Late, but within operating hours

[sunnydays]

What do you ladies do if a parent is late tp pick-up, but you are technically still open and still have other kids? I am open 7:30-5:00, but ask parents to choose a nine hour block, which they each have done and each has set hours. I have had one parent text or call to say she will be 10-15 minutes late...it has happened three times. I felt bad making a fuss about it because I still had other kids here when she arrived and it didn't make a huge difference to me. But, at the same time, I think it isn't fair because everyone else is getting a maximum of nine hours of care for their fees and she is using more on those days. I try to be reasonable, but where do you draw the line? Do you charge late fees in a case like this? I think if it had just been once, I wouldn't even have worried about it...but it worries me that it has happened three times...I feel I may have set myself up for it now.

[BlueRose]

If your contract says the child will be picked up at 4pm and the parent is late, charge them a late fee. doesn't matter if you are open or not, it goes by the hours on your contract. When i worked in retail if I stayed late for what ever reason they still had to pay me for my time. Same here, you are working later then the scheduled time, so you get paid.

however if your contract stats that they have until 5pm to pick up then no late fee.

[kidlove]

Depends. If it is not chronic and a real reason for being late and they otherwise have respect and show me value, I will sometimes let it waive. BUT, I will usually word it like "I will waive a late fee this time but if you need to change your hours please let me know to avoid further fees in the future" I will offer parents extra charges for anything over 9 hours and it is substantially less than a late fee. But, if they are picking up outside their pre-set pick-up? doesn't matter if I am still open, they are still late.

[playfelt]

I try to take into account where they work, the type of job they have and the traffic they face. I allow 10 hours of care because not everyone is paid over lunch so some actually work a 9 hour day with an hour off unpaid for lunch or they work where there is a 45 minute commute, etc. If given all of this it is reasonable to expect that on some occasions the woman is cutting it tight to be able to do the 9 hour day then I probably would let it go as long as it was within my working hours and the child did not need anything extra - ie didn't need an extra snack or bottle or held and was just hanging out at my house so to speak.

I would discuss it with her and find out why it is happening and how often she thinks it will happen.

I used to have a single mom that worked in Bells Corners and finished at 4 but rarely got out the door at 4 so to get to my house before 5 was tight some days - once she was gone I changed my hours to 4:45 so if you are late you are still here and gone by 5 not 5:15. But if she was later than 5 more than two times in a week she always baked me something on the weekend so would arrive on Monday with a loaf of banana bread - the idea being she took my private time and so spent her time on me. Boy I miss being baked for.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I changed my hours after a few years being open cause I was struggling with this issue as well ~ slowly over time people were leaving their kids longer and longer than they had initially said they 'needed' cause they figured I was open so why not!

So now my hours are 7:30 - 4:30 for one fee and therefore all my contracts are based on that MAX nine hour day because most clients are able to work their day that one drops off and the other picks up to keep their child in care the 'minimal amount of time required'. Anyone needing MORE than that negotiates upon enrollment or ahead of time at an additional fee and if they are just LATE with no prearrangement that they pay a late fee of $1/per minute to compensate me for my time AND if you are chronically late in this manner you risk termination of your contract!

A wise provider friend of mine coined the phrase that failure to plan on someone elses part does not make an emergency on MINE ... my hours are clear you drop off and pick up within them or arrange for someone else to do so on your behalf!

I give parents an annual 'buffer' of not having a plan in place for a true 'emergency' where I do not charge late fees ... and like Kidlove I use that one 'buffer' as a reminder of what will happen NEXT TIME and as a result clients are not late again in the future and if they know something is coming up they PLAN AHEAD and request an extended hour arrangement for a day rather than just assuming I will be ok with them showing up late

[apples and bananas]

I don't have open and closing hours anymore. I have clients hours on a contract. I don't charge late fees because my time is more valuble. I might let one or two slide, but after that I'd have a discussion before it gets to be habit.

[Momof4]

I also don't have specific hours in my contract but most of my clients stick to the same hours every day which I appreciate very much. I have one family on shiftwork and their times change week by week but they only use 6 1/2 hour days, like 9-3:30 so I don't mind even a little bit.

But then I have another family who arrives anytime they feel like it but it's between 8 & 8:30 so no biggie and they pickup anytime the feel like it but it's between 4 & 4:45 so again no biggie. I'm officially open between 7:30-5 and parents are free to use a 9 hour day within those hours and pay a late fee if they exceed the 9 hours or are here past 5pm. It's up to them.

However, I have a social life in the evenings and sometimes I'm waiting for a friend to pick me up at 5pm and I want to get ready and wish the parents would be on time. If parents truly respect us they check with us in the morning or the evening before about the times. For instance, my dcparents know I'm not a morning person so I get up and showered and dressed a 1/2 hour before I open and if they surprise me I'm NOT ready! But I have a fantastic working relationship and open communication with all the families in my care and mutual respect and admiration.

[sunnydays]

I would love to do as Reggio has done and make my hours the same for everyone...but one family needs 8-5 (the family that moved with me from my old location) and the rest are all 7:30-4:30. I don't want to change hours for that family as they have been with me longest and area great family. I will see how it goes and if it becomes a habit I will be more firm. I don't feel she is doing it on purpose or just running errands etc or I would have put a stop to it right away ( I had a family like that in the past and never again will I stay open later for a family who doesn't actually need it)...I think she just got stuck at work and she let em know right away. I don't want it to become a habit, but I also understand that things happen and since I am still open, it doesn't bother me that much. However, it will become a problem the day all the other kids have left and I am staying open late for hers.

[Momof4]

Ha! Note to self! Really funny ladies!

[Inspired by Reggio]

I would love to do as Reggio has done and make my hours the same for everyone...but one family needs 8-5 (the family that moved with me from my old location) and the rest are all 7:30-4:30. ....

When I made my change from working 7 - 5:30 to 7:30 - 4:30 I had one original client like this as well ~ I changed my hours publicly on my website and with all my other clients clarified this was how things were now and they were all cool cause it did not affect them and with the ONE client actually affected at time before I publicly announced the change I told them they would be 'grandfathered in' so I did not charge them the same 'extra extended hour fees' I now charge any new clients signing on cause I had made an agreement with them and wanted to honor it even though I had decided it was not going to work long term ... basically my agreement with them was private and no one elses business however they were awesome and when they found out I would be working late for just their kid they were able to make arrangements to purchase additional carseat in order to share drop off and pick up and therefore reduce their hours a bit anyway so they are still a bit outside the 7:30 - 4:30 not the full 10 hours they were initially using cause mom as doing all the drop off and pick ups alone prior

IMO if we do not let others know what is not working for us or causing us stress or what we need how can they know we need their help on how to fix it... if you are struggling with too long hours let the ones using them know you'd never know if they could actually 'shorten' them if need be and are just using the max cause they figured they could and it was 'easier' for them.