What Should I Do? Advice

[daycare]

I have a family that receives a sibling discount. In my policy, it states that Children are kept as a unit, attend care together and are absent together.

Well DCD comes and tells me this morning that DCM is taking only 1 of the kids to the grandparents next month for about a week, but the other child will be here. Um ok?????

So now I am sitting here thinking what to do?? Of course I need to tell them, sorry, you signed the contract.

The other thing that I am thinking is that if they want the child to stay behind, there really is no penalty. I could just not give them the discount for that month, but that's only about $50.00.

One of my local DCfriends said if the kid stays then I take them off the sibling discount program and make them pay back the discounts already given. I think that is harsh.

I could just remove them from the discount program. Although, It does not state in the contract anything about discount being taken away for this reason.

I need help making a decision on what to do.

[daycarediva]

So if dcp pay 125+125=250/w for 2 kids, and you offer a $25 discount on kid 2, they pay 225, right? If kid is absent, what is your policy?

If that was in my case, they have to pay weither they are here or not, so it would be the same amount regardless.

What do you do when one gets sick but the other is healthy?

[daycare]

So if dcp pay 125+125=250/w for 2 kids, and you offer a $25 discount on kid 2, they pay 225, right? If kid is absent, what is your policy?

If that was in my case, they have to pay weither they are here or not, so it would be the same amount regardless.

What do you do when one gets sick but the other is healthy?

they are absent together...NO reason needed.

See heres the thing. I give a discount, yet I dont get a discount. So the only way that I could make up for the discount that I am giving them is if they are always absent together..

they pay if child is here or not

[Willow]

I think you're putting way too much though into this for the child only being gone a week. And I don't quite understand your stipulation of attending exclusively as a unit either.

What would happen if one of a unit were ill? Do you make the entire family stay home? What if just one has a doctors appointment? Or breaks a leg and needs physical therapy or something of the like....would you really require the parent drag the other child with?

What about when one of them enters preschool or kindergarten? Unless they are twins how do you work the discounted rate then?


I offer a sibling discount of $.25/ hour. If say only one child of two in a family is in attendance for the day then the full hourly rate is applied to that day. If both are in attendance then the full hourly rate is applied to one child and the discounted rate is applied to the time the second child accumulates for that day.


Unless it says in the contract that the parents will be at risk of losing the sibling discount you offer indefinitely if the children don't both attend every single day and same the exact same hours together always, then I don't think that would be a fair thing to do at all.


If I were you I would treat this as you treat any other child's absence. How would you charge if both of them would be gone for the week?


It's really not a big deal.

[Willow]

they pay if child is here or not

Then there is your answer.

You charge exact the same as you always do.



Although I'm not sure why this has anything to do with the sibling discount then? If you require parents to pay exactly the same regardless of attendance why do you feel like you're being slighted or put in some sort of pickle that would prompt you to take away a contracted discount?


I'd be throwing a little party if I were you, one less kid you have to care for that week and you're still going to get paid the exact same as always. Sounds like a fantastic deal for you if you ask me .

[daycare]

I think you're putting way too much though into this for the child only being gone a week. And I don't quite understand your stipulation of attending exclusively as a unit either.

What would happen if one of a unit were ill? Do you make the entire family stay home? What if just one has a doctors appointment? Or breaks a leg and needs physical therapy or something of the like....would you really require the parent drag the other child with?

What about when one of them enters preschool or kindergarten? Unless they are twins how do you work the discounted rate then?


I offer a sibling discount of $.25/ hour. If say only one child of two in a family is in attendance for the day then the full hourly rate is applied to that day. If both are in attendance then the full hourly rate is applied to one child and the discounted rate is applied to the time the second child accumulates for that day.


Unless it says in the contract that the parents will be at risk of losing the sibling discount you offer indefinitely if the children don't both attend every single day and same the exact same hours together always, then I don't think that would be a fair thing to do at all.


If I were you I would treat this as you treat any other child's absence. How would you charge if both of them would be gone for the week?


It's really not a big deal.

it does say that if a child needs to attend an appt, that with advance notice I will allow for it.

the thing is, is that this is what was signed and agreed to and now they are going back on their word.

Yes I would expect them to keep both home if one were ill and not the other.

[MarinaVanessa]

Going by what you have said already ...

I think you need to see it as 2 seperate issues. If one was sick and the other wasn't and they both stayed home, would they still pay for the day? What about if they both went on vacation and were gone for that time? Would they pay for that time? If they would then you would still charge them.

The second issue then would be whether or not to allow the 2nd sibling to attend DC while the other one is out. That would be under your discretion whether or not you were to allow the other child to attend DC or not. Personally I wouldn't see it as a big deal but it mught be a big deal to you.

If they wouldn't pay for the time that they were on vacation then don't charge for the one that is leaving and charge the full rate for the one that is staying. If they have some vacation time accrued then don't charge for that period and charge their rate for both kids for the remaining time even if only one child attends. Then explain to the parents that you are already bending one rule for them by allowing one child to attend while the other doesn't and you aren't willing to negotiate any other rule. Also explain whether or not they lose the vacation time for the second child if only the first child goes on vacation (since they are both supposed to be absent). As in do both children have to take vacation together in order to get the free vacation week (or two or whatever you give your clients).

How do you handle vacations? Do clients get a free week or 2?

KWIM?

[Crazy8]

Then there is your answer.


I'd be throwing a little party if I were you, one less kid you have to care for that week and you're still going to get paid the exact same as always. Sounds like a fantastic deal for you if you ask me .

that's what I was thinking reading the OP... I don't see the problem at all. 2 kids even with discount equals say $400/week, that particular week you'd be getting $400 for just one child. Sounds good to me!!!

[daycare]

THE fact is that they signed a contract that states BOTH children must be absent together and now they are asking if they can break this policy.

I give them over a $650.00 a year discount that I will never recover. If they are both absent then I dont pay for food for two children that day, use less supplies and what not. It is the only way that I can make up for any of the money I lose while giving the discount.

[MarinaVanessa]

THE fact is that they signed a contract that states BOTH children must be absent together and now they are asking if they can break this policy.

I give them over a $650.00 a year discount that I will never recover. If they are both absent then I dont pay for food for two children that day, use less supplies and what not. It is the only way that I can make up for any of the money I lose while giving the discount.

Then it sounds to me like you either have to stay firm and not allow the second child to attend daycare either or get rid of the discount altogether.

[Blackcat31]

Then it sounds to me like you either have to stay firm and not allow the second child to attend daycare either or get rid of the discount altogether.

Or just charge the regular fee for the week as if both kids were still attending.

[itlw8]

what do you do? you enjoy the lighter week and still get paid the same as usual

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I would discuss with them what you said in your last post. Either say they can abide by the policy that they agreed to or you will remove them from the sibling discount program for the future.

[MarinaVanessa]

Or just charge the regular fee for the week as if both kids were still attending.

I suggested this as well but it seems to me as if it's the part that only one child is going on vacation that is bothering her. Not the money part. By the sound of it she will be getting paid no matter what for both kids even if one child won't attend. She's bothered that they are expecting to still bring the one child that is staying and not keeping that child home as well or sending that child on vacation as well... thus breaking the "Children are kept as a unit, attend care together and are absent together" rule.

[daycare]

I suggested this as well but it seems to me as if it's the part that only one child is going on vacation that is bothering her. Not the money part. By the sound of it she will be getting paid no matter what for both kids even if one child won't attend. She's bothered that they are expecting to still bring the one child that is staying and not keeping that child home as well or sending that child on vacation as well... thus breaking the "Children are kept as a unit, attend care together and are absent together" rule.

Yes....I think that I am botherd by the fact that they seem to just want to ignore my policy. I think that I would feel different about it if they came to me and said ..." I know it's aganist policy, but would we be able to allow DCK to stay while I take the other with me"...

Instead

they are expecting for me to just do it. I do it this time, they will want it next time too. I let this slide, then next thing you know I have to let other things slide too.

I am not trying to be difficult, I am just trying to keep my policies in place.

and yes, I get paid for both children if they are here or not.