Have You Ever Lost A DCF Because Of Your Own Absences?

[NightOwl]

I'm wondering this because I'm just paranoid about taking off. In the last full year, I've missed one day for a BAD stomach virus and opened two hours late on Monday because I twisted my ankle and had to see a Dr. My sub couldn't get here until 8. I think that's a pretty good track record but it got me to thinking about this.

[BumbleBee]

I'm paranoid too! I have yet to call off but it's bound to happen eventually. I had norovirus overnight but my sub was able to come in so I just gave parents the choice to bring the kids or not. Everybody showed up. My sub was wiped out after 8 hrs (I did the first hr (which consisted of a txt to parents to send their kids into the playroom where there were cartoons & breakfast waiting. I layed on the couch on the other side of the room until my sub arrived) and finished the last 2 hrs after I showered & felt human again)

[SignMeUp]

Almost all of my families over the years have been great! This helps me downplay the few who weren't.
One left after getting angry at me for taking off when my father died unexpectedly.
Another was a dc trainer and used me as an example in her class - of how difficult it was to have a child in fcc! This was because I took off ONE DAY after a serious injury, and before I had surgery. I used that day to line up subs and assistants for the eight weeks that I had physical limitations.
I guess it takes all types, and some types refuse to look beyond their own needs. Both of these were upsetting to me at the time, but I look back and realize that it was NOT me, it was THEM.
I am an extremely reliable provider, with clear policies. Over lots of years of doing childcare, I can still count on my fingers the days I have taken without notice. It averages far less than one day per year.
SO - Don't take it personally if someone gets ticked. It is most likely THEM, not you

[mountainside13]

I have! I was going to take 2 weeks off for maternity leave. One mom wasn't happy about it and I gave in and only took a week off. Long story short, she gave me 2 weeks notice my first day back. They were my favorite family back then and went above and beyond and turned into really good friends...guess not.

[daycare]

rule #1 do what works for you, TRUST me when I tell you, DCF will always do the same.

We are human, not robots. We get sick, have families, have emergencies and etc. Parents who don't understand this don't need to be in your DC.

I learned to stop worrying about the parents because I need to take care of ME and my family first. If they leave, well then they leave. I will just have to take time to fill the spot.

I am so tired right now I can't think back, but to what I can recall in 11 years I have closed 1 time for illness without much notice.

Everything else, I make sure that I give the parents plenty of notice.

Also, before I had helpers, I learned to be proactive as possible when I could. Like scheduling everyone's medical/dental appt on a holiday like presidents day that I would close but could make appts. I even made my own appts for months and months in advance so that if I needed to close I could.

I am lucky to have helpers now, but I still do what I need to do without much thought of how it will affect others.

[Blackcat31]

I have not but I currently have two families that did leave their previous caregiver for that reason.

IMHO, there is a big difference between planned time off though and unplanned time off.

I think if families are aware of close/vacation dates in advance, they are more apt to deal with them easily and without issue.

I close for 2 full weeks each year as well as 7 other days. ALL of which are pre-planned with notice given to parents in January.

I totally understand that things can happen that eliminate a provider's ability to give notice (as many providers are parents to young kids etc) but in those cases, I think you either need to have reliable back up that can fill in or you need to have really flexible parents that can work with short notice closings.

It's a tough row to hoe but it's part of the business I guess.

[Play Care]

I see both side of the issue. Yes, part of the job is to be reliable. But anyone who chooses in home child care has to know that providers get sick, their kids get sick, other emergencies crop up, etc. if a parent gets upset because I have to call out due to illness, that tells me they are poor planners. It tells me there will be other issues down the road due to their inability to think logically. Now, I don't call out because I need a mental health day ( the way I might have done when I worked outside the home) and I do need to make sure I am open/ available when I say I will be. I don't ever want parent to feel I'm closed more,than I'm open, KWIM?

This is actually timely for me as I'm thinking of firing dd's piano teacher. She is always calling off or canceling. Last night we were supposed to have a make up lesson and she cancelled because the lessons she had scheduled before ours canceled on her and she didn't want to hang out and wait until our lesson time...not the first time this has happened but it will be the last. Obviously I'm not counting on her for child care, but similar in that she runs her own business and makes her own policies.

[TaylorTots]

My two kids average 2-3 days per year that DH can't take off and are too sick to quarantine - so I close those days and parents usually get their notice at 4am when I'm up with a vomiting child.

I have never closed due to me being sick.

I take 2-3 personal days per year, unpaid, to get appointments done that I can't do on weekends or after hours. I give a month notice.

I take 7-8 vacation days in the summer, unpaid, for our family vacations.

And finally, I close early very rarely. So far, it has been just once for my son's kindergarten graduation.



I have never lost a family due to my absences. And if I did, honestly, good riddance. Each family is very replaceable in terms of business outlook and I follow my contract policies that they agreed to.

[daycaremum]

One family left (after 3 years), they got a spot at the local b/a school care program. One of their reasons was that they found it difficult to find alternate care when I booked time off. Apparently it had nothing to do with the fact that the fee where they were going would be a third of what I charged
Didn't bother me, the parents were dicks anyways and I was glad to see them go (like the kids).
Funny how they came for three years and funny how they knew this was a reality of a home daycare, that parents are responsible for their own back up.
Do what is best for you, you will find that no matter what you do there will always be some family that doesn't like it.

[melilley]

I haven't, but I have a dcf who came to me because their previous provider always called off. She often texted them when they were on their way to her house! Dcb was only there for 9 months and the dc provider called off something like 12 times! Now that's extreme!

I have it in my contract that I get 5 whatever days, 1 paid and one non paid week of vacation as well as holidays. They all agreed to this so if they did leave because I called off....see ya!

[Shell]

I was at a child's birthday party recently and heard a few parents complaining about this. The parents love the cost of home daycare but then get angry when we can't always provide a back up and can't be available 52 weeks a year. What I gathered was that it all comes down to cost: they were much more likely not to complain if the provider didn't charge for sickness or vacations. I rarely take a day off unplanned, but I have started recently (all unpaid) if need be. I'm trying not to worry so much about it, too!

[Blackcat31]

I was at a child's birthday party recently and heard a few parents complaining about this. The parents love the cost of home daycare but then get angry when we can't always provide a back up and can't be available 52 weeks a year. What I gathered was that it all comes down to cost: they were much more likely not to complain if the provider didn't charge for sickness or vacations. I rarely take a day off unplanned, but I have started recently (all unpaid) if need be. I'm trying not to worry so much about it, too!

This can definitely be true in a majority of cases but I think the BIGGEST thing is communication.

If parents are aware of and know your plans/policies AHEAD OF TIME then the resentment and/or frustration doesn't happen.

Handling unexpected closures is something I discuss thoroughly during the interview so that parents are aware of how I manage unexpected closings BEFORE they happen.

I also discuss with them MY expectations for them. For example, I do NOT provide a back up provider and expect parents to manage that portion of it.

Sometimes it does come down to costs but not always. I charge the same flat rate 52 weeks a year and NONE Of my parents have issues with that.

However, I am VERY reliable and RARELY close without a LOT of advance notice so I am sure that makes a difference too.

I would think like everything else in this line of work...it comes down to your relationship with the parent, how well you communicate and whether or not you work WITH your clients so that everything is a two way street.

[SilverSabre25]

Yep.

I enrolled a family just about three years ago. I was 8.5 months pregnant and they knew (obviously) that I would be taking a week off when my son was born. That's right ladies, just one week off.

They left during that week, saying that it was because they needed someone more reliable and that taking a week off was unacceptable.

I still wish I knew what the HELL they were thinking either when they enrolled or when they left.

[MsLaura529]

I have actually had to take a couple last minute days off (due to pulling my bicep and not being able to even lift my coffee mug in the morning). The parents have all been understanding, and they all have back-up care ready. I felt horrible, but did not feel comfortable having the children here and not being able to pick them up, change diapers, even carry plates to them at lunch. It happens, we are real people, too.

[MotherNature]

I had a family leave in January for taking my vacation. Mind you, they signed the contract, and I sent reminders out. They had over a full month of notice of my vacay days. The family also only gave me a week's notice on THEIR vacays,which I let slide. I had my 2 weeks paid vacay lined up around Xmas & Thanksgiving, so the way I arranged it w/ paid holidays being in there, I had almost 3 weeks off, paid. I even shorted myself a paid day. They claimed I left them in a bind b/c mom worked retail & the holidays were busy..um..you had over a month's notice! They said they knew they were forfeiting their deposit by leaving w/ no notice, and that was that until they requested tax info. I was the baby's 1st daycare, and they were here 6 mos. It was weird...