DCP Losses Her Job

[blueclouds29]

I feel so bad for this mom...
she picked her DS this afternoon in tears that she had gotten laid off. She said i'm not going to bring him in Monday cause i won't be able to pay you. She pays monthly which is due monday morning. What do you guys do to help(if you do)? I only watch 4 kids and its going to be really hard to find another kid where i live.
Do you give them a break/discount till they can get on their feet? Just wondering, never been in this situation before.

Thanks!

[sharlan]

What a lousy thing to happen the day before Thanksgiving.

If she's laid off, she probably doesn't need care. But if she needs care to go on job interviews, I would give her a major discount or even do it for free.

[Christian Mother]

Ohhh, I feel for her... It's sooo scary and what a terrible week also to get laid off.

Maybe offer to care for her child while she is interviewing for possible jobs...you could tell her you could watch for free just for a few hrs while she is interviewing depending on how many interviews she is going on during the day. I wouldn't offer care other then for work related things but that way she knows she can still count on you for daycare when she is finds a job.

[MarinaVanessa]

Unless it's really easy to find some type of work where you live I personally wouldn't offer to do child care for free. However if you wanted to help out I suppose you could offer to provide child care for a few hours a day so that she can go out and find work, go to interviews etc, and have her sign a contract saying that as soon as she finds a job and gets her first paycheck a portion of it will be paid to you in addition to her normal child care payment until she pays off what she owes.

I would really test the water for this though. I once was tempted to try what I suggested with a DCM that was laid off and I suggested a few retail stores and fast food restaurant's that I knew were hiring (and I knew the manager's/employees there) and she scoffed and said she'd wouldn't work for minimum wage even after I pointed out that AN income is better than NO income. Once I saw that she wouldn't get a job unless it was the "right" job I decided not to offer her a break.

[SilverSabre25]

I feel so bad for this mom...
she picked her DS this afternoon in tears that she had gotten laid off. She said i'm not going to bring him in Monday cause i won't be able to pay you. She pays monthly which is due monday morning. What do you guys do to help(if you do)? I only watch 4 kids and its going to be really hard to find another kid where i live.
Do you give them a break/discount till they can get on their feet? Just wondering, never been in this situation before.

Thanks!

I would, and have--I was in a similar boat (watch only a few, not a big chance of getting a replacement, etc) and I let a dcm pay just what she could afford (half my usual rate). She continued to bring dcb full-time and last week when she got a permanent schedule change she went back to paying the full amount.

If I were you I would offer to charge just a certain amount (maybe ask what she thinks they can afford) and keep dcb a certain amount of time per week so she can go out job hunting, interviewing, etc. That would hold his spot and she can return to trhe full amount when she gets a new job. If she doesn't like that option, let her know that you won't be able to hold her spot and start advertising.

[emmajo]

I have a dkm who was laid off at the end of last school year. We went down to 3 days/week and at a slightly lower rate than my usual for that number of days. I agreed because some income is better than none and I like the child and mother. She wanted to hold the space, she wanted her daughter to have the stability of our established routine, and frankly, I wanted her to be here to play with the other children in my care.

Now the mom has a job, but it's part time so dkg is still the same hours/days. I"m not really sure how she even managed to pay me at all while she was out of work and I know she's still struggling but we're keeping the rate the same for now. This is a small town and I know that in the long run the more flexible I am with families, the more apt I am to have referrals and get new kids.

Perhaps if I had a long waiting list I wouldn't be this accommodating, but I like to keep the kids I've grown to know and love, no matter what their parents' situations might be.

[cheerfuldom]

I would start interviewing now. By the way, did you have any sort of two weeks notice policy in place?

I don't do free or discount ever. I understand that others do that and not all providers have been burnt by this situation but it is too much of a risk for me. I would be fine with allowing drop in care by the hour even but it would be paid and I would not hold the full time spot. whatever you do, make sure you are clear with the parent about what you are and are not willing to do. Many people have months (or even year) long searches for jobs. Free or discounted care is going to get old fast if the situation turns into something like that.

[mom2many]

I have had a few parents get laid off and only one that needed to stop care on that day b/c of finances. I did not enforce my 2 weeks notice with her...I felt so bad. She was a single parent and struggling as it was.

Two other parents did continue to use me for their regular scheduled days, so they could interview and one just used me p/t for this purpose. Fortunately all three of these found permanent jobs fairly quickly.

[sahm1225]

Oh, poor mom! It totally depends on the family and there is a lot to consider before you offer anything.

I wouldn't offer to watch the kid the same hours/days since she is not working, but I would probably offer to watch the kid here and there to help her with the job hunt.

If it was a family that I trusted, always paid on time and I knew they would get back on their feet very quickly, then I would offer a discounted rate temporarily. But I would start to look for other children. This is a difficult time of year to find work and realistically she might be out of work until march or so, so holding a spot would not be possible.

Maybe give her a voucher good for 20 hours of free care - that way she can go on interviews and job hunt? I know the unemployment office usually offers tips on what to do to find employment quickly and sometimes even offer to help with daycare costs, so have her look at that too.

[nannyde]

When parents sign a child care that includes a paid notice time they need to have that money set aside so if they loose their job they can pay off their notice.

Agreeing to notice time and making sure you have the funds to provide the agreed upon notice is a CENTRAL aspect of a child care agreement. It's part of a parenting responsibility if you are using child care.

The provider needs to be assured that she will be paid for the slot while she is interviewing and considering replacements. The providers family need the income to make sure THEY are cared for properly and have what THEY need.

When a parent enrolls their child and signs the agreement they need to make sure that even if they loose their job for any reason that they have the funds to pay off their agreement. The parent needs to confirm with the child care provider that she knows she is obligated to pay the notice and make arrangements to make sure that, regardless of attendance, the provider will be paid in full.

[Crazy8]

I'm assuming you got a deposit from her in the beginning?? I would just terminate care as of now, using the deposit as her final payment - would even let her slide on any additional she may owe. This is why I collect a deposit - it is credited as last week of care if you give 2 weeks notice, otherwise it is forfeited.

I would let her know you are available for drop in care if she has the need for interviews, etc. but I wouldn't do it for free. Interviews can take a while and with travel time, etc. you could end up having a child half the day for every interview - if she's aggressive about looking for a job that can be a few times a week. I would however offer her a discounted hourly rate for the drop in care.

[nannyde]

I'm assuming you got a deposit from her in the beginning?? I would just terminate care as of now, using the deposit as her final payment - would even let her slide on any additional she may owe. This is why I collect a deposit - it is credited as last week of care if you give 2 weeks notice, otherwise it is forfeited.

I would let her know you are available for drop in care if she has the need for interviews, etc. but I wouldn't do it for free. Interviews can take a while and with travel time, etc. you could end up having a child half the day for every interview - if she's aggressive about looking for a job that can be a few times a week. I would however offer her a discounted hourly rate for the drop in care.

I don't think the Mom had a deposit in or she wouldn't have said she wasn't going to bring the kid on Monday.

[blueclouds29]

yes there was no deposit. I haven't heard from her yet since Thrusday. Giving her time to digiest and figure things out. I will offer her time to watch the DCB for her interviews. I do want to keep this family cause I've had them since he was a baby. It will work out, I trust God! He will work it out for both of us.

[dave4him]

I wouldnt break the bridge then, offer to help in anyway you can during interview process.

[mismatchedsocks]

I had a great family who I had their almost 3 year old since birth and mom is due anyday now and the baby was to start in February ( i even have a family I found to only take spot until February, so I wouldnt have to get rid of anyone). Dad lost job, they lost the house they were supposed to move into, and already had their stuff in a storage locker and were living with an aunt for 2 weeks while they closed on house.

I didnt charge them a 2 week notice and told them I would hold spot for a month. Dad STILL has not found anything, and with baby coming soon, mom will be off, so they wont need care even if dad found a job soon. (its been 2 months) I just filled their spot and feel bad. However, cant live off of feelings.