Doing a handbook change for the new year! Advice needed. Late pick up revision.

[Inspired by Reggio]

My policies include something along the following

If you anticipate being late to the program and a phone call or text is required to notify the program that an emergency person will be picking up in your stead. This requirement is so that your child can be prepared for the change in their routine and departure can be least stressful for them.

If no alternative person can be arranged to pick up your child on time please note that a $1/minute late fee will apply for every minute of overtime past your contracted hour end time.

Finally in regards to lateness my family time is VERY important to me and my after work hours are often busy with extra curricular activities and time sensitive appointments ~ therefore clients who experience chronic issues with lateness will have their contracts terminated and forfeiting of their security deposit.

I would it in those three parts because I want to send the message that regardless of the late fee policy LATENESS is UNACCEPTABLE ... I do not have a problem with lateness because clients do not want to be terminated from care and because I follow all my other policy to a T they have no reason to assume I would not here either!

In 6 years I have had two truly late clients by that I mean over their contracted care or past my actual 'closing time' if they are those who are normally 'less' than 9 hours contracted care wise .... but both called in advance that they could not find a back up and both were true family emergencies one a death in the family and the other a car accident by the one parent who'd been en route to pick up ~ both times I waived the actual fee cause they were A) true unplanned emergencies, B) they called in advance of being late and tried to make alternate arrangements verses leaving me here wondering and worrying with their child 'what was up' and C) they were here as quick as they could be under the circumstances. Had they just been late because they failed to plan for traffic, weather conditions slowing down traffic or the length of a line up at the errand they chose to do before picking their kid up than I would have charged them the fee cause those are all thing you should leave yourself a BUFFER for!