WWYD- Provider Day off

[wahmof3]

Ok so I have incorporated a "Pay for Space" fee schedule.

I care for mainly teachers kids. The schools are closed tomorrow, so I closed.
I follow the school schedule for closings.

My 1 DCF that is not teachers kid asked me at pick-up if they needed to pay for tomorrow. Ugh. I sent home a list of "paid" holidays & tomorrow was on the list, but I also told her that if I was not available I would not charge her. So I didn't.

Is it "Fair" to my other families (my teachers kids that don't need to finance other care tomorrow) that I charged them for tomorrow, but not this family?

How do I change my contracts to include a few "provider vacation days"

How do I handle the week of Thanksgiving when I am closed Wed-Fri? As well as the week of Christmas? I know they will ask for a discount BUT these are actual Holidays- do I still charge them for the holidays? I only charge my teachers 1/2 rate for Christmas break.

I am sorry I feel scatter brained I just want to be fair.

[Blackcat31]

I allow my teacher families to NOT pay for days there is no school because mentally it is worth it to me to not have all their kids and to have a quieter than normal day.

If I were to close for everyone on a non-holiday/no school day though, I would not charge anyone.

As for paid holiday days, I take 6 of them per year as well as 4 provider personal paid days.

The 6 holiday days are charged to EVERYONE. They are set days though so everyone knows when they are. I give my yearly calendar out in Jan for the year.

If I am choosing to use one of my 4 paid provider days, I simply send home a notice about 30 days in advance that I will be taking one of these days as a PAID provider day off.

That way everyone knows ahead of time and EVERYONE pays for holidays.

[Cat Herder]

I am flat fee as well.

It can get tricky so I simply have them pay for Federal Holidays and Discount $20 a day for all others.

The flip side to this is you really start to examine if that random Friday is worth losing $120 that week.

My vacations I don't charge, but that cost is already built into their tuition fees. No loss, no foul.

I also preemptively print out the discounted rates on the closing calendar given in January to limit discussions.

[wahmof3]

I must be so backwards LOL ::

No really, I decided to charge my teachers for days that school is closed because I was getting burned on a daily rate. So my fix was a flat rate and 1/2 rate for Christmas & spring break. BUT I do not charge them for summer.

[lovemykidstoo]

I have 2 families that are teachers as well. I use the pay for space fee system too. You can do whatever you want as far as the different rules for different families depending on their individual needs. That's your right as a business owner. I take 6 or 7 holidays off as paid if their normal day falls on that holiday. I guess I wouldn't charge the one family that is not a teacher because tomorrow really isn't a "holiday", it's just a day off for school and if you're taking the day off and that is your rule that if you take a day off they dont' pay then I would follow that rule for that particular day. Sometimes the schools are closed here, but the teacher still needs to report or they need to go for training.

[wahmof3]

I have 2 families that are teachers as well. I use the pay for space fee system too. You can do whatever you want as far as the different rules for different families depending on their individual needs. That's your right as a business owner. I take 6 or 7 holidays off as paid if their normal day falls on that holiday. I guess I wouldn't charge the one family that is not a teacher because tomorrow really isn't a "holiday", it's just a day off for school and if you're taking the day off and that is your rule that if you take a day off they dont' pay then I would follow that rule for that particular day. Sometimes the schools are closed here, but the teacher still needs to report or they need to go for training.

Today was one of those days here where school is closed for students, but not teachers and I am open.

[Cat Herder]

. BUT I do not charge them for summer.

THIS I would never do.

Enrolled or Not Enrolled.

That is all I offer.

[wahmof3]

So how would I handle Thanksgiving & Christmas?

Thanksgiving:
Not charge the 1 family for Wed & Friday but charge for Thursday?

Christmas:
I close that week so only charge for Christmas day?

I did send home a list of paid holidays at the beginning of the school year which included these to be paid. Contract states flat fee that is not adjusted for any days.

[Blackcat31]

Personally I would only give the teacher a no charge day when there is no school.

If you are closed for Christmas week and you want the week paid, then I would charge the whole week to everyone.

As for Thanksgiving, I count BOTH Thursday and Friday as paid holidays.

I am confused though by your rate structure. You said "Contract states flat fee that is not adjusted for any days." but then said you have implemented a pay for space rate structure.

Which do you do? or are you in the process of switching from flat fees to pay for space only?

[Cat Herder]

Here, If they attend at all Christmas week, they pay the whole week. The closure that week was for a National Holiday.

This goes for Thanksgiving, New Years, Memorial Day, etc.

Black Friday is now being treated as a holiday by employers, so this year I am also counting it as Holiday.

Closures for random things during the week, I take the loss although I cannot remember the last one.

Parental job titles have no bearing on my tuition.

[wahmof3]

THIS I would never do.

Enrolled or Not Enrolled.

That is all I offer.

I really don't like this either, but in my area it's not the norm to charge for summer & I would probably lose them.

I always "say" I can replace with SA. I did SA care for the 1st couple of years of child care. I had terrible terrible experience with SA and will not take them anymore.

Last summer was awful we (my family) BARELY had our heads above the water.

I can't replace the teachers kids bc I AM holding the "space"

This summer will be interesting bc I have one DCF that will need me Mon-Fri. It will be hard to only open for 1 DCF, but what do I do?

Last summer I only worked part time, it was great but we barely made it.

I can go on and on about summer.

[wahmof3]

Personally I would only give the teacher a no charge day when there is no school.

If you are closed for Christmas week and you want the week paid, then I would charge the whole week to everyone.

As for Thanksgiving, I count BOTH Thursday and Friday as paid holidays.

I am confused though by your rate structure. You said "Contract states flat fee that is not adjusted for any days." but then said you have implemented a pay for space rate structure.

Which do you do? or are you in the process of switching from flat fees to pay for space only?

Sorry I thought that flat fee & pay for space were the same??

[Blackcat31]

I really don't like this either, but in my area it's not the norm to charge for summer & I would probably lose them. .

Would that be so bad? I would try to fill their spots with year-round workers.

I can't replace the teachers kids bc I AM holding the "space".

HOW are you "holding" their spots? Do they pay a deposit or a holding fee?

Otherwise you are doing something for free and they are not having to do anything. Not very fair.


NEVER base what you do off what other providers do. Do what works for you. Starving all summer isn't working for you.

I require my families to pay all year. My job is not seasonal.

[Blackcat31]

Sorry I thought that flat fee & pay for space were the same??

Flat fee = pay the same rate each week REGARDLESS of absences

Pay for space = pay for ONLY space you use or attend

That's where I was confused.

[Cat Herder]

I really don't like this either, but in my area it's not the norm to charge for summer & I would probably lose them.

I always "say" I can replace with SA. I did SA care for the 1st couple of years of child care. I had terrible terrible experience with SA and will not take them anymore.

Last summer was awful we (my family) BARELY had our heads above the water.

I can't replace the teachers kids bc I AM holding the "space"

This summer will be interesting bc I have one DCF that will need me Mon-Fri. It will be hard to only open for 1 DCF, but what do I do?

Last summer I only worked part time, it was great but we barely made it.

I can go on and on about summer.

I was under the impression that it was common to take your weekly rate, multiply it by 52 weeks, then divide that number by the number of weeks they would be in attendance that school year.

They paid a higher rate for the privilege of returning in the fall.

Has that changed?