So Frustrated With My Licensor

[Logged out for privacy]

I am registered through a local agency, they do my inspections, I get offered training, they find my clients (mostly) and they bill/offer my clients subsidy and pay me a cut. They can terminate my services at any time.

I fill out forms for the children in my care and send it into the office. They pay me and bill the parents.
If a parent doesn't show up or give me notice an hour before scheduled drop off time, I charge them for the day. I can only do this twice per pay period and then they take a sick or vacation day (which I don't get paid for)

I had one boy who had bad cough, and red watery eyes, here when my licensor came for a visit. She says he's sick and should go home. Which he does. This has happened before, he's sick one day, the next day he's fine. The next day roles around and the kids is still sick, but I didn't get notice until after drop off time. So I charged them for the day. Same thing with the next day, he wasn't sick but dad decided to keep him home and not tell me to well after drop off time. Again I charged.
My licensor calls to tell me I should've known he was going to be out because of how sick he was and that I couldn't charge them. They are subsidized and I guess that makes a difference, but that's $60 less in my pocket. It's days like these that make me want to go private!

[Rubysmom]

If it were me, I would go private. Sounds like you are losing money and dont have much control over your services. JMO

[WoodOx]

you should go private.
doesn't sound like you have the freedom to run your business the way you want to run it.
sorry for your situation:hug:

[MarinaVanessa]

That really stinks. At least here in my area we get a certain number of absence days (both sick days and "best interest of the child" days) and still get paid for them regardless of the reason. Once the client goes over those number of days the agency doesn't pay for those days but at least I can bill the clients. Now if the client doesn't pay us what they owe we are required to report it to the agency and the client gets a warning to pay or be terminated from the child care assistance program. This was a change that was made recently I think because there are so few providers that want to take subsidy clients due to how they were being paid (rather how they were NOT being paid) and the agency did nothing.

[Unregistered]

I'd hate to have to go private. I do NOT relish chasing people down for payment. I have one client that pays full price (I get 95% the rest goes to the agency) but they complain all the time about how expensive it is. I've been doing this quite a while and in all the families I've had, this is the only one who pays full rate. I can't offer subsidy to my families and in my town, not many can afford to pay full.

I see the problems half the providers on here deal with for payment, I'd soooo rather not be part of that LOL! I just wanted to vent and hubby wasn't up yet! A lot of the time I start my venting thread, get to the end, feel better and just delete it. Today I just had to hit post!

Thanks ladies! Compared to quite a few of you, I really do have it made!

[blandino]

The ability to bill for unreimbursed amounts sounds heavenly (I know it's not all sunshine and roses), but for us - the state reimbursement rate is $62.50 a week (our rates are $150.00 a week, standard is 125-150 here). There is no pay for sick/absent days. We are not allowed to charge clients the difference between our rate & what the state pays. Nor are we allowed to charge them for missed days that the state won't reimburse for.

No wonder Oklahoma has so few daycare providers willing to accept state pay.

[AmyKidsCo]

In WI parents can be charged the difference, but the state pays family child care only by attendance so if a child is absent the state won't pay. But group centers are paid by enrollment so if a child is absent from a group center the state still pays. Nice.

[Starburst]

Do you charge weekly rates or daily rates? Do they allow you to charge a flat weekly rate?

[daycarediva]

The ability to bill for unreimbursed amounts sounds heavenly (I know it's not all sunshine and roses), but for us - the state reimbursement rate is $62.50 a week (our rates are $150.00 a week, standard is 125-150 here). There is no pay for sick/absent days. We are not allowed to charge clients the difference between our rate & what the state pays. Nor are we allowed to charge them for missed days that the state won't reimburse for.

No wonder Oklahoma has so few daycare providers willing to accept state pay.

I don't accept them, and the going rate is $120ish for 2-5 and my rates are $175 AND I am allowed to charge the difference.

I have interviewed and pulled out the state payment rates and my rates and calculated their weekly 'copway', and then there is that..... "Oh I won't pay anything...the state pay for that."

Unfortunately the places that they end up going for childcare are not top quality, or even good programs but I refuse to help people who won't even help their own children at the detriment to my income.

[Play Care]

I'd hate to have to go private. I do NOT relish chasing people down for payment. I have one client that pays full price (I get 95% the rest goes to the agency) but they complain all the time about how expensive it is. I've been doing this quite a while and in all the families I've had, this is the only one who pays full rate. I can't offer subsidy to my families and in my town, not many can afford to pay full.

I see the problems half the providers on here deal with for payment, I'd soooo rather not be part of that LOL! I just wanted to vent and hubby wasn't up yet! A lot of the time I start my venting thread, get to the end, feel better and just delete it. Today I just had to hit post!

Thanks ladies! Compared to quite a few of you, I really do have it made!

I've never had to chase down families for payment and I get full price for each of my spots. I would not do this job if I wasn't my own boss and able to pick and choose my clients.

[Blackcat31]

In WI parents can be charged the difference, but the state pays family child care only by attendance so if a child is absent the state won't pay. But group centers are paid by enrollment so if a child is absent from a group center the state still pays. Nice.

In MN, providers are paid according to what the parent schedules NOT by their actual attendance.

Families are also given 10 absent days in which the state will pay for days in which they are not in care.

The state also allows providers to charge the difference between what I charge and what the going reimbursement rate is.

Providers who hold a degree or are accredited receive 15% more in reimbursement rates compared to regular home providers.

Providers are also allowed to choose hourly, daily or weekly rates.