Does anyone follow the school schedule for their daycare?

[TaylorTots]

If so, what is your policies regarding rates for snow days/spring break/winter break/federal school holidays etc?

Do you care for children (maybe schoolagers?) over the summer?

[slorey]

I follow the school calendar. How I handle days off:

If it is a holiday, they pay (unless the holiday falls during one of the 3 weeks off)

If it is a snow day they pay.

The weeks off I have them pay for 2 out of 3 (that is my paid vacation time)

I do not charge for summer and do not offer care, although will occasionally watch family friend's children. The time with my own kids is too important to give up in the summer!

My only family right now has a teacher mom, so the time off is not a concern. I would imagine it would be hard to find families with traditional jobs, because the time off would be too much for them.

[snbauser]

I follow our school schedule. We have 3 different types of days where the kids are off - Annual Leave Days, Holidays, and teacher workdays. I am closed for all except for teacher workdays. I get paid for any day listed on the calendar as a holiday but not for days listed as Annual Leave Days. So for times like this years Thanksgiving I was closed Wed - Fri but only got paid for Thurs/Fri because Wed was an annual leave day. Christmas break I as closed 9 days and got paid for 4 of them. For summers I drop to a part time schedule. Last year I did Mon-Wed from 7:30-4 (I'm normally open 6:30-5) and closed for my 2 weeks unpaid. I require they pay for the 3 days/week or they don't get a guaranteed spot in the fall. This year I am actually doing a Mon-Thurs schedule and closing for 4 weeks in July instead.

[TaylorTots]

Thanks for sharing!

[butterfly]

I follow the school calendar too. I start work the week before school if the teachers need it to prepare their rooms and attend inservice meetings. I offer this week at a drop in rate if they choose not to attend this week or attend just a few days.

I charge for school holidays and breaks that I'm closed except for Christmas break. I'm off without pay and consider it their christmas gift.

I charge the same weekly rate for snow days too. I do give them the option of bringing their kids if they really want to, but I'd prefer to just be closed.

I do not charge for the summer and I do not watch any kids during the summer. I will do a very rare drop in at my drop in rate, but typically I'm not home during the summer - I'm busy with my own kids activities.

I also offer the last week of school at the drop in rate if they choose to come. - I do this because sometimes the last day of school falls on a monday and if I charge the weekly rate, some parents feel they need to bring their kids the whole week. I'd rather have a few less kids and possibly start my summer a little sooner. But I am officially open if they choose to come the whole week and pay for it.

I also charge one week's rate to hold their spot through the summer which is then applied to the last week of care for the following school year. Only because it deters the families that just want to ensure a spot somewhere but don't actually plan on attending or paying anything. Then I have less drop in enrollment from year to year. If they've already paid something then they tend to return.

[Msdunny]

I follow the school calendar. How I handle days off:

If it is a holiday, they pay (unless the holiday falls during one of the 3 weeks off)

If it is a snow day they pay.

The weeks off I have them pay for 2 out of 3 (that is my paid vacation time)

I do not charge for summer and do not offer care, although will occasionally watch family friend's children. The time with my own kids is too important to give up in the summer!

This, except I have 2 that are not teacher's kids who do come in the summer. I have scheduled 5 personal days this year, all on Fridays, and they do not pay for them. Spring break is considered a 1/2 price vacation week for my teachers, since they don't come in the summer. To technically, my teacher families only get one vacation at half price per year. The rest of my families get 2 weeks at half price.

[Happily_wed]

I only provide care for one family. I do not follow the school calendar. My rule is I provide care while you are working. DCM works in a bank so if the bank is closed, I don't provide care. If mom takes a personal day, I don't provide care. When mom takes vacation I don't provide care. I don't get paid unless the kids are here.

I provide care year round for this family. In the past the kids were here Mon-Thurs each week. Now that a new baby has arrived it is looking like it may increase to Mon-Fri. If there is a snow day from school and mom works they come here unless our road conditions are too bad for them to be out. Over holiday breaks the kids are here unless I choose to take days off.