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I posted a couple of weeks ago about being asked to care for a 14 year old special needs child. She came fora trial yesterday. She is a very sweet girl, but needs constant supervision. I mean I am always active with the kids, but there is a reason I chose not to care for preschoolers anymore. After a long day of being Super Provider I want to be able to cook dinner while the kids hang out near by. I am going to need more money if this is going to become permanent. how do you go about telling someone that you are going to charge more for this child or not watch her at all?
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I really don't think saying you are willing to do it but charge more would be well received, unless you had to hire help.
You could tell her that it's tougher than you expected, particularly from 3-5 pm, because by then, up until now, the structured part of your day is over, and you shift gears to supervising only. You'd love to keep her there, because she's a sweetie, but you'd have to have her picked up by 3:30 (or whatever) in order to manage.
Is there someone who can pick her up or can the parents juggle their schedules? -
I forgot to mention that she asked for food nonstop, and i asked my assistant to stay later. This is why its not worth the money, but she seems to like it here. No her parents aren't available earlier. It's easier to tel a 3 year old to wait for snack time than it is to tell someone of her age and size.Comment
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It may not be well received, but it certainly is an appropriate request to make, and in my opinion, the parents should understand.
A 14-year-old with special needs in a group care setting is not the same as a preschooler in a group care setting. You WILL have to work with her more closely. Children with special needs often learn and develop at different rates than typically-developing children, so you can't expect that she will "learn the rules" or adjust in the way that a typically-developing child would.
I see you needing to provide much more supervision. What happens if she gets frustrated? What kind of behaviors does she exhibit when she's upset? At 14, she could be quite strong. I'm not saying she would hurt anyone, but even if she gets upset and refuses to budge, you will have a harder time helping her than with a 30-pound 3-year-old.
She will be eating more. You said she's often asking for food? On top of that, a 14 year old can put away quite a bit--much more than a younger child! Your food costs will go up.
What about bathroom issues? Feminine issues if she's gone through puberty? Are you going to have to do more work in those areas?
You are completely within your right to ask for more. In fact, I think hiring an assistant might be the best way to go here!Comment
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IF you are willing to take her, is your assistant willing to stay? I would tell the parents that they can either pick up by 3:30, or pay X additional rate to compensate your assistant for her time.
My ODS is special needs, and 12, and I couldn't imagine NOT having a 1:1 with him. If my dh can't be home, we use a nursing service during school breaks/summer break. It's EXPENSIVE, but partially reimbursed by insurance (they send a HHA). As a mother, I would fully expect to hear these things about my son in a group care setting.Comment
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Not too long ago there was a thread about taking special needs children into care.
It was poster MarinaVanessa who posted a link for me regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act and what was legal and what wasn't.
I just skimmed it but do remember it saying it was not legal to charge more for a special needs child. It seemed to be considered discrimination.
I wish I could remember what thread or where the info was that she found but, sorry, I don't. I think I would look it up if I were you and do a little research. I'd want everything to be legal.
LaurelComment
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You might want to look into local laws because in most (if not all) cases you cannot charge a family with a child with special need more money than what you charge other families (ADA). In some cases you might if you need to make home improvements to accommodate her but it would only be to cover the cost of the renovation. But you that families with special needs children usually don't have that extra cash to pay a higher rate or they would just hire a one-on-one aid.Comment
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Sorry, I didn't see this post before I posted. I think this is the thread you were talking about
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Thanks, but the one I meant I finally found. It is different because it has some links to read the laws. Just scroll down to one of MarinaVanessa's posts and she has two links there.
LaurelComment
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There are tons of threads about special needs kids, their care, the cost, the ADA laws and other issues..... LOTS of great information!
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You definitely can't charge more for a special needs child verses a non special needs child..... HOWEVER... If you are having to pay an assistant, you can ask more.
There are some other guidelines as well but since you mentioned the assistant I offered that.Comment
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Thanks everyone. I decided not to keep her. I don't want to go into detail. I don't think it would have been safe fore the other children. I also think that her mom knew about the way her daughter would interact with other children, but didn't warn me. We can't save the world and keep every child unfortunately. I think she would be happier in a setting with highly trained professional who can offer therapy and help her with some of her habits.Comment
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I was wondering the same thing, since you can't discriminate because of disability. But I wonder if you could charge more on the basis of needing your assistant longer rather than the special needs status. In other words, if another child had the same hours and you had to keep your assistant longer and charged more for them it might be OK. Or if you charge more for every child who's there past the time your assistant would normally leave.Comment
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