First off DON'T put anything about paid time off in your contract. Put it in your handbook. This goes for all providers across Canada. If you get audited and you have that you get paid for stats, vacation, sick days etc. the government can go after all your clients, past and present to collect the employer portion of cpp and ei. This is because if you charge for these you are no longer self employed, by are employed by your clients.

There is a way to get around this. Have a contract and a handbook, keep them seperate. If you get audited you give them your contract (financial information), not the hand book. Have this in your contract:

Payment is your tuition for the program and does not vary due to parental vacation, or illness of the child. If the daycare is open and your child does not attend for whatever reason, or if the daycare is closed for any reason, payment is still expected in full. In other words you pay the same tuition fee amount every two (2) weeks.

or this

Payment is your tuition for the program and does not vary due to parental vacation, or illness of the child. If the daycare is open and your child does not attend for whatever reason.

Have all other information in your hand book. Example:
Daycare Closures:

A burned out provider or a sick provider is a dangerous provider. A provider needs time off throughout the year and when sick, (for such illnesses such as the flu) to insure she is well rested and well enough to ensure the safety of the children in her care.

Scheduled days off:

You will be given at least three (3) weeks’ notice. It is the parent’s responsibility to find back up care.

Scheduled days off include, but not limited to:

• March Break
• Christmas

The days off due to illness/Emergency days:

These are taken as needed. It is the parent’s responsibility to find back up care. Please note that illness of myself or my children can come on suddenly leaving very little notice; if any. If I or my children have a simple cold the daycare will remain open.

Other Daycare Closures:

New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Civic Holiday, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Monday, Remembrance Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Eve.

If the holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday I can either take the Friday before or the Monday after off or on another day during the week before or the week after.


We ask to be paid on stats because our clients get paid for them, its that simple. Yes some of your clients might be self employed and don't get paid for them, but that isn't our fault. If you have it in your handbook and have one of the two lines above in your contract and they signed your contract they have to pay you for those days.

For more information on this check out www.homedaycarebusiness.weebly.com