DCPs 30-45min Late To Drop-Off...Don't Know What to Do!

[Kiki123]

I have a few DCPs that will frequently show up in the morning 30-45 min late without any notification (unless I contact them). This seems to happen for a while, then once I explain it's not ok it stops for a while.

This a.m. one mom txt me at the exact time of scheduled arrival to say they were on there way. I had no response for that.
Another mom asked the other day to bring her child one hour late, which I approved. BUT they were still 45 min late. I contacted her via txt asking what's going on...her response, rough morning because she is trying to pack to go out of town (by the way she was just off work for the 3 days prior).

I have been trying to come up with a way to put an end to this, but have been unsuccesful. On top of that I am so disgusted that I am having to change my policy manual again because of some disrespectful inconvienent situation they are creating!

Please help

[daycarediva]

My clients are required to be here by 9am (unless they notify me 24 hours in advance), or they are considered absent for the day.

I also will text a parent 15m after their scheduled drop off to get an ETA and remind the of the 9am rule.

[Kiki123]

I have thought of that as an option, but my first drop off is 630 a.m. and last is at 8:00. The 6:30 client is one of the late ones. Why should she sleep in and I am sitting waiting to start the day unaware of when they will show up.

I have considered a late fee for being late without my approval at least 12 hours in advance. But don't know if that is reasonable or if I am just ticked off and want to stick it to them.

[coolconfidentme]

Could you do "a client is considered absent 30 minutes past contracted drop off"...? You could always add something that it is up to the provider to admit late arrivals. They will also be charge the drop in care rate for the day. BAM!

[Blackcat31]

My policies say:

Parents are required to notify me in advance if they are running late for the day.

Failure to notify the child care will result in no services for the day and the child being recorded as a "No call/No show absence". After 3 "No call/No show" absences, care will be terminated.

[AmyKidsCo]

I've posted this here before...

In WI we have to call the parents if they're late. We can choose when to call - for me it's 60 min. I charge $5 per call for this service.

You could call if they're more than 10 min late, without 24 hour notice, and charge $10 (or more) per call. I'll bet a couple of those fees would make them change their habit!

[TwinKristi]

I'm sure if I had a curriculum or something it might matter more to me but for now I don't really care if parents show up late. If they're later than usual I will call or text but I personally enjoy the extra paid time. I have one family who us kinda sporadic with their drop offs, anywhere from 8-9. One mom always let's me know if they're running late and one DCD has not shown up on a few occasions and I've had to call his wife when he didn't respond to my text. That bugs me, especially when he was the first one to drop off and I get up early and he isn't here.
Running late, sure. Just no show, no call... No bueno!

[Heidi]

I'm sure if I had a curriculum or something it might matter more to me but for now I don't really care if parents show up late. If they're later than usual I will call or text but I personally enjoy the extra paid time. I have one family who us kinda sporadic with their drop offs, anywhere from 8-9. One mom always let's me know if they're running late and one DCD has not shown up on a few occasions and I've had to call his wife when he didn't respond to my text. That bugs me, especially when he was the first one to drop off and I get up early and he isn't here.
Running late, sure. Just no show, no call... No bueno!

Yeah, I'm the same way, provided:

1. It's not my first drop off that I get up extra early for. While they "pay" for that time, they'd pay the same if their start time was later.

2. I'm not worrying about kiddo and the hot-car thing.

3. They don't expect me to change my schedule for their child. So, don't let them sleep until 10 and think I'll just make due at nap, or bring them after breakfast and expect me to make an extra one.


I have to say, all my parents now are absolutely terrific when it comes to this. The only problem I have is with one dad at pick up. If he's running late, he can't always text me, and it's always Friday. But, then again, I know it's because, when it happens, there is a customer keeping him late, so getting to his cellphone isn't always doable.

[spud912]

My policies say:

Parents are required to notify me in advance if they are running late for the day.

Failure to notify the child care will result in no services for the day and the child being recorded as a "No call/No show absence". After 3 "No call/No show" absences, care will be terminated.

This is what I have in my polices also. I've had to enforce it once and it's mostly stopped.

[Rachel]

I have thought of that as an option, but my first drop off is 630 a.m. and last is at 8:00. The 6:30 client is one of the late ones. Why should she sleep in and I am sitting waiting to start the day unaware of when they will show up.

I have considered a late fee for being late without my approval at least 12 hours in advance. But don't know if that is reasonable or if I am just ticked off and want to stick it to them.

Is she paying you from 6:30? If she is it is not considerate, but her right. My kids all pay from 7. I ask them to let me know if they are coming early or late, but really it is my job to be ready from 7 so if every so often I don't have anyone until 8 I just try to enjoy it. If they are not here by their regular time I will SMS and see what is up, but they can bring whenever as long as the kid can fit into the schedule (as in no coming at 12:30 with a hungry kid who just woke up and missed lunch therefore won't sleep).

[Kiki123]

Thank you all for the great tips and info!!

I think I will use one of the policies that blackcat or coolconfident said.

I have contracted hours with each client so I can plan our day accordingly. and my DCPs are well aware of that so I take the no call, late arrival as a huge sign of their lack of respect for me. I am always ready to greet them at arrival never do they wait on me so I expect nothing less!

[Crazy8]

it does bug me when it is my first arrival. All my parents are pretty good about texting if they are running late but I am so not a morning person so I hate that I get up for my 7:30 arrival and end up with no one here till 8:30! But they are paying for it so I figure there isn't too much I can do.

A few things I do have in my contract is to inform me if running late, and also if they are consistantly late I will change their contracted arrival time. So 7:30 mom never shows up before 8am I change her to 8am. They also know that if they aren't here by 8:30am we may not be here and they will have to wait for us to get back (and I walk real slow if I know someone is waiting, LOL) but again that doesn't help me much with the 1st morning drop offs.

[rebekki78]

It bugs me because it is disrespectful. I have a family of divorced parents who has dad drop child off twice per week. He is never respectful and I have had many issues with dad and drop off times/payment in the past. Problem is, I am now enrolled just under mom, not dad. I allowed dad to drop daughter off this summer so mom doesn't have to drive an hour to pick her up from dad and bring her here. But it gets to me and I allow it to make me mad because he just doesn't respect anyone else other then himself and his time. I don't have any policies in affect for this, and it's tough because it is not moms fault. But ugh!

[Little Buttons]

I am having a similar issue right now and it is driving me insane!

The family I have cannot commit to a pick up or drop off time to save their lives. Basically they drop off anywhere from 7:30am- 9:00am and pick up anywhere from 3:30pm-5:00pm. They send me texts every night telling me what time they will be here and I just ignore them because they NEVER show up at that time and there is always an ever so dramatic reason why. My solution is simply breakfast is over by 8:30am...so either bring them in enough time to eat by 8:30 or bring them fed. Also, I do not open before 7:30am...ever! It has at least given me some consistancy but they still push the boundaries...such as showing up literally at 8:29 with a hungry kid and say "we made it before 8:30"... Or the ever so awesome times they've given their child mcdonalds pancakes with syrup in the carseat on the way over

[Kiki123]

Wish I already had my new policy in place.
THEY ARE ALREADY A HALF HOUR LATE TODAY...NO CALL
AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!