I'm new to this, just started in February, and had initially wanted to be flexible, accommodating and helpful to parents. As a parent, I was a shiftworker and had to spend up to $1200/month for one child to get care for all our shifts. M-F workers in my area pay $700. Unfortunately, I've already had issues with parents haggling for lower rates, longer days, being late for pick up, dropping off an hour late with no notice, and not sending necessary items (like no shoes many times for a 1.5yo when I'm required by the province to go outside twice a day).

I've just gotten approved by an agency, and I do need to add things to my handbook to meet their regulations (simple things like a breastfeeding policy and including where our menu is posted). I'd like to take this opportunity to tweak other things in my favour and 'blame' it on the agency. Overall, this process is positive for parents, because it means I'm getting monthly inspections, and they know I'm being held accountable to the regulations, plus they can apply for government subsidy. I'm going to sit down with each parent outside of hours to go over the new paperwork, help them fill in the agency's form, and talk about the changes. My rates won't change, but I will now enforce being paid for scheduled days that they are absent, and only 2 weeks of discounted rate for vacations (after that they pay full rate to hold their spot).

What is the most important point of your contract? What do you wish you could have laid out to parents in the beginning?