I am in a pickle.....

[ttremble88]

Hello daycare world.

First, I must say, that I am brand new (yay!) and I love reading through all of the treads. And now I need some of you wonderful peeps opinion. I have just moved to a much smaller area then what I was in before, so naturally, I assumed finding daycare children would take awhile because of the lack of demand. So my first 4 children that I took in were before and after school care. Here is the basic schedule that I was promised from each and this is what I am getting: (I only charge for days that the child is here....which I am learning was a huge mistake)

Child 1: 3-4 days before school a week : 1-3 days before school a week
Child 2: 2 days before school + 3 days after school : 1-2 days after school
Children 3&4: Come as their schedule was promised.

I have just had a new girl join for Monday and Tuesdays before school only. This was suppose to be her first week, and she did not need care on either day.

I feel like I am holding these part time spots but am not only losing on the lack of days promised, but now they are not even attending on the days that are promised. I have the opportunity to take another set of brothers in what seems like full time care, but it will put me over ratio for an hour on days that the other part timers DO decide to show up.

What do I do?? I have one child who has not been here for 2 weeks and this week he is here for 45 minutes. My husband said give the ones who are wasting my time a 2 week notice and look for more full timers. But I am a softy and at the moment I do not have a huge demand of people for full time.

Opinions?!

[treeholm]

They have to pay for the time they contract, whether they use it or not. I have a full-time child whose mother has decided to keep him home one day a week. He comes 4 days a week now instead of 5. I'm fine with that. They pay for 5 days a week, of course. That was the agreement. If she wants to keep him home with her on her day off, great.

[Crayola kiddies]

Well first of all you need to write up a letter for all parents saying that they will be required to pay for all days contracted for weather they attend or not. In the letter have an area (graph or something ) with the days if the week and what each was originally asking for

Dear parents

Starting Monday jan 6 you will be required to pay for all days originally contracted for regardless of attendance so that I may schedule accordingly. Also all fees are required biweekly on Fridays before 5 pm for the following two weeks care. The days that I have you scheduled for are as follows:
Monday xxxxx
Tuesday xxxxx
Wednesday xxxx
Thursday. Xxxx
Friday xxxxx

The total amount due biweekly is. Xxxxx
Please sign and return this form by Friday dec 13, any form not signed and returned by this date will signify that care is no longer required.
Thank you for your understanding
Your daycare provider

This will let you know who really wants care and who is just looking for a back up. Unless you want to be a drop in centre you need to make people pay for what they sign up for.

[Mommy]

Do you have a contract ? If you don't wrote one up ASAP. Put in there a full time spot opportunity will take over a part time or before and after school spots. Also that they have to pay for what was stated in your agreement wether they attend or not. I have it in my contract that people pay for the spot not by the days they attend. Otherwise you end up losing money or not ever knowing what you are going to make each month. Don't do favors for your clients like hours doing. They are taking advantage of your kindness. And 95% of the time parents will take advantage of whatever they can. Take the full time boys. Your family needs come first. Not those of parents that screw you over weekly.