What Do You Charge For Full Time Infant Care?

[Soupyszoo]

I have a dcf that is veeeeeery high maintenance. I love the dcg but can't stand her mother! She's rude, disrespectful and ignorant. She is taking advantage of me, my time and my family in general (loooong story, lots and lots of examples).

They bring dcg five days a week 10+ hours a day equalling over 50 hours a week. Our arrangement was supposed to be for 7:30am to no later than 5:45. Lately she's been showing up any time she feels like it. For example yesterday they didn't show up until after 6pm.

Dcg is 6mo and was hungry and since she breast feeds I try to keep her hungry upon arrival. Well she was hungry, and not very patient, so when they didn't show up by 545 I messaged her to see if they were close (since they didn't offer any communication on their eta)! No response. So I fed her. 10 minutes later they show up. After 6 (not the first time either!). No apology or anything. Just kind of laughed it off.

I was livid. How should I handle this? If I don't say anything it will keep happening I'm sure. Should I talk in person? Email so it's documented? Send out a "memo" reiterating our agreement? All of the above??

I only charge $25/day. I think it is waaaaaay under what I should be charging for the hours and special requests. What do you guys think?? This dcf has been my biggest stress yet maybe I should write up a change that will be in effect Monday that their rate is raising and my times are changing to 7:30am-5:30pm??? That's what I would love to do happyface

[KDC]

Hmmmm...

I know $$ is different in different areas, but I charge DOUBLE that. It's $50/day for infant care. 7:00-5:00 are my hours, I charge $1 per minute after 10 mins. late. After the charge is on their bill, they quickly learn to come on time =) Granted, they are only 2 days a week. (Rate goes down $5/day starting at 18 months).

I would definitely send e-mail, or send note home requesting a signature to put in her file, to pull out when necessary. I would also change contract to include $$ for lateness to put some accountability on being late.

My contract:

Late Pick Up Policy
Parents who arrive to pick up their child after 5:00 pm will be required to pay a late pick up charge of $1.00 per minute which will be payable at the time of pick-up.

[MrsB]

I have a dcf that is veeeeeery high maintenance. I love the dcg but can't stand her mother! She's rude, disrespectful and ignorant. She is taking advantage of me, my time and my family in general (loooong story, lots and lots of examples).

They bring dcg five days a week 10+ hours a day equalling over 50 hours a week. Our arrangement was supposed to be for 7:30am to no later than 5:45. Lately she's been showing up any time she feels like it. For example yesterday they didn't show up until after 6pm.

Dcg is 6mo and was hungry and since she breast feeds I try to keep her hungry upon arrival. Well she was hungry, and not very patient, so when they didn't show up by 545 I messaged her to see if they were close (since they didn't offer any communication on their eta)! No response. So I fed her. 10 minutes later they show up. After 6 (not the first time either!). No apology or anything. Just kind of laughed it off.

I was livid. How should I handle this? If I don't say anything it will keep happening I'm sure. Should I talk in person? Email so it's documented? Send out a "memo" reiterating our agreement? All of the above??

I only charge $25/day. I think it is waaaaaay under what I should be charging for the hours and special requests. What do you guys think?? This dcf has been my biggest stress yet maybe I should write up a change that will be in effect Monday that their rate is raising and my times are changing to 7:30am-5:30pm??? That's what I would love to do happyface

If you would love to do that! Do it! You have to do what is fair to you or else you will feel taken advantage of.

For me and my area infant slots are a PIECE of CAKE to fill, so I make less exceptions for my infant slots.

I dont know what to tell you to charge without knowing more. What is the going rate in your area? Are you licensed? Your experience?

I would give her a contract update to sign.

For the hours of 7:30-5:30. NO EXCEPTIONS. Late picks up will be charged at $1 per minute and are grounds for immediate termination. Please discuss with me further if you have questions or concerns.

You can give it to her in letter form and state that your daycare hours are starting to cut into your family time and that you have to be more strict with your hours. Care will not be provided after ________ (date) if contract update is not signed. If this does not meet your daycare needs, I understand, and will need your 2 weeks written notice to terminate care.

[Meeko]

Get late fees in place. $1 per minute. Every time. No excuses.

[Christian Mother]

I have 2 under a yr and I charge $25 a day for them also.

It sounds like you already stressed your opening hrs and pay when you signed them on. I would call a meeting or at pick up have their contract in hand. Under line the key areas that are being abused. I normally will discuss any issues I have at pick up as I feel there is more time that parents are apt to dash and run at drop off. But at pick up I feel like I can keep them a few moments to discuss things like behavior or anything important.

I would just tell them that you've noticed that they are picking up at diff. times then what the agreed contacts states. Do you have late fees or early drop off rates in your contract? If not I would give a verbal warning and then mention they signed the contract agreeing that those hrs work for them and your self. Now if they need to change them then tell them to put it in writing. Let them know though that although you like to be flexible and accommodating not all schedule changes can be excepting per your own personal time which they do need to take into consideration. Let them know also that you do charge extra for these changes. I would put a big charge for the change.

I have a infant in care and although I do understand that work plays a huge part in lateness. It's in the best interest of the child that child spend as much time with the parents as possible. I only allow 10 hrs a day in care and that is on special considerations on part of the parents and why they need those long hrs. If a parent is a min. late...they get charged $5 right there and then and it doesn't matter whether they picked up 5 min late or a hr. You have to stick to the contract and be a stickler on being on top of your rules bc the parents won't. If the parents don't like it then they know where the door is. Good luck and let us know what happens and what you did to change and enforce your rules.