward to not having to open so early during the summer.
Any input is appreciated!
Thanks!!

You would think she'd want to finally have a more relaxed routine summer mornings, but maybe her child is a super early riser; but then it's a good time to spend some no rush time with her kid.... I personally would not open earier as an exception during the summer... She can be the one to adjust to your schedule during this time. You're very generous to open early just for her the rest of the year. Children do attend with me on PA days. I work 8 to 5, no exception and I have teachers. It's my protection against burn out and ensures I'm fresh and happy for their children each day. During interview I tell them that.

I give teachers options.

1) pay tuition and a holding fee, sept to june. with no care over the summer.

2) pay tuition, sept to june and a holding fee july and august. with no care over the summer

3) pay a prorated tuition fee all year. can come 8-4pm on tue, wed, thur over the summer.

The need to decide when signing the contract. They can change for the following year (sept) when they renew their contracts in June.

PD days etc. during sept to june are regular contracted hours.

Hours
Sept to June: reg hours 8 - 4, or extended 7:30 - 5
Summer hours 8-4 (tue, wed, thurs. ONLY) I am closed on Mon and Fri.

If she now wants summer hours - do a new contract for the summer with the hours/days that work for you and your business.

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Originally Posted by Busy ECE mommy

Do any of you who take teachers have provisions in the contract to limit the hours when long hours of care isn’t really needed for work?(ie a teacher who now wants to come during the summer, or PA days etc)
The scenario is a teacher client who comes 1 hour ahead of the rest of the clients, so essentially I’m opening for 1 family when the rest don’t show up for another 1-2hrs later. I get that during work days if there is a commute involved.
So what would you do if the parent now wants to attend during the summer and expects to come in super early again, when there is no reason for it?
I know some providers that limit teachers to a certain number of hours on non working days.
What would you do? This client is on a school year contract only, so I was looking forward to not having to open so early during the summer.
Any input is appreciated!
Thanks!!

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When we look for clients and get interviews and do our screening, usually we agree with hours of operation (also signed in our contracts), it is basically our choise to take clients that need our services earlier (if I had signed a contract with a client to start earlier than the other families I usually follow through, because it was my choise and I made that decision). When I had teachers I had the choice of:

1. Work Sep to Jun (with an adjusted prorated monthly rate) and consciously know that during summer I won't have income (which I had to keep some contingency percentage of the monthly payment, that way I would have some savings for summer moths)
2. I have never expected for teacher parents to change their hours because during summer they have a break (unless there is a room to negotiate in my contract). I had teacher parents that during summer breaks, they would get part time jobs or needed their time to prepare for next year's curriculums etc. (Basically I was open the hours that my contract said).

3. I had teachers that once signed contracts for Sep to Jun terms they extended during summer months for full time, once they notice on how their children thrive in daycare they most likely decide to keep them in group care (and that I have seeing with both parents teachers and two kid's in childcare).

4. Disregards, of them being in their homes or not. My operation has an schedule so, my only reminder to them is to just let me know if they will arrive late or to join us where ever we are during our outings.

I guess due to demand it also depends, you can always negotiate or change it.

I charge teachers year round. I don't set my charging policies by employer. My bills need paying year round. If a teacher joins my day home, they know that they are expected to pay for the space during the summer regardless of whether or not they use it. Just like everyone else pays for their space when they are on family vacation or for any other reason they aren't attending on their registered days.

Since your teacher has a term time contract only, you have the option of considering if you are even willing to take this child over the summer. You said you were looking forward to not having this child in the summer months so don't feel obligated to offer your services if you don't want to.

If you do decide to take the child over the summer months, then be really clear that the hours are standard business hours - not extended hours.

I have two client's who come 30 mins before opening. They pay for that time because I don't work for free and it's not unreasonable to be compensated for my time. The ability to come before opening time is based on true need (i.e. to get to work on time) but on days they are not working, then they don't need early drop off and therefore it's not available. They are required to communicate with me if they aren't arriving early by the night before. If ever I am up and ready to start work for the extended hours and they don't show up until regular time without prior notice, they lose the right to have extended hours since they clearly don't actually need them.