I started my daycare last October with an agency and have started providing private care in April. I have a contract but I am thinking that it needs to be revised to include certain issues that I have come across.

1. I normally ask for payment on the Monday they drop off their children for those following two weeks of care. I don't have an issue with parents being late for payment (thank god!) but when one of my parents drops of the payment, she advises that the child won't be here for a day, or two, or three and deducts that payment. I didn't mind the first few times (because it kinda gave me a break) but I think over the past couple of months, this child has been absent for around 10 days, which is like a whole two weeks of pay. Do any of you ladies have anything in your contract that covers absences?

2. Do you have your parents pay the deposit and use it towards their last two weeks of payment? Right now I don't have any payment from them, but I do say in my contract that they must give two weeks notice. But who knows, they might leave me high and dry.

3. Vacation pay - I have stated in my contract that I take one week PAID and one week UNPAID per year. I'm thinking of changing it to two weeks UNPAID and keep my stats PAID. Another provider suggested that I state two weeks per calendar year that the child is absent.

4. Breakfast - I have one parent who consistantly drops her kids off without feeding them breakfast...poor things. and most of the time drops them off after our snack time. I have my daily schedule of activities on my contract but I think I should put something specific saying that you must feed your child breakfast prior to being dropped off because they won't have another meal until lunchtime. I don't like to feed the kids outside of the designated meals times as it disrupts the schedule for the other kids.

Thanks for your input.
Sarah