Being Late is NOT an Option....

[Blackcat31]

I stress, stress, stress, to parents that being late is absolutely not an option. I don't even allow for emergencies - well, that's what I imply to them, but I'm sure I'd be understanding if there were a true emergency. However they don't need to know that .

If I find that a family begins pushing back their pick up time to close to my closing time, I remind them, so that there's no doubt, that they need to be on time. Every day. No exceptions.

This is how I do it too. I stress VERY clearly that I do not deal with lateness EVER. for ANY reason. I am super firm about it when interviewing so the parents know that if they can't get her by the time I close, I am NOT the place for them.

I'd make it clear that you have activities to get to, and I'd do more than a dollar per minute - say, first instance $25, second $50, and three strikes, you're out.

Do you/can you transport? If they're late, take the child with you and make them hunt you down, AND pay the fee.

I agree with the 3 strikes you are out theory and would also charge a higher fee for each incident but personally I wouldn't ever tell parents that I have somewhere to go, or activities that my kids are in as I feel that really isn't any of their business and I think that giving them a reason for not allowing lateness gives them the idea they can negotiate or some how change things.

For example, there was a thread a while back where the parent was late alot and the provider wasn't getting to pick up their own DS from practice on time so the parent kept offering to meet the provider at the school or to pick up the child themselves and I would rather not get into all of that and just prefer to have parents pick up when they say they are going to in the first place.

[momma2girls]

I really can't, I already close at 5pm which is a little on the early side for daycares nearby - to say I close at 4:50 would just be a little strange for me.

I used to close at 4:45, til my teachers could never come on time!! They got out of school at 3:15!!

[MyAngels]

I thought of this thread today...

My last pick up of the day normally happens 4:30 - 4:40 at the latest. Dcm texts me this morning to ask me if it's okay of dcd picks up today - "It may be closer to 4:45, but no later." No problem - still well within my 5:00 closing time.

Dcd rushes in at 4:47, very apologetic, I know I'm late, etc. (what a guy , many wouldn't even think about it). He tells me he's going to have to rush - his older daughter's (SA) daycare closes at 5:00 and he's going to be at least 10 minutes late.

His work is closer to the older child's daycare. He came all the way across town to me first, knowing that he was going to be late at the other daycare. I either have the best daycare parents out there, or I've done a great job expressing this particular policy.