I never said that I would be okay with them not paying me the normal monthly fee. I will NOT care for the children if I am not paid the correct amount. Perhaps I should have said this in my post. I was more just frustrated and venting and seeing if anyone else has struggled with difficult parents in this respect before. I believe an illness policy should be in place, as then everyone knows where erveryone else stands. Even if they pretend not to remember. I have struggled with this family before and have given them a "needs to improve by date" or else they're gone. I live in a very small place and finding children to fill spots is not easy at all, but I need the money to pay bills, etc. I am trying to make the best of my situation and am currently looking to fill this family's spots with another family that is more agreeable. However, for these children's sake I have tried in the past to make a positive impact in their lives(their own parent's couldn't care less about them I don't think), but I am at the end of my patience.