Set your new policy of late pick up charges with ALL parents. Give it to them in writing AND remind them to set their watches & car clocks to the time on YOUR clock.
Post by curbsideprophet on Mar 6, 2015 22:56:01 GMT -5
Our daycare policy is also $1/min per kid. I believe you have 5 days to pay it. If it happens more than twice in a 12 months period there is a flat fee in addition to the per minute fee (I think $10). After the 4th time in 12 months you risk being kicked out.
I FULLY agree w/ the advice to make the fee due at the time of pick up and in cash. Don't just add it to their bill. They won't feel the impact as immediately. Cash at time of pickup and the kids can't come back until it's paid.
I'd like to hope that this will be the kick in the pants that she needs to realize you can't be taken advantage of, but it's doubtful. You need to start preparing yourself to fire her.
but it sounds like maybe her hours don't work with the daycare hours?
It's already been established that this isn't the case, but even if it was, it's really not the OPs problem to solve. She closes too early for the mom? Then it should be on the MOM to find a daycare that is open later.
I agree with the $1 per kid per minute late. Make sure that you designate a specific clock you will go by for the charge.
If this doesn't motivate her, at least you'll get some extra cash instead of having her straight taking advantage of you. Maybe call it fun money for working overtime.
$1 per minute is what our preschool charges. Totally standard, and reasonable.
One time my car battery wouldn't start, and I spoke with the director ASAP that I would come as soon as possible. I ended up being 40 minutes late, and she charged me $20 to go to the teacher that stayed with DD. That rubbed me the wrong way a tiny bit, but at the same time, that teacher was inconvenienced.
Totally different situation but now I'm reminded of it: We used to go to an in-home and the provider complained a lot about us arriving late in the mornings. She wanted us there by 8 am, so all kids to be done with bfast by 8:20a. We would usually come around 8:15am. She said that having to feed my the kids bfast when the other kids were already finishing was a disruption and screwed up the schedule for the rest of the day. She said if were were not there by 8 am, then I should feed the kids bfast at home first. I was like whhhaa? I admit that I didn't try too hard to pull back our schedule. I took both my (full time) kids out.
My current daycare charges for late pick up, but my last one also charged for late dropoff (past 9 am) because it threw off the kids schedule for the day. (Toddlers and older). I think it's totaly reasonable to have a scheduled time for breakfast.
They are taking advantage of you. By leaving their children in your care past closing hours, they are getting FREE care at the worst possible time for you. And you are allowing it.
As much as you don't want to make it an option at all, it HAS clearly become an option - and a free one!
If you want to discourage care past closing, you have to institute a steep penalty. Yes, they may just 'pay it' but it won't be for free anymore. And you will create a major dis-incentive for them to do it. Frankly, this is PRIME, inconvenient child care time. Make it really expensive. And you can also include, in the new policy, that excessive lateness may lead to termination from the program. That way it's on THEM that they get kicked out.
I suspect the hardest part of the new policy, for you, will be to collect the extra funds. Take yourself seriously and enforce this. I would strongly recommend that "late payment is due to return to the program" - and stick to it. Don't allow them to drop-off if they haven't paid for yesterday's late pick-up. And STOP driving them to their parent's house! I can't imagine the liability you are risking! I assume you have a rider on your home to cover the program, but what's your coverage if (g@d forbid) you have an accident on the road? Not your homeowners, right, that's really muddy waters. And my head hurts to think that you are still liable after you leave them with the brother. I mean, when does your liability end and the parents begin when you are transporting them and leaving them in the brother'so care - do you really want to carry that risk?
That rubbed me the wrong way a tiny bit, but at the same time, that teacher was inconvenienced.
What exactly rubbed you the wrong way?
and @songforyou
I wasn't expecting to be charged because of the circumstances.
Typically I go in to get DD, but on that day the director walked DD to my car. I thought she was doing me a personal favor.
I wasn't asked for the money at pick up. She ended up asking for the $20 about a week later.
edited to add
I didn't know the logistics of someone else staying behind to care for DD, since the director walked DD to my car. I thought DD was with her the whole time, and she had said not to worry because she is still normally there at that time anyway. But in hindsight, she probably meant not to worry about being so late, not that I wouldn't pay anything.
They are taking advantage of you. By leaving their children in your care past closing hours, they are getting FREE care at the worst possible time for you. And you are allowing it.
As much as you don't want to make it an option at all, it HAS clearly become an option - and a free one!
If you want to discourage care past closing, you have to institute a steep penalty. Yes, they may just 'pay it' but it won't be for free anymore. And you will create a major dis-incentive for them to do it. Frankly, this is PRIME, inconvenient child care time. Make it really expensive. And you can also include, in the new policy, that excessive lateness may lead to termination from the program. That way it's on THEM that they get kicked out.
I suspect the hardest part of the new policy, for you, will be to collect the extra funds. Take yourself seriously and enforce this. I would strongly recommend that "late payment is due to return to the program" - and stick to it. Don't allow them to drop-off if they haven't paid for yesterday's late pick-up. And STOP driving them to their parent's house! I can't imagine the liability you are risking! I assume you have a rider on your home to cover the program, but what's your coverage if (g@d forbid) you have an accident on the road? Not your homeowners, right, that's really muddy waters. And my head hurts to think that you are still liable after you leave them with the brother. I mean, when does your liability end and the parents begin when you are transporting them and leaving them in the brother'so care - do you really want to carry that risk?
The only reason I am willing to take them to their house occasionally is because they live in our same neighborhood, just a couple of streets over. If I had to go on any public roads I definitely wouldn't do it.
I wasn't expecting to be charged because of the circumstances.
Typically I go in to get DD, but on that day the director walked DD to my car. I thought she was doing me a personal favor.
I wasn't asked for the money at pick up. She ended up asking for the $20 about a week later.
edited to add
I didn't know the logistics of someone else staying behind to care for DD, since the director walked DD to my car. I thought DD was with her the whole time, and she had said not to worry because she is still normally there at that time anyway. But in hindsight, she probably meant not to worry about being so late, not that I wouldn't pay anything.
This is one of those things where if you're normally on time, the ONE time yourelate, and for a really good reason, I can get why you might feel miffed that they still charged you.
But at the same time, what's an allowable excuse and what isn't? What if they have a chronic late person who comes in with the same excuse? But they really don't believe them? Do they cut them a break too?
It can be a slippery slope.
They only charged you 1/2, which I think is generous. I don't think it being the director or a teacher matters. The director stays late because, i would assume, she has work to do. watching a child means she's not getting her work done.
I wasn't expecting to be charged because of the circumstances.
Typically I go in to get DD, but on that day the director walked DD to my car. I thought she was doing me a personal favor.
I wasn't asked for the money at pick up. She ended up asking for the $20 about a week later.
edited to add
I didn't know the logistics of someone else staying behind to care for DD, since the director walked DD to my car. I thought DD was with her the whole time, and she had said not to worry because she is still normally there at that time anyway. But in hindsight, she probably meant not to worry about being so late, not that I wouldn't pay anything.
This is one of those things where if you're normally on time, the ONE time yourelate, and for a really good reason, I can get why you might feel miffed that they still charged you.
But at the same time, what's an allowable excuse and what isn't? What if they have a chronic late person who comes in with the same excuse? But they really don't believe them? Do they cut them a break too?
It can be a slippery slope.
They only charged you 1/2, which I think is generous. I don't think it being the director or a teacher matters. The director stays late because, i would assume, she has work to do. watching a child means she's not getting her work done.
Plus the dcp is still paying, and possibly on OT, the employee.