Late Payment Issue, Long-Sorry

[daycarediva]

Dck is 4 days/week. Tue-F. Weekly rate is $160. I sent dck home sick on Tuesday right before nap (possible dope and drop, sleepy then fever at 12:40?)

In my new contract and handbooks I gave sick days for parents 3 days for FT and 2 days for PT, with stipulations like they needed to let me know by 9pm the evening before (I have drop ins that may want the space), child couldn't be in attendance at all for them to be used, etc. I even define FT as 5 contracted days per week and PT as 4 or fewer contracted days per week.

I sent dcm a text later Tues evening asking how dck was doing, and reminding her he needed to stay home Wed. She said he wasn't better, was bringing to pediatrician on Wed, and would let me know Wed if he would be here Thurs.

I had a drop in for Wed. This is day #1 of sick days, she has 1 left to use for the year.

Wed, dcm never gets back to me. I send her a text at 6/right after closing asking how dck was and if he would be back. I had a drop in want the space but didn't want to schedule it or I would be over ratio if dck came. Dcm responds back around 10 saying he has a double ear infection AND pink eye, on antibiotics, maybe he can come back by Friday.

No sick day can be used for Thurs as she didn't let me know by 9, per contract. I did send a text to my drop in family, who had already made other arrangements.

Thurs, she sends me a text at 8:50 saying dck will be out the rest of the week, still has a fever, not eating, etc. I wished him well and told her I would email her an updated invoice. She can use Friday as a sick day since it was within my time frame. Not relevant, but I had a drop in for Friday. This is both sick days for the year. I send the invoice our Thursday evening, with a total of 2 days, $80. She responds back essentially freaking out that I am charging for 2 days when he was only here one. I attached a copy of my handbook to my reply, and copied and pasted the sections on contracted care is based on attendance, and the 2 sick days per year for PT clients. She replied back that 40 hours a week anywhere else is considered FT, and I copied and pasted the definitions in my contract back, and even said that she signed agreeing to it, etc.

Friday came and went with no payment. I sent another invoice Friday after 6pm with the late fee attached- $20 (per day) and reminded her that dck cannot return until the balance, plus late fees are paid in full. I also sent her a text. No response.

My per diem family wants 3 of their days (W-F) and is willing to get together and sign a contract asap.

This is her 4th late payment in 8 months, and she often waits until Monday to swing by to pay me ($20/day in late fees doesn't deter this, either I charge every single time). I'm fairly certain she was doing it intentionally since she knows I don't go to the bank until Saturdays, she gets paid every two weeks but refuses to pay me two weeks in advance, we have discussed it before. In my new contract/handbook I made a stipulation that all payments made late must be made in cash.

Term immediately, and be done with it? Wait until Monday and hope she pays me? Wait until Tuesday at drop off for a no show? WWYD?

[TheGoodLife]

I'm assuming you have families pay for the care already provided, so I would wait until you get their next check on Monday (if she shows up like you said she has in past), then give term letter after you get $ in hand! If she waits until Tuesday at drop off, I'd have a term letter in hand that day.

[Leigh]

EVERY other daycare full time is 40+? At MY daycare, full time is anything over 20 hours!

If this parent can't abide by your rules (REFUSES to pay in advance), then it's time to term, IMO. I wouldn't accept a parent who won't follow my basic policies (advance payment is an absolute non-negotiable, for obvious reasons). Add in that she is freaking out about abiding by the handbook (that I am assuming she agreed to when she signed on with you?). I would just not bother, but that's me.

As far as waiting? That's up to you whether you want to see if you get paid on Monday. There's always small claims court if you don't get paid when you are supposed to.

[Mister Sir Husband]

Sounds to me as she has the money and just enjoys pushing your buttons. You did say you've got another family wanting 3 of her 4 days anyways. I would just terminate now and send her an invoice for what she owes you. (registered mail works great for this.. guarantees you know she got it) Granted if I needed the cash I could see waiting until she shows up with it and sending her home 6 seconds later, but generally if I decide to terminate on a Saturday afternoon... I am going to tell the parent at that time.

I might even consider calling her and offering to waive the late fees (and possibly save herself legal fees) if she drops the money off tonight.. but she's still terminated.

[daycarediva]

No, they pay in advance. So the payment due Friday is for this coming weeks care. It states several times in the new handbooks and contracts everyone JUST received and signed that no care will be given until all payments, including late fees, be paid in full, and if late, IN CASH.

I really think it threw her, she is the sole reason I started the cash if late policy. She gets paid every two weeks and it's an issue pretty much every other month. My dh said it's probably the months with five weeks, where she is short/off? not sure, and I am going to look through last years billing and see if he's right. She writes me a check on Monday, with $60 in late fees, then writes me a check on Friday when the next check is due (her payday) and I cash them both the Saturday AFTER she has been paid. I have suggested she pay two weeks in advance on more than one occasion to avoid late fees. I have NO IDEA why she waits until Monday to pay. Dck isn't scheduled that day, so she makes a trip to my house on her day off for no reason, if she paid Saturday, she would at least pay fewer late fees. I can't figure out her reasoning here.

She has always at least RESPONDED to my emails and texts. This time it's nothing. She also has no problem paying for my PTO, and has kept dck home for full weeks before with no problem with payment, even post dated the checks so that they were on time (one vacation and once when he had tubes in) Offering ANY 'free' days off is brand new and was gone over very clearly in the letter I sent home and in the new handbooks, so I believe THAT is the issue. She thinks if I agree that 4 days is ft, he can have 3 days 'free'. Which is why I stipulated that 1-4 contracted days is PT and 5 days is FT.

The loss of income is $25/week, (her 4 day spot is 160, other family 3 days is 135) and I do have another drop in that will pick up a Tuesday once a month or so at $50 drop in rate, so essentially no difference.

I do like dck though.

Can you tell dh said "do what you want" and I have nobody to listen to me complain about this? LOL!

[Unregistered]

Dck is 4 days/week. Tue-F. Weekly rate is $160. I sent dck home sick on Tuesday right before nap (possible dope and drop, sleepy then fever at 12:40?)

In my new contract and handbooks I gave sick days for parents 3 days for FT and 2 days for PT, with stipulations like they needed to let me know by 9pm the evening before (I have drop ins that may want the space), child couldn't be in attendance at all for them to be used, etc. I even define FT as 5 contracted days per week and PT as 4 or fewer contracted days per week.

I sent dcm a text later Tues evening asking how dck was doing, and reminding her he needed to stay home Wed. She said he wasn't better, was bringing to pediatrician on Wed, and would let me know Wed if he would be here Thurs.

I had a drop in for Wed. This is day #1 of sick days, she has 1 left to use for the year.

Wed, dcm never gets back to me. I send her a text at 6/right after closing asking how dck was and if he would be back. I had a drop in want the space but didn't want to schedule it or I would be over ratio if dck came. Dcm responds back around 10 saying he has a double ear infection AND pink eye, on antibiotics, maybe he can come back by Friday.

No sick day can be used for Thurs as she didn't let me know by 9, per contract. I did send a text to my drop in family, who had already made other arrangements.

Thurs, she sends me a text at 8:50 saying dck will be out the rest of the week, still has a fever, not eating, etc. I wished him well and told her I would email her an updated invoice. She can use Friday as a sick day since it was within my time frame. Not relevant, but I had a drop in for Friday. This is both sick days for the year. I send the invoice our Thursday evening, with a total of 2 days, $80. She responds back essentially freaking out that I am charging for 2 days when he was only here one. I attached a copy of my handbook to my reply, and copied and pasted the sections on contracted care is based on attendance, and the 2 sick days per year for PT clients. She replied back that 40 hours a week anywhere else is considered FT, and I copied and pasted the definitions in my contract back, and even said that she signed agreeing to it, etc.

Friday came and went with no payment. I sent another invoice Friday after 6pm with the late fee attached- $20 (per day) and reminded her that dck cannot return until the balance, plus late fees are paid in full. I also sent her a text. No response.

My per diem family wants 3 of their days (W-F) and is willing to get together and sign a contract asap.

This is her 4th late payment in 8 months, and she often waits until Monday to swing by to pay me ($20/day in late fees doesn't deter this, either I charge every single time). I'm fairly certain she was doing it intentionally since she knows I don't go to the bank until Saturdays, she gets paid every two weeks but refuses to pay me two weeks in advance, we have discussed it before. In my new contract/handbook I made a stipulation that all payments made late must be made in cash.

Term immediately, and be done with it? Wait until Monday and hope she pays me? Wait until Tuesday at drop off for a no show? WWYD?

TERM and let the other family take her spot.


BTW: 32 weeks is actually considered FT for employment purposes, , in most states (think unemployment benefit-getting) and even where I work full time is defined as anything 32+ hours.

[TwinKristi]

Yeah for future reference you may want to remove the wording "part time" or "full time" and strictly used number of days a week. That can be confusing for some. I would consider 4 days FT personally. If you have someone who can fill their spot than take it. She seems like a pain!

[nanglgrl]

I would term now and send a certified letter. I do agree with maybe changing the definition of full time part time and maybe saying 5 days is full time and anything less is part time or something similar. I agree as to why she gets less sick days. She already basically costs you one day a week because it's hard to fill a one day a week slot so she shouldn't get the same amount of sick days as someone who pays the full time rate.

[Shell]

TERM and let the other family take her spot.


BTW: 32 weeks is actually considered FT for employment purposes, , in most states (think unemployment benefit-getting) and even where I work full time is defined as anything 32+ hours.

[daycarediva]

I would term now and send a certified letter. I do agree with maybe changing the definition of full time part time and maybe saying 5 days is full time and anything less is part time or something similar. I agree as to why she gets less sick days. She already basically costs you one day a week because it's hard to fill a one day a week slot so she shouldn't get the same amount of sick days as someone who pays the full time rate.

To clarify- I have a space in my handbook that essentially states:
FULL TIME is considered 5 days/week. PART TIME is 4 days or fewer per week. My handbook now includes a list of definitions, parents sign each part of the handbook/contract saying that they have read and agreed to it.

Yes, I know that the hours for employers can be 32+, 35+, 40+ hours to be considered full time, but for ME, anyone paying LESS than my FT rate for 5 days is considered PT. Mainly bc if I get a ft inquiry to a PT space that will net me more $, my contract gives me the option to term (FT trumps PT)

[Patches]

To clarify- I have a space in my handbook that essentially states:
FULL TIME is considered 5 days/week. PART TIME is 4 days or fewer per week. My handbook now includes a list of definitions, parents sign each part of the handbook/contract saying that they have read and agreed to it.

Yes, I know that the hours for employers can be 32+, 35+, 40+ hours to be considered full time, but for ME, anyone paying LESS than my FT rate for 5 days is considered PT. Mainly bc if I get a ft inquiry to a PT space that will net me more $, my contract gives me the option to term (FT trumps PT)

I have a table of my rates and, like you, mine says full time = 5 days. Part time = 4 days or less.

[Blackcat31]

Friday came and went with no payment. I sent another invoice Friday after 6pm with the late fee attached- $20 (per day) and reminded her that dck cannot return until the balance, plus late fees are paid in full. I also sent her a text. No response.

This is her 4th late payment in 8 months, and she often waits until Monday to swing by to pay me ($20/day in late fees doesn't deter this, either I charge every single time). I'm fairly certain she was doing it intentionally since she knows I don't go to the bank until Saturdays, she gets paid every two weeks but refuses to pay me two weeks in advance, we have discussed it before. In my new contract/handbook I made a stipulation that all payments made late must be made in cash.

Your late fee is $20 PER day? Payments are due on Friday?

Why is she only being charged $20 then when she shows up on Mondays?

My late fee is $10 PER calendar day. Payment is due Friday by close (5:00 PM)

If a parent doesn't show up on Friday to pay, when they do show up on Monday, they would owe me $30.

So if yours is $20 per day and due on Fridays, she should be bringing $60 as a late fee. THAT would probably deter her from making late payments in the future....


Also, fwiw, I had TONS of parents try to argue FT vs PT with me as far as who got what perks and who didn't ....kwim?

I changed my wording for free/credit/absent days to :

Families that use 5 days per week get 1 absent/free/credit day PER EVERY 60 days of PAID attendance.
Families using 4 days per week get 1 day PER EVERY 90 days of PAID attendance.
Families using 3 days or less get none.

Solved the issue of misinterpretation. I have no FT or PT now, just 3, 4 or 5 day a week families.

[daycarediva]

Your late fee is $20 PER day? Payments are due on Friday?

Why is she only being charged $20 then when she shows up on Mondays?

My late fee is $10 PER calendar day. Payment is due Friday by close (5:00 PM)

If a parent doesn't show up on Friday to pay, when they do show up on Monday, they would owe me $30.

So if yours is $20 per day and due on Fridays, she should be bringing $60 as a late fee. THAT would probably deter her from making late payments in the future....


Also, fwiw, I had TONS of parents try to argue FT vs PT with me as far as who got what perks and who didn't ....kwim?

I changed my wording for free/credit/absent days to :

Families that use 5 days per week get 1 absent/free/credit day PER EVERY 60 days of PAID attendance.
Families using 4 days per week get 1 day PER EVERY 90 days of PAID attendance.
Families using 3 days or less get none.

Solved the issue of misinterpretation. I have no FT or PT now, just 3, 4 or 5 day a week families.

I send out an updated invoice after 6pm nightly. She is charged $60 right now (in late fees). I am kicking myself in the arse right now for not just going straight to pay Friday by 6pm at this rate, or Monday by 9am at this rate ($50 higher).

[itlw8]

as far as f/t p/t goes If one pays for less than f/t then they are p/t

I never think of things fast enough but when she said most places 40 hours is f/t then you say. YOu are right I am sorry. Starting next week I will consider you f/t and your rate will go up to ---- which is my f/t rate.

[daycarediva]

as far as f/t p/t goes If one pays for less than f/t then they are p/t

I never think of things fast enough but when she said most places 40 hours is f/t then you say. YOu are right I am sorry. Starting next week I will consider you f/t and your rate will go up to ---- which is my f/t rate.

:: CLASSIC! I am going to have to remember that if (when?) this issue comes up again.