Your Opinions Please...

[MotherNature]

I provide 7 freebie days a year to myself and parents as well, in addition to their nonpaid vacation week and my 2 weeks paid vacation and my paid holidays. The 7 days are for my training, a dr appt that needs to occur during business hrs, a sick day, etc. Same for parents..they do not accrue & rollover though.

[jenn]

Sounds good, but I wouldn't want to keep track of it.

At the beginning of each calendar year I give my parents 12 free days to use during the year. They can use these days for any day that their child is contracted to be in care, but is absent. I allow only 2 days per week to be used as free days. If at any time during the year they are late on their payment, their remaining days go away.

[butterfly]

Sounds good, but I wouldn't want to keep track of it.

At the beginning of each calendar year I give my parents 12 free days to use during the year. They can use these days for any day that their child is contracted to be in care, but is absent. I allow only 2 days per week to be used as free days. If at any time during the year they are late on their payment, their remaining days go away.

I don't give free days unless I am the one who needs to close due to illness or vacation. It's just another thing to track and budget for. I like the idea, but I don't want another thing to have to keep track of. I have enough work to do.

[Scout]

I give two weeks worth of free days after 90 days at a higher rate or they can pay whether their child is in attendence or not at a lower rate. This way it is their choice and I still can attract clients. I used to do all free days but, wanted to charge more but, still get people in the door so, I started this new policy. So far, so good!! Holidays are paid after 90 days because if thy earn their free days I should earn my holiday pay.Any time I am closed I dont charge as well, which I think is good business. Best of luck to you!!

[melilley]

I don't give any free sick days. I do give families that are here for 90 days or more 1 free week of vacation per calendar year of the starting date and they has to be taken consecutively. If you are contracted for 3 days, you get 3, 5 days you get 5. I do have one paid vacation an year and one non paid a year plus paid holidays and 5 sick/educational/personal days per year( I haven't used one of these yet). I have had no complaints.

I also agree with other pp's-stay firm on your payment policy. I personally wouldn't award them for paying on time. Like my dh says "you have a monthly car payment, mortgage, etc.. that you have to pay on time, childcare is the same. Your lending co. doesn't give you a break for paying on time".
Being too nice can backfire. I know from experience. I still tend to be too nice though. It's just my nature
I guess it's all up to you and the perks you want to give your families and what you are comfortable with.

[melilley]

I give two weeks worth of free days after 90 days at a higher rate or they can pay whether their child is in attendence or not at a lower rate. This way it is their choice and I still can attract clients. I used to do all free days but, wanted to charge more but, still get people in the door so, I started this new policy. So far, so good!! Holidays are paid after 90 days because if thy earn their free days I should earn my holiday pay.Any time I am closed I dont charge as well, which I think is good business. Best of luck to you!!

Interesting, I like this idea! I do charge if I am closed, but it's only a max of 5 days a year (I haven't even used one yet though) plus one paid vacation, but they get a free vac. week also.

[littlemissmuffet]

In my experience, the more complicated you make your policies the more loopholes parents try and screw you over with. Simple is better.

I don't give breaks to ANY of my daycares parents, single or not. There are endless programs out there to help - and I find that most "single" parents these days have well-off partners, are getting their nails done, wearing name-brand clothing, driving expensive cars and texting on iPhones.

I paint my own nails, wear from walmart, don't even own a car and have a cheapo old school flip phone... and I'm doing just fine

I have changed my policies many times over the years (as I suspect everyone here has)... as you deal with more parents (especially this new generation of self-entitled parents) your policies will just naturally evolve to work for you as new situations come up.

[Margarete]

I am in the process of writing a contract and want to include some free days too. I want to encourage and support families spending time together (has nothing to do with what their family make up is). I will have a slightly higher rate then I would otherwise to accommodate this. These are all great idea's to think about, I should definitely cap the days, and I was thinking of requiring advance notice for at least some of those days 'vacation' time, (my own and theirs) so everyone can plan accordingly. I want to schedule a week vacation in the summer for me, with at least a months notice (and encourage them to take their vacations at the same time).

[cheerfuldom]

I didnt read thru all the responses but I dont provide free days. I dont see it benefitting anyone but the parents and as I am a business, I always choose the business side that will benefit me. It sounds like extra stuff to deal with, extra things that might cause confrontations and hurt feelings with parents.....too much extra trouble.

[jenn]

I agree that as providers we deserve to be paid for time off. I think it is fair to charge to parents for holidays and for days they take off. The main reason I do free days and don't charge for my days off, is really just marketing. I live in a big city with a lot of competition, so offering a little extra helps keep my positions full.

[BBDC]

I give my families as many days a week they come they get that many free days a year, but really most families have never used them!

[JoseyJo]

I give my families as many days a week they come they get that many free days a year, but really most families have never used them!

That may very well be what happens- maybe some people want their kids to go to daycare sick not so much because they have to pay anyway but because they want US to deal w/ their sick kid not them!

[Sunshine75]

I have it worked in my contract that parents get one free week of vacation time a year based on starting date. I also have two weeks paid vacation knowing they have backups they don't have to pay and because quite frankly most employers give their employees at least two weeks paid a year for them to use. They can choose to take their weeks based on my vacation schedule or not. Plus, when they don't pay me for one week they are banking that pay to use when I take off if they need it. Also, I have paid sick days. When my job requires me to work with children who are getting sick often and I am rarely sick, (before starting a daycare), if I get sick due to watching a child who is brought to me sick I am going to be paid for that day I need to rest. Plus, most parents honestly love when you take a sick day. They call their employer and none times out of ten they have sick days so they stay home with their child and watch some tv with pay. :hug:

[My3cents]

Seems like I am in the minority here- but I wouldn't give them any unpaid sick days. Most jobs provide PAID sick days so if they or their child is sick they are still getting paid from their job so they can still pay you.

I totally agree that simpler is better- such as "if you are absent when I am open you pay, if I take a day off you don't"

You DO have to be firm on your policies-

DONT allow late payments, require payments in advance of services - "If you don't pay you dont stay"

DONT allow a sick child to be dropped off (or if they get sick in care require p/u) - no excuses, if they have exclude-able symptoms they are excluded

DO be nicely firm about your contract, remind parents that this is your business and livelyhood, and you are responsible for keeping all of the children and yourself healthy.

Some parents will try to get over on you no matter what you do- you don't want those parents anyway!

no not the minority.

I am working, so I have to depend upon a steady income in order to do what I do. My clients pay no matter if in attendance or not. I can't run my business that way. My bills are not going to wait. I have three sick days a year that are paid to me. If I use them great, if I don't then I was not sick enough to use them. If I go over three days then I wouldn't charge my parents. I have never used my sick days. Burn out happens to providers when they don't set up good rules, regulations, policies, have a good clear handbook and policy in place. This is not a help the world job to me. I am working to better myself and my family. I need a reliable income. I pick and choose how I want to do charity, usually at Christmas time I do a lot then. I also do good deeds through out the year. I don't leave much room for negotiation with my job. I work hard. Having children is pricey and paying for them is part of it. I make the choice to do good onto others in other areas of my life. My income that supports my family is not to be played with or made to be negotiable. Just how I feel

[My3cents]

In my experience, the more complicated you make your policies the more loopholes parents try and screw you over with. Simple is better.

I don't give breaks to ANY of my daycares parents, single or not. There are endless programs out there to help - and I find that most "single" parents these days have well-off partners, are getting their nails done, wearing name-brand clothing, driving expensive cars and texting on iPhones.

I paint my own nails, wear from walmart, don't even own a car and have a cheapo old school flip phone... and I'm doing just fine

I have changed my policies many times over the years (as I suspect everyone here has)... as you deal with more parents (especially this new generation of self-entitled parents) your policies will just naturally evolve to work for you as new situations come up.