Rule breakers!

[Suzie_Homemaker]

I guess as they won't or do not want to pay. You can also keep their last "childcare receipt " until they pay their last fee.

Don't withhold their receipts. It's illegal. The consumers acts of each province will state that a consumer is legally entitled to a receipt for goods or services they have paid for. You have to issue the receipt for money paid (less anything owing of course) but don't with hold their receipt. Two wrongs don't make a right.

Small claims court will take time. You can even suggest to this family to ask other caregivers so they can realize that this is a norm. They have to pay with a child in attendance or not.

Small claims doesn't take long at all. A few weeks compared to debt collection. File your case. You'll get a date about 4-6 weeks in the future when you file and pay the fee. You then serve or have someone serve the other party. They have a set amount of time to respond if they wish. If they respond and accept all your statements as true, they admit guilt and you can bypass the hearing and get the judgement. If they don't respond or dispute your case, then it moves ahead. If either of you don't show, the other party will win by default so you must show up. Judge hears both sides. You get a decision there and then. Takes about 10 days for the Judge to write up his finding and issue the judgement.

Send them a demand letter with a signed copy of their contract attached. Give them a fixed date or no more than 2 weeks away to settle in full. Let them know that failure to settle by that date will result in you filing your claim in court. At that stage, you will be seeking not just the debt but also the filing costs, any interest/late payment fees in your contract. Spell out that late payment fees from the time the debt was owed until court date is considerable. Let them know that in the event of you winning the case, a Judgment will be entered against them which can affect their credit rating for up to 6 years after settlement. Let them know that settling the debt in full is the cheapest way. Be prepared to actually follow up with a court filing if they don't pay.