New Family & No Payment Already

[Second Home]

I would move on from this family with a missed payment and a returned cheque within the first two weeks of care.

That is what I am thinking too .

I will most likely also loose the cousin as well if I term . Dcb is only here until school begins in August , the cousin would possibly be here for about a year and a half .

Going from 3 full time to 1 will be a big hit , especially since it is hard to get new clients in the area .

[TheGoodLife]

Ahh, I'd make sure to enforce late payment fees, returned check fees, and only take cash from now on- whatever your contract states. Sounds like you might be fighting payments if its only their first month

[MarinaVanessa]

Discussed it with her yesterday afternoon via text ( love to have things in writing) .
She said she would bring it in the morning at drop off . Guess what - she had someone else drop dcb off . I asked the aunt who dropped off where my envelope was , she said she did not have one .

I wouldn't accept him in until they caught up and paid cash from now on. If someone else drops off I and they don't have payment then I'd tell that someone that I couldn't take him. Doesn't matter to me that auntie has to go work or not, DCM put her and I in that predicament and so DCM needs to fix it, not me.

[Mom of 4]

They know EXACTLY what they are doing.

I wouldn't take the child any more until a payment has been received, + all the fees. No more checks!


Even though you feel that you can't lose them, you really can't afford to KEEP them under the circumstances. Let's say they continue to drop off and "forget" payment or bounce more checks. You're not getting the money ANYWAY, yet you are working. So you're still not getting the money EITHER WAY. Therefore, you could always start looking for other families, and if you lose these guys, then you're at least not working for free.

[MarinaVanessa]

They know EXACTLY what they are doing.

I wouldn't take the child any more until a payment has been received, + all the fees. No more checks!


Even though you feel that you can't lose them, you really can't afford to KEEP them under the circumstances. Let's say they continue to drop off and "forget" payment or bounce more checks. You're not getting the money ANYWAY, yet you are working. So you're still not getting the money EITHER WAY. Therefore, you could always start looking for other families, and if you lose these guys, then you're at least not working for free.

[Second Home]

Grandmother came for pick up and had the cash . She seemed very frazzled , mumbling about her daughter now owing her $$ . I handed her the sealed letter about the returned check fees due tomorrow to give to her daughter .

We will see what happens come the morning .

[TwinKristi]

Oh my goodness!!! So sorry this is happening!! I would definitely enforce those payment policies or term! That was my biggest learning experience with this job. I allowed a few families to start without a deposit, which could have left me in a bind.,. I looked at the deposit as a spot holder prior to care, but once they started care what did it matter? Well what happens when they just up and leave one day? Great clients can turn into nasty clients really quick! Someone just posted about a family she'd had for years that fell on hard times with a job loss so she offered them a 1/2 rate until he found a job... for 6 mos
!! Then when that 6 mos was up and dad got a job, guess who was leaving?? Yep! Pulled the kids out for free grandma daycare! So don't let someone who seems like nice people take advantage of you because that's exactly what they're doing. I dislike the relative drop off too... always seems like the most convenient time!

I have a DCF now that started back in Feb and every month its something. The first week they had to pay at the end of the week rather then the start per my contract because their nanny left them high and dry and they had to pay her Friday and start with me Monday... but never mentioned this to me from Wed to Sunday when they first came by to visit, or their second visit when they signed up, or that weekend! They gave me that first week and then over the next month would pay the 2wks plus 1/2 the deposit. Well if they made one more extra payment (I even printed out a payment calendar to show what payment covered what time frame) they would be ahead and on schedule but they had a "short paycheck" and couldn't pay the extra week to get them ahead (yeah right!) and paid me their normal rate which still left them a week behind! UGH!!! Then it was spring break, then they were sick... now he owes me tomorrow for the next two weeks and will finally BE ahead for good but I just have a feeling something will happen. I even reminded him of the payment due tomorrow (I reminded him to deduct 1 day for a sickness closure last week) so we'll see. I was flexible with these parents understanding their situation but their short paychecks don't stop them from eating at "nice restaurants" (their words not mine) and taking trips for their anniversary yet they can't pay me... If it happens again I'm going to be instituting a late payment fee. I don't have one because everyone else pays me on time. But it's been my single biggest regret so far because I just don't trust them now. I don't like it.

[Second Home]

"Sigh"

Got a call that dcg & dcb will not be coming today as they have a day off work.

[Meyou]

"Sigh"

Got a call that dcg & dcb will not be coming today as they have a day off work.

Otherwise known as, "We don't have our bounced cheque fees."

[MarinaVanessa]

Otherwise known as, "We don't have our bounced cheque fees."

Yup.

You might want to think about adding a late fee policy. My late payment fee policy inlcludes penalty fees. Even if a client owes a late pick up fee and doesn't pay it at pick up I add a late payment fee. If they don't pay those fees by drop off the next day then they don't stay.

I would think about adding this policy immediately or give them their walking papers. They're just playing with you now.