Family Switching From Full Time To Part Time

[Dsquared]

Hi Providers,
I have posted about this family before. I have been caring for their daughter since May of 2014. I noticed in March that the mom had to be at least 6 months pregnant but was not saying anything to me. I finally confronted her a few weeks later and she admitted to being 6 months pregnant but had no idea what her plan was for daycare. She finally told me about a month ago that she will become a stay home mom. She asked if her daughter could come part time 3 days a week through July and then she would stay home with her two children. She is due around the second week of July. Currently her daughter is here full time. I told her switching to part time would be fine and gave her my fee to which she agreed. My question is how do you all handle these situations? Currently parents pay me whether their child shows up to daycare or not. Is it ok for me to tell her that although she is switching to part time that the same rules apply, which are payment is due Friday for the following week and you pay whether child shows up or not? How do I have this discussion with her? I feel weird giving a contract for just one month of July. Thanks in advance

[Thriftylady]

Yes, don't change your rules. In fact I may charge her more because really she is using you for convenience.

[Dsquared]

That's what I was thinking. I am charging her $50 a day and she says they will be coming 3 days per week.

[Laurel]

That's what I was thinking. I am charging her $50 a day and she says they will be coming 3 days per week.

I had a 3 day minimum for part timers so I got paid 3 days whether they came or not.

Just tell her the amount of days have changed but your procedure has not so you just wanted to remind her of that.

Laurel

[MarinaVanessa]

Same terms apply just have her sign a new contract with the new schedule. Make sure she gives you a SET SCHEDULE for whichever days she's going to use. You can offer her whatever method you want to offer her (M-W-F, M-W, W-F or let her pick which days she wants etc) based on what you are comfortable with. This way you can try to fill the open days with another child or you can start a replacement family on the open days and have them move to FT after the current family's last day.

In any case if she wants an open schedule (as in she wants to change her days week to week) that's going to take up a FT spot so I would charge her as FT. If she has set days then she can pay the PT rate and you won't come into problems with not knowing what her schedule is going to be.

Also if her last day of attendance for the week isn't on a Friday then change the contract to say that her payment is due on the last day of attendance for the week. So if she decides to attend M-T-W then her payment is due at pickup on Wednesday. Clients tend to come up with excuses as to why they can't come pay you on days that their child doesn't attend.

[Crazy8]

same rules for part timers and full timers. I would also make sure she knows she can't just switch days - that you need to approve any changes (if you want to approve them at all). So this way when little one is sick on a tuesday she doesn't think she can just make the day up on friday.

[Unregistered]

Same terms apply just have her sign a new contract with the new schedule. Make sure she gives you a SET SCHEDULE for whichever days she's going to use. You can offer her whatever method you want to offer her (M-W-F, M-W, W-F or let her pick which days she wants etc) based on what you are comfortable with. This way you can try to fill the open days with another child or you can start a replacement family on the open days and have them move to FT after the current family's last day.

In any case if she wants an open schedule (as in she wants to change her days week to week) that's going to take up a FT spot so I would charge her as FT. If she has set days then she can pay the PT rate and you won't come into problems with not knowing what her schedule is going to be.

Also if her last day of attendance for the week isn't on a Friday then change the contract to say that her payment is due on the last day of attendance for the week. So if she decides to attend M-T-W then her payment is due at pickup on Wednesday. Clients tend to come up with excuses as to why they can't come pay you on days that their child doesn't attend.

Love this, thanks!

[Dsquared]

Thanks for all the great advice ladies!!