Morning all.

I am new to the boards and to the home care provider scene. I currently care for one toddler, and am advertising for one more. After researching my city's norms both on this site and on others, I drew up a parental agreement that I thought was fair. I state in the contract that I am paid for sick days on the family's part, but not on my own, and that I receive paid stat holidays IF the holiday falls on a regularly scheduled care day.

I received a series of emails from an interested parent, and she was all set to set up an interview. She read my contract and procedures, schedules etc, and gushed about how she loved everything (activities, philosophies, even my prices) except my stat holidays and sick day policy. She told me that my stipulations are "unheard of", and that unless they took taxes off my weekly pay, they couldn't understand how I felt justified in asking for these days as paid. She said that if her child was sick, she would take a double hit, as she'd have to take the day off work AND pay me.

Anyhow, I sent her an email back, and told her that I was sorry but my contract is not negotiable. I feel that I worded it well, and I followed it up by telling her that I was not completely rigid, and I would allow for some flex in care, and that I would still love to meet her and her child, etc etc. She hasn't emailed back. So I just lost a client. I am having very few follow-throughs or new leads, so I am pretty disappointed.

Would there ever be a time when you would negotiate your contract? Like I said, I am new to the wonderful world of home child care, and would like a little insight.

Thanks in advance!