What do you do in these circumstances?

[playfelt]

It is very hard when it is our own kids that are sick. We want to drop everything and devote our time to them. What we have to remember is that part of having a home based business is that our children sort of cease to be ours and become part of the collective community - you become mom to 7 not 2. Each has needs and all have to be met even if it is your own child that has to wait, go without once in awhile or whatever. You can still sit on the couch and cuddle any child that needs it while they others play on the floor or watch tv quietly. I can totally understand when parents get upset that we do not value their time, work committments etc as we said we would when we opened the daycare just because we dont' want to do daycare for a day and we want to just be a mom. Businesses that don't put their customers first don't last long in business. Now not saying that can totally apply to us in daycare because our families, our kids our home is such an integral part of it all but we have to try and come to some decisions on where the mom part stops and the daycare business person starts and how to make the two work together.

[dodge__driver11]

Any time I give the parent the option to bring the child or not they pay because I stay open, if I close, I credit them.

[fruitloop]

The reason I charge when the option is given is because I have a separate d/c space. I can isolate my children away from the daycare area where I can not isolate a daycare child. I only close if my children need constant attention (if they were throwing up a lot for example). If they just have a fever and are lethargic, then they can hang out in the family room and watch t.v. away from the dc.

[Manue]

The reason I charge when the option is given is because I have a separate d/c space. I can isolate my children away from the daycare area where I can not isolate a daycare child. I only close if my children need constant attention (if they were throwing up a lot for example). If they just have a fever and are lethargic, then they can hang out in the family room and watch t.v. away from the dc.

That is exactly what I do. My daughters room is downstairs where the daycare is and I have a tv and dvd player in it for these exact circumstances. I always try to isolate my children from the others as much as I can and when they are sick with fever they welcome the quiet room

[Sandbox Sally]

If my kids need me, I close. If they're under the weather, I keep them upstairs in their rooms to minimize exposure. Mind you, this is easy for me as my kids are 8, 10 and 13. If they were tiny, I would close if they were sick, every time, as awful as that might be, because a sick toddler/preschooler always needs their momma, IMO.

I would charge for the day, as you were open. I always charge unless I close. It's in my contract, and there is no confusion.

[monkeymama]

I charge when I am open. If I have to close for illness, no payment required.

[Inspired by Reggio]

If I was open and offering care and a client choose not to attend than they would pay.

However if someone in my house had symptoms for which I would 'exclude' any other daycare child than I would be closed or if the family member in question is old enough they would be 'isolated' in an area of the house that never 'interacts' with the rest of the group so there would be no need to give clients a 'heads up' because well the kid is not in the program anyway to be a 'risk'.

[Momof4]

If I'm open they pay and you gave her the option and made it clear you were open and willing to work. She pays!

[Daycare123]

If my little one is sick I close-she is still little and needs mama when she is under the weather. I have a separate space as well. My handbook states that if I am open parents pay.

[kidlove]

if i am open ,they are expected to pay. However, I have very strict policies for parents to keep children removed for full 48 hours after the sick are well, so I feel I must do the same, soo when my kids are ill, I close and don't charge of course!
personally, I wouldnt make her pay for that day because she (in her mind) didnt have a choice of whether or not to bring her child to day care, it wasnt fit, due to illness. Nobodies fault, but wouldn't make her pay for being IMO the only smart parent out of the bunch!