Contracted schedule question

[Indoorvoice]

I contract schedules for each family and that becomes their time. One family comes full days every day except Friday. They pay for a full time spot even though they come early Fridays. I'm finding they often want to increase their hours on Fridays or show up 10 minutes late. However, they're technically paying for that time so I feel like I can't charge more even though they're not stocking to what we agreed to. It becomes a problem on days like today when they're my only only one scheduled and I made plans and now they're coming 2 hours later than expected. How can I prevent this? Is it fair to charge them late fees even though they're already paying me my full time rate?

[Blackcat31]

I contract schedules for each family and that becomes their time. One family comes full days every day except Friday. They pay for a full time spot even though they come early Fridays. I'm finding they often want to increase their hours on Fridays or show up 10 minutes late. However, they're technically paying for that time so I feel like I can't charge more even though they're not stocking to what we agreed to. It becomes a problem on days like today when they're my only only one scheduled and I made plans and now they're coming 2 hours later than expected. How can I prevent this? Is it fair to charge them late fees even though they're already paying me my full time rate?

You need to lose the mindset that they are paying for a full time spot.

They are paying for THEIR contracted hours. It has nothing to do with full or part time.

My families are required to submit a written schedule for the week (including both drop off and pick up times). The rate they pay covers those times only.

If they need/want additional time they must request the additional time in writing a minimum of 24 hours in advance and it is not a valid unless approved by me. The extra time costs them $1.50 per 15 minutes (or any portion of).

Once you move to contracted times, there really is no such thing as full time or part time. Only contracted time.

[daycare]

I contract schedules for each family and that becomes their time. One family comes full days every day except Friday. They pay for a full time spot even though they come early Fridays. I'm finding they often want to increase their hours on Fridays or show up 10 minutes late. However, they're technically paying for that time so I feel like I can't charge more even though they're not stocking to what we agreed to. It becomes a problem on days like today when they're my only only one scheduled and I made plans and now they're coming 2 hours later than expected. How can I prevent this? Is it fair to charge them late fees even though they're already paying me my full time rate?

for planning purposes all families must abide by their contracted times set.

drop off cut off time is 9am, if your child is not here by this time, they will be marked absent for the day.

[Thriftylady]

My contracted hours list drop off time and pick up time. Any hours/days above that are billed extra. When you do contracted hours, you don't have full and part time. As BC said with contracted hours it is all contracted time.

[Indoorvoice]

You need to lose the mindset that they are paying for a full time spot.

They are paying for THEIR contracted hours. It has nothing to do with full or part time.

My families are required to submit a written schedule for the week (including both drop off and pick up times). The rate they pay covers those times only.

If they need/want additional time they must request the additional time in writing a minimum of 24 hours in advance and it is not a valid unless approved by me. The extra time costs them $1.50 per 15 minutes (or any portion of).

Once you move to contracted times, there really is no such thing as full time or part time. Only contracted time.

Ok makes sense. That's where I'm confusing myself. So since I charge them what I would normally charge parents using 50 hours a week, should I reduce their rate to make it fair? I do a tiered rate scale based off something you helped me with BC, so that's where it gets confusing for me. All of my other families come exactly when their schedule says so it makes the rates easy, but I'm having trouble with this family because they want to change their pick up times all the time. Should I just charge them based on their latest pick up time for the week and not worry that they aren't using all their hours? Omg I'm just confusing myself more now!

[Indoorvoice]

And I should add that their schedule just changed and they were coming 50 hours a week before. I told them I was keeping their rate the same since I couldn't fill the half day on Fridays so they see that as "their time" that they're paying for but not using so they should be able to add time when they want. I need help explaining how it works to them. I can't just have them adding time at the last minute in case I take a drop in on those days or make plans.

[Blackcat31]

Ok makes sense. That's where I'm confusing myself. So since I charge them what I would normally charge parents using 50 hours a week, should I reduce their rate to make it fair? I do a tiered rate scale based off something you helped me with BC, so that's where it gets confusing for me. All of my other families come exactly when their schedule says so it makes the rates easy, but I'm having trouble with this family because they want to change their pick up times all the time. Should I just charge them based on their latest pick up time for the week and not worry that they aren't using all their hours? Omg I'm just confusing myself more now!

And I should add that their schedule just changed and they were coming 50 hours a week before. I told them I was keeping their rate the same since I couldn't fill the half day on Fridays so they see that as "their time" that they're paying for but not using so they should be able to add time when they want. I need help explaining how it works to them. I can't just have them adding time at the last minute in case I take a drop in on those days or make plans.

I would charge them according to their latest pick up time BUT I would hold them to the times they stated on their schedule.

For example, I have a family that comes at 5:00 M-Th but only use half a day on Friday and pick up at noon.

I charge them my weekly rate for 5:00 pick up but that doesn't automatically mean they get to use 5:00 as a pick up time ANY OTHER time other than M-Th UNLESS they schedule it in advance. If they don't schedule it in advance then they are held to their noon pick up time.

This is gonna sound bad but I hold them to it because it's what THEY wrote as their times. If they really really had thought about it, they should have written 5 as their pick up time every.day. and then I wouldn't have held them to the noon pick up. They still would have gotten the same rate but since that is the schedule they gave me, its the one they have to stick to. I hope that makes sense...

In your case, I would not charge them any more or less but I would tell them that they HAVE to tell you x amount of days in advance if they need care outside their normal hours. Otherwise you can't plan anything.

[Blackcat31]

And I should add that their schedule just changed and they were coming 50 hours a week before. I told them I was keeping their rate the same since I couldn't fill the half day on Fridays so they see that as "their time" that they're paying for but not using so they should be able to add time when they want. I need help explaining how it works to them. I can't just have them adding time at the last minute in case I take a drop in on those days or make plans.

This is what my sheet that they write in their contracted times says:
(I think the bolded sentence is what you are needing to say to them.)

I do not have standard operating hours. I work on contracted hours and provide care on week days only.

Available hours are dependent on each individual family's needs.

Care will only be available for your family during your contracted times only.

Care hours will not be before 7:00 AM nor after 5:00 PM without prior approval. Additional fees will apply.

[Unregistered]

I have a dcf that comes Monday and Tuesday, 10 hrs per day. My minimum charge is equal to 25 hours of care. Even though they pay the minimum they have to request those extra 5 hours and be approved.

[Indoorvoice]

I would charge them according to their latest pick up time BUT I would hold them to the times they stated on their schedule.

For example, I have a family that comes at 5:00 M-Th but only use half a day on Friday and pick up at noon.

I charge them my weekly rate for 5:00 pick up but that doesn't automatically mean they get to use 5:00 as a pick up time ANY OTHER time other than M-Th UNLESS they schedule it in advance. If they don't schedule it in advance then they are held to their noon pick up time.

This is gonna sound bad but I hold them to it because it's what THEY wrote as their times. If they really really had thought about it, they should have written 5 as their pick up time every.day. and then I wouldn't have held them to the noon pick up. They still would have gotten the same rate but since that is the schedule they gave me, its the one they have to stick to. I hope that makes sense...

In your case, I would not charge them any more or less but I would tell them that they HAVE to tell you x amount of days in advance if they need care outside their normal hours. Otherwise you can't plan anything.

This is what my sheet that they write in their contracted times says:
(I think the bolded sentence is what you are needing to say to them.)

I do not have standard operating hours. I work on contracted hours and provide care on week days only.

Available hours are dependent on each individual family's needs.

Care will only be available for your family during your contracted times only.

Care hours will not be before 7:00 AM nor after 5:00 PM without prior approval. Additional fees will apply.

I have a dcf that comes Monday and Tuesday, 10 hrs per day. My minimum charge is equal to 25 hours of care. Even though they pay the minimum they have to request those extra 5 hours and be approved.

Ok all of the above finally clicked! Thank you! I don't have my families write out weekly schedules because for the most part it stays the same and I only have 4 families to keep track of. Maybe it would make sense to have at least this one family who always changes to give me their schedule weekly and then I can give them their rate for that week right off the bat.

[Blackcat31]

Ok all of the above finally clicked! Thank you! I don't have my families write out weekly schedules because for the most part it stays the same and I only have 4 families to keep track of. Maybe it would make sense to have at least this one family who always changes to give me their schedule weekly and then I can give them their rate for that week right off the bat.