Changing Contract to Incl. Only Working Hours

[Willow]

I am definitely one that cares.

I care because how a parent chooses to parent definitely trickles down to that child's behavior and overall demeanor while they are in my care.

20 some years ago I saw the opinion voiced in the parent handbook my parents got from my little sisters daycare provider. The handbook sat in our vehicle for the longest time , and it was the only reading material. Even at that age it made complete sense to me.



If a parent is excessively leaving their child with everyone under the sun and does not care to spend their free time with them guaranteed that's going to affect the child in a very negative way. I always grow to love the kids in my care and would really struggle seeing one being hurt in that way.

I've seen kids with stay at home mom's grow into out of control heathens because mom refused to take the kids anywhere and when she was home she wasn't ever really "present." To the contrary, I nannied for a pair of doctors once who spent an incredibly amount of time away from their three, despite that every single free second they had was spent with their kids. The kids knew they were a priority and it did made a HUGE difference in how they grew as people. I myself was raised for much of my early childhood by a single mother who was working on finishing highschool while working literally day and night. The fact that on her free time everywhere she went she WANTED me with made all the difference in the world. If she felt she had to leave me behind just to function it would have crushed me and my self esteem. I needed that time with her, desperately.


Therefor I make it incredibly clear during interviews which family dynamics I prefer and will accept. I point blank discuss that kids benefit from running errands and whatnot with their parents, they NEED that time to learn how to behave in public, and if there is a personal outting that needs to happen that's fine, but it's not what *I'M* here for. I'm here so parents can earn a living and financially support their families, it's what separates me from a daycare provider and a babysitter. If they need some free time babysitter hours they can ask and I am willing to discuss my availability, but as a licensed provider that's not what I do.

As well as discussing in depth and directly how I feel about this topic I also have a bit in my parent handbook about it.

I don't feel my parents lie to me.

Honesty is a huge part of our working relationship and I wouldn't continue on with a family I didn't trust.


My families have to work, full time, and they love and miss their kids when they have to leave them. Those are the only families I choose to work with and it's got nothing to do with trying to "control" anyone. It's no different than having any other preference for certain types of families.

[providerandmomof4]

I switched this fall to contracted hours and it's been so much better for me. I also shortened my hours and close at 5 now since I started noticing that my latest pick ups were the parents that were running errands after work. They didn't NEED care past 5. I now have certain hours I am available to provide care but each family has contracted hours within those available hours. This is what I have in my handbook: Care is available Monday through Friday between the hours of 6:30am and 5:00pm. Each child’s days and hours of care are determined with each family to accommodate the hours needed for work and commute times.

I personally don't care what my parents do while their kids are here BUT I think it's unfair to the child to be left in care for 10-11 hours when it's not necessary. And I also notice that my worst behaved kids are those left in care the longest. Their behavior is definitely effected when they aren't getting the attention they need from their parents. I don't care if they don't go to work or if they leave work early to run errands. I make it very clear that parents need to be honest about not being at work for the day. In an emergency I don't want to waste time calling two or three phone numbers to reach them. I've had parents drop off their kids and go play golf. Makes no difference to me as long as they return by their contracted pick up time.

I completely agree with the above provider The children know and act accordingly when they are the first to come and the last to get picked up. I feel bad for them. I have one dcb who says everyday, "I am always here more than anyone! Gheesh!" I know little guy....I wish just once mom or day would take a day with him or even come get him a few hours early. Just once in a while?

[mamac]

Unless a client is a drop-in client, hours for care will be discussed and a schedule will be set which includes a fair amount of commuting time and this will become the child’s “scheduled hours”. Care will be provided for children only during their contracted scheduled hours.]

Hi Everyone. I'm a new provider (as soon as I get some calls!) and I've been reading a LOT on this forum and getting some great ideas to fine tune my contract as well as what not to put up with from parents. Love this site but it's been the cause of many sleepless nights lately!

MarinaVanessa: From what I've seen, many of your contract policies are similar to what mine are. I'm wondering what you define your drop-in care as? I would like to fill a day here or there if I'm available but I also don't want to be taken advantage of, although technically they would pay more per week for drop in care vs. FT care.

[MarinaVanessa]

I like the way you worded this! This way the parent pays for contracted hours even though you are open more than they contract they know the exact times they can pick up and drop off, it's not a free for all. Now this way I wouldn't have a problem with a parent doing what they want as long as they drop off and pick up per contracted hours!

The only reason that I do it this way is because I want families to know up front that I won't care generally care for a child earlier than 7am or later than 6pm so I have "Business Hours". Then I have the contracted hours so that they know that they can't sent their littles to DC all day from open to close without being charged extra (that's how I discourage all day-ers).

As long as they are paying me for the time that their contracts says I don't really care what they do during the day. They just have to pick up on time and if they drop-off late I want to know in advance so I can plan for the day.

[MarinaVanessa]

Hi Everyone. I'm a new provider (as soon as I get some calls!) and I've been reading a LOT on this forum and getting some great ideas to fine tune my contract as well as what not to put up with from parents. Love this site but it's been the cause of many sleepless nights lately!

MarinaVanessa: From what I've seen, many of your contract policies are similar to what mine are. I'm wondering what you define your drop-in care as? I would like to fill a day here or there if I'm available but I also don't want to be taken advantage of, although technically they would pay more per week for drop in care vs. FT care.

Send me your email in a PM and I'll email you a copy of my drop-in contract to give you an idea of how I do drop-in.

In a nutshell drop-in clients need to call me to ask and reserve a drop-in appointment in advance and check if I have room. If I do I won't reserve a spot until it's paid in advance. If they don't want to pay yet they don't have to but I can fill it with another client that pays first (happens frequently).

I have a daily rate of $40/day for 10 hours and any time after that is $5 per hour (or part of). I charge for every partial hour. Or they can pay $5 per hour if they don't need a full 10 hours but there's a 4 hour minimum even if they don't need 4 hours of care. A SAHM that needs 2 hours of drop-in care to go to a Dr's appt. would still pay $20. I don't offer a weekly discounted rate, it's part of the downfall of being drop-in.

[Country Kids]

So what do you guys do with parents that fill it out for the entire day and then use the time for work?

I have some parents that need me from open to sometimes closing. Depending on work loads at work, meetings, commutes and things like that? Do you make them put down their exact work hours and then charge them for late fees if they are late from work (actually working) and not out doing errands etc.?

[melilley]

Hi Everyone. I'm a new provider (as soon as I get some calls!) and I've been reading a LOT on this forum and getting some great ideas to fine tune my contract as well as what not to put up with from parents. Love this site but it's been the cause of many sleepless nights lately! .

Hi! I too am a new provider, well I will be as soon as my license arrives in the mail! I agree, I have also had many sleepless nights due to this site! Most people on here are very helpful, I have had many questions about my contracts, policies, among other things and just about everything I have asked or needed advice on has been answered and I too have gotten many great ideas! I just love this forum!

[Unregistered]

I do NOT have open-close hours. When I am contacted to interview and asked what my "hours" are I let them know I base my hours on parent need. I ask them what hours they need care and if it works for me I interview. Each contract specifies hours and that is when their child can attend. It took me a few years to decide this works best for me and keeps my frustration level down in terms of parents wanting care when it's not needed. Occasionally some still have a day off or get off work early and leave their kids the contracted time and that's just fine with me. I just don't want to raise these kids, I want to provide a safe and fun place for them when parents can't be with them.

[MarinaVanessa]

So what do you guys do with parents that fill it out for the entire day and then use the time for work?

I have some parents that need me from open to sometimes closing. Depending on work loads at work, meetings, commutes and things like that? Do you make them put down their exact work hours and then charge them for late fees if they are late from work (actually working) and not out doing errands etc.?

I do it one of two ways, they can either contract me from open to close and pay my weekly fee of $176/wk ($160 regular rate for 50 hours plus the extra 5 hours a week since I am "open" 11 hours a day) and they pay it every week whether they use up all of the time or not but their spot is guaranteed or they pay me the regular rate of $160/wk and arrange with me ahead of time for the extra hour and pay $5 an hour but it may not be guaranteed.

I personally don't mind offering evening and/or weekend child care occasionally so this is something that parents sometimes take advantage of. Sometimes they need it to do "me" things and others it's so catch up on work. I don't really mind what they do with this time as long as it's not a regular occurrence.

[Willow]

I do NOT have open-close hours. When I am contacted to interview and asked what my "hours" are I let them know I base my hours on parent need. I ask them what hours they need care and if it works for me I interview. Each contract specifies hours and that is when their child can attend. It took me a few years to decide this works best for me and keeps my frustration level down in terms of parents wanting care when it's not needed. Occasionally some still have a day off or get off work early and leave their kids the contracted time and that's just fine with me. I just don't want to raise these kids, I want to provide a safe and fun place for them when parents can't be with them.

This EXACTLY!!!

Can't be with them being the key word there - not won't!!!


I have no desire to enable people who had kids they had no intention of ever spending any time with.

[daycare]

after reading a few post, I understand more of what you are saying.

I guess what it comes down to, is that this one family just does not sound like the right fit. You are looking for "family" people. People that don't want their kid there unless they have to be there.

In this case, it does sound like maybe they just don't see an issue with what they are doing, becuase they are just a different type of family people.


two years ago I was in a situation where I was taking care of two kids from 6am to 7pm. The parents were very wealthy and told me they needed the kids in care that long so they could work. Which I found out later, mom just did no want to deal with them. I terminated them from care when I found that out.

I told her that they only way that she would get good at parenting her child was to START doing it herself. She didn't like that so well, but I didn't care at that point. There were a lot of other things wrong in that whole set-up. I just really could not belive that someone would have not one, but two kids and then not want to have any part in raising them. They only wanted to do the fun stuff or the stuff that she wanted people to see.......................

I would give this family another warning and then let them go if they are not on schedule.

[melilley]

[QUOTE=daycare;308133]

I guess what it comes down to, is that this one family just does not sound like the right fit. You are looking for "family" people. People that don't want their kid there unless they have to be there.

In this case, it does sound like maybe they just don't see an issue with what they are doing, becuase they are just a different type of family people.


t/QUOTE]

You are so right about the different type of family people. Some parents honestly don't care if other people are raising their children, to them it is normal. I don't know if you ever watch Wife Swap, but there was a rich family on the show once and they had a nanny. Well the nanny did everything with the kids from taking them to the extra curricular activities, to being with them at home etc... all while the parents went out and did what they wanted to do. The woman that swapped with them was appalled and so was I. But the rich family thought it was normal to have the nanny basically raise their kids; they saw nothing wrong with leaving them with the nanny and doing what they wanted to do.