When Child Is Not Attending On Payday...Sickness

[WImom]

When a child is sick on payday do you still require parents to pay? or let them bring it at drop off Monday? I have a family that I know won't be here tomorrow due to child having fever today - should I remind her about payment? Is that insensitive? I'm sure she will be going to work and grandma will be watching him.

She also has a late fee for picking up late Monday. He has been out since Tuesday (Dad was home - now child is sick).
Also what do you normally do if you don't know until that Friday morning?

[Blackcat31]

ALL payments are due IN FULL by Friday 5PM. I don't care if the child is or isn't in attendance.

They can be in Italy for all I care but payment is still due.

If they are frequently late payers, I would absolutely text them that payment is STILL due today. Give them the option of bringing it on Monday but make sure to let them know there will be a HUGE late fee attached.

ALL due at drop off.

[MotherNature]

I generally just allow them to bring it the next time they'll be in. But that's just for my PT-er. My FT kid...it would be due that night by closing. Worst case, I'd allow them to bring it by Saturday at a certain time. If they didn't, then I'd charge a late fee. Seeing that she already owes a late fee, hell yes, I'd bring it up. I'd say, "I'm sorry dck is sick, but I will still need payment for next week by x o clock, along with the late fee of x dollars from such and such incident, as a reminder. I hope dck feels better this weekend; See you soon."

[MarinaVanessa]

As soon as my clients come for a tour I point out that I charge a FLAT weekly rate that is based on enrollment not attendance. If they go on vacation, get sick, stay home to hang out with mom and dad, have a Dr's appointment etc. and they miss a day (or a few hours) the rate stays the same and there is no credit toward the following week. My policies also say that there is no switching days if days are missed BUT I may allow a client to switch a day IF I have room and if this is not a regular occurrence. But it's entirely up to me.

[caregiver]

ALL payments are due IN FULL by Friday 5PM. I don't care if the child is or isn't in attendance.

They can be in Italy for all I care but payment is still due.

If they are frequently late payers, I would absolutely text them that payment is STILL due today. Give them the option of bringing it on Monday but make sure to let them know there will be a HUGE late fee attached.

ALL due at drop off.

That is what I do also!

[WImom]

NORMALLY it's always due or you get big late fees even if on vacation but I just wondered with kids being sick if you still enforce that rule.

[BumbleBee]

It depends on the family. I have one family who I know will bring it Monday w/o a reminder if their child is out on Friday. I have another family who always has a reason to be out on Friday-I require theirs on Friday.

[WImom]

Well I emailed her. I'm sure she will say she didn't get it. She conveniently does that BUT really I dont' really need to remind her.

I have another (new) client that I made the mistake this morning saying if your out and about today or tomorrow please drop off payment. U G G!! My fault and I won't make that mistake again. Not sure why I said that. Oh well, lesson learned.

I have two kids out sick today

[childcaremom]

My contract says that payment is due whether they are in attendance or not, including vacations (theirs or mine) and illnesses. Can she do an email transfer? That's what my parents do if they aren't able to get here.

So, yes, I would charge a late fee if not paid today. I also would expect the late pickup fee at drop off on their next day or their child will not be staying.

[MarinaVanessa]

NORMALLY it's always due or you get big late fees even if on vacation but I just wondered with kids being sick if you still enforce that rule.

For me I always enforce the rule but that's because I have tons of ways for parents to pay me so if their child is sick they're still required to pay om time. My clients can pay in person, by phone (Square reader), online (childcarepay) or wired (through the Chase app) so my clients don't have any reason not to pay me on time, even their child is sick .

If it doesn't bother you that much I'd just let it slide. If it does then charge them the late fees if that's what they agreed too.

[jenn]

Depends on the family and why they are gone. If they are unexpectedly ill, I don't require them to bring the payment. If they are sent home on Thursday or Friday, I ask for payment at pick up. If they are gone on Friday due to vacation or something scheduled, I require payment on their last day prior to leaving.

[AcornMama]

I had this come up a few weeks ago. I knew a day ahead of time that dcb (my only dc kid on Fridays) would be home sick. When I remembered that it was payday, I sent mom an email just saying, hey, just remembered that tuition is due tomorrow. Would you like to stop by with it in the morning or evening? That way I didn't give her an option of not paying, but I was giving her an option of what time was most convenient for her.

She replied that she'd bring it in the morning, and offered to leave it on the porch so I could sleep in, since she knew I'd have a day off with her son not there. I thanked her for thinking of me, but told her I'd get up and meet her and give her a receipt.

I figured if I'm sticking with business policies and still requiring payment on that day, then it wouldn't be professional of me to sleep in. I think overall, if we expect parents to treat us like a business/professional, then we need to act as a professional. Not saying this about anyone or anything, just a general principle.

[TheGoodLife]

That made me realize that my DCG who has been out sick all week (she's PT T-Th) and today would be her payday. Normally I would text and ask about payment, but I love this DCM so much that I will just let it slide and wait until next week- DCM works by me but doesn't live in the area. (If I needed the money, I would ask though)

[melilley]

I require payments on Friday before care for the next week, but if the child is out sick on Friday, I will let them pay on Monday.
BUT if they already had a late fee, I don't know if I would be so nice.

[crunchymama]

Payments are due Friday by 9pm here, regardless of whether or not they attend that day.
Here's how I see it--if my electric bill is late because my kid is sick, the power company doesn't care, late is late. That's just the business end of it.
I'd text, ask about the kiddo, and add a reminder about payment being due.