Divorced Parents - When One Thinks THE OTHER is Responsible for Paying!

[Unregistered]

I think it's almost funny when daycare parents divorce, and then ONE thinks THE OTHER is the party responsible for daycare payment (when nothing is spelled out about that topic in their divorce decree).
My policy is this, and it's in my contract: regardless of who your divorce decree states is responsible for payment, NEITHER of you can bring your child to daycare if you owe fees!
I have one particular couple who brings their child whenever my doors are open, and it is the dad who usually pays. He should have paid today for next week, which I would have collected at pick-up time. Only AFTER he dropped his child off did the dad text to say it was Mom's day to pick up...
That's fine, but if I don't have payment in hand this weekend, Mom will NOT be bringing their child to daycare on Monday!!! And of course, she will be pissed. And of course, she will expect me to take the child if it is SHE who is dropping off. Sorry lady - doesn't work that way!
I put the responsibility on BOTH OF THEM to pay me. She can play debt collector with her ex, it's not my job to chase him down for payment. They want daycare, they need to pre-pay for it. Makes my job so much easier.

[Controlled Chaos]

Its gets so messy doesn't it? I had a family a while back, where I had separate contracts for each parent and each parent was responsible for certain days. They were like totally different clients who happened to share a kid. It worked out pretty well.

I did just lose a dcf where the mom was always late paying because dad owed her child support. It was sad, but she also qualified for child care subsidy and was too lazy to apply even after I walked her through the process. :confused: So, they finally left after 2 weeks of being unable to attend due to owing money. I wish them well, hope they get it together eventually.

[MarinaVanessa]

Divorced parents are difficult to manage so I make sure that they EACH have their own separate contracts reflecting their schedules based on what their individual custody days were. Then they each have their own rate and they each are responsible for paying their own fees.

Personally I don't penalize one parent for another parent's inability to get themselves together. If that parent doesn't pay their rate then that parent can't bring their child but as long as the other parent pays then that parent can still continue their child care here. I see it as like having two separate kids.

So If DCM has custody of little Suzie one week and DCD has custody the following week then DCM pays $165 one week and DCD pays $165 the following week etc.

If DCM has custody most of the time and DCD has little Suzie every other weekend Friday through Monday then DCM would pay $165 the first week and $132 the 2nd and 3rd week and DCD would pay $33 the 2nd and 3rd week.

The only time I don't do it this way is when the custody agreement specifies who pays for what, then I just follow that (sometimes they agree to split the cost 50/50). Most times each parent is responsible for paying for things that fall on their custody time even if the custody agreement doesn't specifically mention it, it's implied.

If one parent can't get their act together then I may cancel that parents' contract but keep the other parent.

Sometimes one parent takes on the full responsibility to pay and only that parent signs a contract. Then if that parent doesn't pay then the other parent can't drop the child off either until the contracted parent pays etc.

Sounds like you need to give this family BC's letter about parents separating. It has been EXTREMELY helpful on several occasions for me

[Unregistered]

Actually, both parents are jointly responsible for paying - and have been from day one.

Once I became aware that they were divorcing, and they told me that NEITHER was mandated in their decree to pay, then I notified them that they were therefore JOINTLY responsible for my fees. So if they JOINTLY can't get their act together and pay, then they both have to accept the consequences.

I love being pre-paid. I never have to chase parents down for payment.

[Meeko]

I contract with only ONE parent.

I refuse to double my paperwork and billing just because they can't get along.

They can duke it out themselves over sharing the cost.

I only accept payment from the one under contract.

[Thriftylady]

I contract with only ONE parent.

I refuse to double my paperwork and billing just because they can't get along.

They can duke it out themselves over sharing the cost.

I only accept payment from the one under contract.

THIS. I reuse to be put in the middle of another families issue. One contract, either parent can pay, but no pre-pay, no play. They are adults (well supposedly sometimes I wonder), they can work it out.

[LysesKids]

I contract with only ONE parent.

I refuse to double my paperwork and billing just because they can't get along.

They can duke it out themselves over sharing the cost.

I only accept payment from the one under contract.

happyface me too... in fact I have that situation right now; dad wanted to pay part then have mom pay remaining - nope, mom signed contract (they aren't married), so mom has to pay... I explained their garbage was getting to be too much & the next little tiff between them would mean immediate termination of care ( long back story)