Dad always late on payment and bounced checks

[Dsquared]

I have this family and I have watched their son since he was 4 months old, he is now 2. They were always good about paying me on time. About a year ago they started having problems and divorced. Thats when I started having problems with them. My contract says I need to be payed friday for the following week. He gets payed friday, so I let him pay monday morning. Last week wednesday rolls around and he has not payed. I get the mail that day and his check from the week before has bounced! So I call him right away and tell him and he is apologizing. He pays me the following day for last weeks bounced check the the week we were in on thursday, and added an extra 25.00 fee. So now this week rolls around. Monday was MLK day and I am closed all federal holidays so of course no check from him. I send him a text and tell him to bring it the following morning tuesday. He responds to me with sort of an attitude and says he will be there in the morning. Well of course we end up getting a snow storm and schools are closed and so is the federal government. I offered to watch their son because the mom asked if I would for a few hours since the snow was not starting until later and I said yes, but they ended up not coming. The snow did not start though until around 10 am! I get a text from him saying he was running late for work and he will bring it later, but he does not show. I have not even responded back because I am so annoyed. It is now Wednesday and I have not been paid. What should I do? I can not terminate because we of financial problems. I hate being in these situations because we have no money

[Kabob]

Well it's not like you're getting paid anyway...and now you've worked for free (or did I misread that?).

I've made a lot of mistakes allowing families to get away with stuff but not paying me doesn't fly. I'm financially tight too so not having my paycheck on time hurts. Better to find a family that will pay on time than one that not only doesn't pay on time but also bounces checks...

[Play Care]

Two words: BUH-BYE. This is not personal, it's business. What other business allows people to NOT pay for services rendered? You are NOT getting paid, so keeping them for financial reasons is a moot point.

[Dsquared]

Well I have not watched his kid yet this week because Monday was a federal holiday, and they did not bring him yesterday because of the snow storm. They still owe me the money because my contract says I am closed all federal holidays with pay, and I offered to watch their child yesterday but they did not show up. I am sure his mom will bring him today, but the dad still needs to pay me. They are divorced and he brings me payment. He is making me feel like I am begging for my money. He was supposed to bring it in the morning yesterday but did not show up. Then he said I will come in the afternoon and did not show up. Now it is wednesday morning.

[craftymissbeth]

Regardless of whether mom is supposed to pay you or not and she's the one dropping off I would NOT take their child unless they bring payment. They need to work that out between them.

[Play Care]

Well I have not watched his kid yet this week because Monday was a federal holiday, and they did not bring him yesterday because of the snow storm. They still owe me the money because my contract says I am closed all federal holidays with pay, and I offered to watch their child yesterday but they did not show up. I am sure his mom will bring him today, but the dad still needs to pay me. They are divorced and he brings me payment. He is making me feel like I am begging for my money. He was supposed to bring it in the morning yesterday but did not show up. Then he said I will come in the afternoon and did not show up. Now it is wednesday morning.

I would tell them if they show today that you will no longer accept one parent picking up and the other paying - from now on, the parent doing pick ups needs to have payment or the child will not be allowed into care. As Ms.Beth said, they need to work that out between themselves and STOP putting you in the middle.

[Dsquared]

I just sent her a message and told her they need to bring payment before they drop him off. I am looking to replace him. I have a new family starting on Monday but they are replacing another family who is leaving. I need to maintain a certain number of kids to survive.

[Meeko]

No payment. No care. No exceptions.

[Cat Herder]

Cash, up front from now on.... or Buh-Bye.

[Dsquared]

He responded with a text of course making me feel like I am being annoying. And I do start to feel bad because I did not work monday, and then the snow on tuesday. But everyone else pays on time and on fridays for the following week. He should be bringing it by this morning before his child gets here.

[melilley]

Regardless of whether mom is supposed to pay you or not and she's the one dropping off I would NOT take their child unless they bring payment. They need to work that out between them.

[melilley]

He responded with a text of course making me feel like I am being annoying. And I do start to feel bad because I did not work monday, and then the snow on tuesday. But everyone else pays on time and on fridays for the following week. He should be bringing it by this morning before his child gets here.

I have a family that has done this to me. They tried to make me feel guilty because they didn't pay or because they don't have money. I always make them pay, but they have been late. The last time, last week, I used my backbone and told mom she had to come over that night and pay me or they would have hefty late fees. (I should have made them pay the late fees, but didn't) Well, dcm came over that night at 8:30 to pay.

Then yesterday the same dcd gave me a check so I let mom know and she said he must have forgot they already paid....yeah right, after all that. Then she proceeds to tell me not to cash that check until Fri., which is fine, she said if I cash it early, we would BOTH have fees because it would bounce! No, you would have a fee!

Some parents. How would they like it if their jobs didn't pay them! This is the only family that I have like this. I used to feel bad, but realized it's not my fault and I don't feel bad anymore at all! DO NOT feel bad!

[crazydaycarelady]

Can you talk to dcm about it? Tell her they may lose care if this situation does not get straightened out.

[Dsquared]

I am going to have to talk to her. He finally ended up bringing the cash about 1 hour ago. The mom is staying home with the boy today because schools are closed and the roads are bad. Hopefully tomorrow everything all be back to normal. Thanks!

[mia]

I agree ..they need to pay before you care again...

like someone else stated ,,,, how would or what would they do or feel if they did not get payed from their work....

You have bills to pay, and you can not do your job properly if you can not oay your bills....

NO FEE, NO CARE......

I've had to tell a client that they would have to start paying by cash if they had one more bounced cheque.... ( after the third time ).....