Technically..late payment

[Other Mummy]

Would you charge a late fee for daycare fees that are due on Monday morning but dck's (siblings) were sick and did not attend until Tuesday.

DCM brings kids this morning (without payment which was due yesterday). I'm planning to charge her for today (late fee) but what about yesterday? Her kids were sick and she kept them home, but I know other providers require parent to still drop by and bring payment. What would you do?

Yes I have a contract. Iron clad. But I'm wondering if I should waive the fee since they didn't come yesterday.

[Crayola kiddies]

They could have sent the payment by EMT. I don't accept cheques only cash and EMT. My fees are due on Fridays for the following two weeks care. If a child is absent on Friday and the family normally pays by cash I just tell them to send it by EMT so they don't have to make a special trip. That let's them know that fees are due regardless if their child is absent. So when you were notified that the child was going to be away you should have said" ok just send your fees by EMT so you don't have to go out". She should have had your payment to you this morning at drop off and I would have called her on it by saying "just a reminder that fees were due yesterday"
If she shows up tonight without payment I would say " just a reminder that fees were due on Monday please include the two days late fee when you bring it in the morning. If she brings it
tonight then maybe suggest she leave some postdated cheques (if that's how she pays you) Look into EMT .... Some banks you have to pay for it some you don't .... My bank is free for all incoming EMT's but I have to pay for outgoing. So I just set up a special security question and answer for each client and I sit on my couch and receive my fees .... I have one family that pays cash and I have one family that does cash sometimes and EMT sometimes. The rest are EMT.

[Momof4]

It depends. Do they push their boundaries all the time or was this a first time offence on all policies? I enforce my rules all the time but when a family occasionally doesn't have their payment on the proper day but promises to bring it the next day I'm ok with that. If they didn't bring it as promised I would have a big problem with that but thankfully that doesn't happen to me now that I've learned how to be tough and strict with the parents.

It's completely up to you what you decide to do but don't let little things slip more than once or they will start to push you on everything and walk all over you. Don't let that happen!

[playfelt]

I would charge a late fee for Tuesday but not for Monday in the sense that the kids were sick, and she was staying home with them where they should have been. I would not expect her to drive over with the money BUT I would have expected it at drop off on Tuesday because it was a day late - hence the late fee for Tuesday. Another reason why pay is due on Monday since we all week to be late and I still have my money by Friday night plus sometimes a bit more.

[mom-in-alberta]

I agree that it depends somewhat on the family. Are they normally dependable/reliable? If so, this may have been a rough week for them with sick kids, etc. Give a gentle but still firm reminder that the fees are due.
If this is a constant with this family, it's time to lay the hammer down! Lol
Tell them fees are due, plus two days late charges, to be paid by the next drop off, or care will be denied. I have all this in my handbook, so I can go back to it should the scenario arise. Usually, it only happens once!