Venting! time to get rid of part time families!

[ilovetolive]

I have been having trouble with a mom over my fees. She needs two days a week for afterchool care for two children. I charge a flat rate of $12 for after school care (two hours) which includes picking the kids up and feeding them a snack. Since she needs two days a week i gave her a monthly rate of $192. This ends up being cheaper for her because her kids come monday and tuesdays, so on some months she ends up getting two school days free. I have explained to here that i am holding two spots for her kids.

She should be happy with this! In october, She told me that her kids had hockey on tuesday and she would need to pick them up 45 min earlier. She wanted to only pay $6 on those days. So i am picking her kids up, feeding them snack for only $6! I said no. It's not like I can find other kids to come for the last 45 min to make up the difference.

Here is the interesting part, it's two months later and she still isn't picking her kids up early on Tuesday. Did she lie to me, thinking that i would lower her rates? She is a teacher, so she can come earlier than most parents. She always arrives right at closing time.

I told my parents that i would give them a prorated fee in December due to the xmas holidays. If they don't come during the xmas break, they don't have to pay anything. I do this because it encourages parents to find alternate care and it give me time with just my kids without having to officially close my dayhome. This mom gave me her schedule for her kids for December and asked what her fee will be. She put down mondays only, NO tuesdays for the month of December! I don't think so! I am charging her for three full weeks!

anyway, I have had enough. I am not taking any part timers any more. In January I am telling this mom that starting September 2013 all parents will have to pay for a monday-friday spot for after school care, whether they need all five days for not! She can look for a new day home.

[Inspired by Reggio]

And yet another reason why I do not offer this service AT ALL ... honestly they are taking up a space in your program unless you only want a part time income you are better off with a full time childcare paying you $35 a day than a PITA school age client taking up the same space paying you $12 and complaining about it

[mimi]

It is parents like this that push push push for what they want that leaves many providers exhausted. I am glad you have toughend your stance with regarding b/a school care. This mom did not respect you. Let us know what her reaction is to your new policy.

[apples and bananas]

She's lucky you took them on at all. I charge 15 for before and after school. Doesn't matter how long they're here for or if they're just before or after. And I'm considering raising to $20 for before and after and only $15 for just before OR After.

[Sandbox Sally]

She's lucky you took them on at all. I charge 15 for before and after school. Doesn't matter how long they're here for or if they're just before or after. And I'm considering raising to $20 for before and after and only $15 for just before OR After.

This is my rate for school agers. Having said that, I can't wait to get rid of the ones I have (will do by June, I think), and do only full time babies or toddlers. I am tired of parents nickel and diming my business into the ground. lol

[Monday 2 Friday Mama]

I agree - it sounds like a very fair deal. I'm not sure why this woman is kvetching. =( I've been asked about before and after school care and I've always turned it down. It just doesn't pay the bills, and frankly it's a lot of work for very little pay. Until the regulations are changed, (caregivers are only allowed to mind a maximum of 5 children) and we are allowed to distinguish between full time/part time/before and after school care I will try my best to only have full time children in my care - it makes the most economic sense.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I agree - it sounds like a very fair deal. I'm not sure why this woman is kvetching. =( I've been asked about before and after school care and I've always turned it down. It just doesn't pay the bills, and frankly it's a lot of work for very little pay. Until the regulations are changed, (caregivers are only allowed to mind a maximum of 5 children) and we are allowed to distinguish between full time/part time/before and after school care I will try my best to only have full time children in my care - it makes the most economic sense.

You can have more than 5 families on your roster ~ you can just never have more than 5 children in attendance ... I started out with a licensed agency so had to follow their rules with age groupings but I had 1 full time child and 8 children sharing my remaining four spaces on a consistent part time schedule so they never over lapped ... it was a PITA but it was legal here in Ontario anyway

The challenge with 'before and after school' IME is that most of THEM also want full day care on PD, March break and summer closures so than yes THEY take up a full time space than ... but other than that you can have a child coming Monday / Wednesday / Friday and share a space with someone coming Tuesday / Thursday and you can have a child coming 7 am - noon and a school age kid one come 3 - 6 if they do not need PD or non school coverage ~ just as long as their hours are never overlapping.

[Smitty]

yup I'm in the same boat with the before/after school kids. I live in a very small community so when I started up it was business at least. I wish I hadn't taken any of them because I can not even charge much if I want to compete with another daycare in the area. I charge 10/day or 6 for either before or after. not enough $ after they eat and do crafts!