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I recently opened my daycare & just received my license, so I'm new to this. I have had parents schedule to start at my daycare but never show. Currently I had a woman who keeps pushing back the start-up day. She heard I gave a discount to another parent. I explained that was during the time I was non licensed & no longer offering that discount. She said she couldn't afford daycare until next week bla bla bla. (she also only turn in partial paperwork) Your thoughts on her (& others like her) as a client. Please & thank you...
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In order for a spot to be reserved, the payment for the last two weeks of care is mandatory. The spot will then be reserved for TWO WEEKS (10 working days). After that, the spot is considered available again and I will fill it with another family if they are willing to start ASAP.
All of my clients are well aware of this rule. It is typed up and handed to them when they attend the interview and I verbally go over it with them.
As far as no shows go, I do not reschedule those. When I have in the past, those families have been horrible clients.
You currently have a potential client beating you into the ground for special BEFORE SHE HAS EVEN BEGUN!!!! Tell her you no longer have a spot available for her and find someone who will respect you, respect your business, and respect your rules.Comment
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I would say find another client. i had a no show last week after I spent all day cleaning & setting up a playroom. i would think she wiildnt be worried about paying me on time either!
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I think I will call her in the morning & tell her I will no longer be reserving her place. I purchase food to feed her children & they will not be coming. You are right, I do not need a client like that. Thank you peeps!Comment
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I also get a deposit at the time of contract signing (one week), and then payment on the first day of each week.
No deposit=no spotComment
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I charge a $15/day deposit, for up to 30 days - due immediately, in cash, non-refundable. I will not hold a space longer than 30 days unless the parent pays full price, also due immediately, in cash and non-refundable (and doesn't go towards furture care costs)!Comment
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Always take the first week's deposit, and then charge the regular weekly rate (due at the beginning of the week) after the original start date that they gave you. She can push the start date but she still has to pay you, since you are open and available, and she was contracted to start on a mutually agreed date.
This is why I use a direct deposit system for almost all of my clients. The funds are automatically deposited into my account every Sunday/Monday every week, effective with the first week payment is due. If the parent cancels the payment and is a no-show, then our contract is void and they lose their spot.Comment
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CONTRACTS- Very important!
I currently do not have a home daycare yet but I am studying to get an AA in Child Development and hoping on opening one with in the next 2 years and I have worked at a home daycare in the past. I took a class in record-keeping and administation for Family Child Care. The class was taught by the Directer of the College's Child Development Center, who used to own a FCC. In the class she talked about maybe having a registration fee (about $10-35 a year, I would start with $10 or $15 at 1st) it helps with your start up fees and you can also use it for matierials later on as your business becomes more successful. and she suggested that parents pay a deposit for the 1st and last week (or last 2 weeks) of service.
Also Contracts with your policies are very important! They lay out your business rules and fees. You can point out reasons you may terminate (frequent late payments, no shows, rudeness, etc) and you can make up any rules you want- as long as it's legal. You can possibly put in your contract that all payment agreements/arrangments are confidential, and may be based upon many different senarios including but not limited to: the child's age, needs, number of children, amount of time the child(ren) are in your care, co-op arrangements (optional for you to include), etc. For this reason it is best to keep agreed rates confidential and best not to share with others. You can also put in your contracts that rates can change every year on the 1st of January or so by $5-10/week or by a small % (example $$$ per hr/day/wk/mth x .04 (4%) = rate increase amount), as long as you remind them and have them sign a new contract for that new rate (just for the Contract not policies, unless they change) you also have the right to change your policies as needed you just need to make a policy amendment or just add a new page and have them sign.
The redleafpress.com has some books (used in the class) that can be helpful in what you need to put in your contract/policies (has a CD with ajustable sample contracts) as well as Record keeping which helps you get small legal breaks on taxes (such as Time: Space ratio or utilities that can be counted as a partial business expense (i.e. electicity)- rules differ by state- I only know CA rules and regs)Comment
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