Newbie Question regarding Vacation

[bri]

I was wondering how many people charge clients for their personal vacation days? And how many people take payed sick days? So many families that come for interviews don't want to pay for my vaction, their vaction, their sick days ect. I am strick on they have to pay for their days not here as it is too hard to budget otherwise and people take advantage of that. But I am willing to maybe consider not asking for payment if I take a day off. Is this crazy or do most people not charge when they are off. thanks for the advise.

[michellesmunchkins]

I don't charge for any days off that I take, and I allow families to take up to 2 weeks (10 days) of vacation time that they DON'T pay for. I will NEVER again allow this. Its been awful. The loss of income is huge, not to mention the short notice when they just decide on a friday that they are taking the next 2 weeks off. Its in my contract that they have to give me 2 weeks written notice, but what I've found is that my families never read a damn thing in the contract and just do as they please...sigh...if only I was doing this just cause and didn't need the money.

I don't charge for my vacation and am taking a week off for the first time in years next month. My god did I get flack for it...so many rude emails from parents, right down to one mom emailing me 2 days ago to tell me that I damn well screwed her over for taking a vacation week...I find its never ending in this job, someone is always upset or annoyed or not wanting to do something. Parents don't want to pay for anything daycare related, yet will spend a fortune getting their hair and nails done.

Good luck in whatever you chose, but going forward parents pay for the space, no vacation time for them at all without paying. They still won't pay for days that I take off though as in my area that would never fly and I'd never have any clients...

[Starshine]

I take 2 weeks off a year--parents do NOT pay for this. If they take vacation outside of this time, they pay.

I've never had to take a sick day myself, but if I did, I would not charge for it.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I have two payment options for my clients

Option A ~ you pay daily fee for the space you are occupying based on your contract ~ you pay the SAME regardless of your child's attendance, inclement weather including 10 stat closures, 10 vacation day closures, 10 personal/sick/emergency closures for myself ~ anything more than that your fees are credited at the daily rate.

Option B ~ you pay a 8% higher daily fee for the space your are occupying based on your contract but if the program is CLOSED for anything outside a stat holiday you do not pay anything and your fees owed are credit at the daily rate.

I do not offer clients any 'unpaid' sick days or vacation days if their child is not attending ~ just to hard to budget for and tracking all that just more work.

[Momof4]

I am closed 3 weeks of the year for vacation, so the clients pay for the other 49 weeks of the year, period! No matter if they have sick days, missed days, vacation days or any stat days, they pay full fees and there is never any question about it.