Special Rate For Teacher Clients

[AmberT]

I am new to this forum and am seeking advice about how to handle my teacher clients. I have been operating my family child care center in Wisconsin for almost six years and have many teachers as clients. For the past three years, I have not been able to fill their slots during the summer. I am thinking of charging them a special rate, where they would pay for 52 weeks over the course of the school year, and I would require a holding fee to secure their spot in the fall. I am curious if there are other Wisconsin providers here and what their policies are. Thanks for your help

[Blackcat31]

I am new to this forum and am seeking advice about how to handle my teacher clients. I have been operating my family child care center in Wisconsin for almost six years and have many teachers as clients. For the past three years, I have not been able to fill their slots during the summer. I am thinking of charging them a special rate, where they would pay for 52 weeks over the course of the school year, and I would require a holding fee to secure their spot in the fall. I am curious if there are other Wisconsin providers here and what their policies are. Thanks for your help

Welcome to the forum!

I'm not in Wisconsin but am your neighbor (MN ) and understand your predicament.

However, as a business owner I refuse to take a financial loss due to someone else's situation. Its also important to remember that just because teachers only work part of the year it doesn't mean they are only paid part of their yearly salary.

I dont take SA kids so dont have the option of using them to fill space in the summer so I offer teachers two options:

Pay full weekly rate 52 weeks a year

OR

Divide their yearly daycare cost (based on the 52 weeks a year) into 9 months and they pay a higher weekly rate those 9 months and then take the whole summer off and don't bring their child.

Either way they still pay the full yearly tuition for their child.

I don't offer any other option because there is no other option that works for me.

We have many seasonal jobs here (loggers, construction workers, landscapers etc) that I feel that if I give teachers a break then I need to give everyone a break and that really isn't a productive or profitable way to run a business and before all else I am a business that needs to meet my own financial needs too.

HTH

[childcaremom]

I have to include my own children in my daycare numbers. I have them in after school care and then they are home on the holidays. Therefore, I have 2 teacher client spots and only offer care during the school year to them. In other words, the teacher clients aren't here over the summer, March and Summer break which is when my own 2 children are.

I charge a higher-than-normal rate and 'sell' it by the fact that they have school holidays off and do not have to pay for them. This only works for me b/c otherwise I would have to fill these 2 spots with clients and then have to terminate them each summer (as I could find holiday care for my children). So I think of it as 'bonus' money through the year as these spots would otherwise be vacant.

I based my rates on a similar scale as above. I took the 12 month rate and figured out what that would be spread over the 10 months. It was shockingly high so I did the midway point. It is still high but I have signed two families within 2 months of making this option available so it is doable with the right sales pitch.

I really like that I will have a full house, as far as numbers go, but that my holiday and summer load will be lighter and my own children can be here.

If I wanted to be more financially secure (which I may change this at some point, who knows) then I would opt to go with the full year rate divided over 10 months and have the summers off. Eventually, this is where I would like to be (with all teacher clients) but right now this works for us financially.

[AmberT]

Is it common for most providers to charge their teachers more? Would you consider giving the teachers a choice of sending their kids year round or create a 'teacher rate' to eliminate confusion? I currently have four teacher families and out of those four families, only one will most likely give me grief. I love the teacher families I have and they have been a huge advertising benefit for me since my home is located near the school at which they work, however, I am losing money on them at the same time.

[kitykids3]

I'm from WI, been running my own daycare for 9 years. I don't guarantee that their spot will be there in the fall if they don't pay for full price all through the summer. They can choose to bring them or not. Their choice. On occasion if I don't mind an easier summer and depending on the client and can afford it, I might let them come half time and keep their spot, but not usually. I shouldn't have to take a financial loss just because they are off for the summer. They get paid their full yearly salary and either they can budget it through the summer or they do actually get paid through the summer, so why should I not get paid? A lot of years I do get school age kids (that used to be full time previous enrollments) that come for the summer and they make up for teacher's parents so I actually end up with too many kids and then that is another reason I might not mind holding their spot for half time. I've never tried the 52 weeks, but it's worked for me the way I've been doing it.

[kitykids3]

Is it common for most providers to charge their teachers more? Would you consider giving the teachers a choice of sending their kids year round or create a 'teacher rate' to eliminate confusion? I currently have four teacher families and out of those four families, only one will most likely give me grief. I love the teacher families I have and they have been a huge advertising benefit for me since my home is located near the school at which they work, however, I am losing money on them at the same time.

I don't charge teachers more. All parents pay the same rate for their age child. I think that would cause more confusion. Either they can pay for the spot and it will still be there in the fall or they don't and they risk losing it. I always encourage their kids coming anyways at least half time so they can stay in some kind of routine over the summer, etc.

[Unregistered]

Welcome to the forum!

I'm not in Wisconsin but am your neighbor (MN ) and understand your predicament.

However, as a business owner I refuse to take a financial loss due to someone else's situation. Its also important to remember that just because teachers only work part of the year it doesn't mean they are only paid part of their yearly salary.

I dont take SA kids so dont have the option of using them to fill space in the summer so I offer teachers two options:

Pay full weekly rate 52 weeks a year

OR

Divide their yearly daycare cost (based on the 52 weeks a year) into 9 months and they pay a higher weekly rate those 9 months and then take the whole summer off and don't bring their child.

Either way they still pay the full yearly tuition for their child.

I don't offer any other option because there is no other option that works for me.

We have many seasonal jobs here (loggers, construction workers, landscapers etc) that I feel that if I give teachers a break then I need to give everyone a break and that really isn't a productive or profitable way to run a business and before all else I am a business that needs to meet my own financial needs too.

HTH

A few of my teachers have days during the summer where they need to attend conferences, training, etc. Would you allow them to come at a drop-in rate or not charge them since they are technically paying for summer? I am curious about getting negative feedback from them when I tell them they can't send their kids (e.g. I'm paying for summer, so why can't my child come, etc.)

[Unregistered]

I don't charge teachers more. All parents pay the same rate for their age child. I think that would cause more confusion. Either they can pay for the spot and it will still be there in the fall or they don't and they risk losing it. I always encourage their kids coming anyways at least half time so they can stay in some kind of routine over the summer, etc.

I won't be charging my teachers more... They will pay the same weekly rate as everyone else, except they will be paying for 52 weeks over the course of the school year. I would prefer the children to come part time over the summer like you, to keep within a routine, but they never send them which is why I'm thinking it might be better to charge them all year. Does that make sense?

[mommyneedsadayoff]

I am in a neighboring state too! Welcome to the forum! There is so much info her and it has been invaluable to me!

I know two teacher providers who do things a little different from each other. One of them only takes teacher's kids, so she follows the school calendar and is closed during the summer. She charges a higher rate, but they won't pay in the summer and they are guaranteed their spot back in the fall. They have to notify her by August 1st (we start school end of aug) if they don't plan to attend anymore, and they lose their deposit, which I think is two weeks worth of fees. Her rate is basically the lowest weekly rate, but times 52 and then split into 36 weeks, so it is higher each week, but less for the whole year, if that makes sense? (Average rate is $150 around here fro 2 years+. She charges $135 I think. So $135 x 52 weeks= $7020 $7020/36 weeks= $195 per week for the school year.) They pay this rate, but don't have to pay in the summer and are guaranteed their fall spot, but they also cannot come during the summer. If they paid the usual rate of $150 a week for the 52 weeks, they would be paying $7800 per year, so they save some money through the year, but they also do not get care during the summer.

My other friend is open year round and her teachers pay the same rate through the year as everyone else. Many don't come during the summer, but some do and they all have the option to come, but they just have to fill out a two week schedule at a time of the days they plan to attend. No drop in care or randomly coming or not coming. If they fill out their two week schedule and need more days, they have to ask her permission first (even though they are paying for the spot). This allows her to plan her meals and activities and have a general idea of her numbers so she can stay in ratio.

Hope that makes sense! I am a rambler today!

[Blackcat31]

A few of my teachers have days during the summer where they need to attend conferences, training, etc. Would you allow them to come at a drop-in rate or not charge them since they are technically paying for summer? I am curious about getting negative feedback from them when I tell them they can't send their kids (e.g. I'm paying for summer, so why can't my child come, etc.)

If they know they'll need services during the summer months, then they would more than likely choose the pay 52 weeks a year option.

The only families that choose the 9 month option are those families that travel or don't use any services in the summer months.

No matter which option a family chooses, it's their space. They pay for it.

I do NOT double dip and fill the space in the summer months with another child. I simply enjoy the lighter work load.

If a family that chose the 9 month option did need care in the summer, I would of course allow them to use their space but would more than likely not allow them to choose the 9 month payment option the following summer simply because I am willing to accept the condensed payment option when it is in conjunction WITH the child NOT attending in the summer.

Otherwise it just makes more sense to pay weekly like everyone else.

Hope that makes sense.

[KSDC]

I used to give my teachers the summer off and fill their spot with SA. But, I started getting so many teacher families that I could not fill all the spots. So, I was loosing money.

Now, my teachers are given two options:

Pay all year the same rate, use the spots or not. But, during the summer they have to let me know a week in advance which days/times they plan on using the following week.

OR

I offer a part-time spot in the summer. Mornings only, 5 days a week. This fee is about 1/2 the price of my full-time spot.

The reason I offer this as an option is that I love taking my DCKs and my own children to the pool daily in the summer. I prefer to have less numbers at the pool to make supervision easier. So, this way all my teachers choose to not send the children to the pool with me.

[AmberT]

If they know they'll need services during the summer months, then they would more than likely choose the pay 52 weeks a year option.

The only families that choose the 9 month option are those families that travel or don't use any services in the summer months.

No matter which option a family chooses, it's their space. They pay for it.

I do NOT double dip and fill the space in the summer months with another child. I simply enjoy the lighter work load.

If a family that chose the 9 month option did need care in the summer, I would of course allow them to use their space but would more than likely not allow them to choose the 9 month payment option the following summer simply because I am willing to accept the condensed payment option when it is in conjunction WITH the child NOT attending in the summer.

Otherwise it just makes more sense to pay weekly like everyone else.

Hope that makes sense.

Thank you soooo much for all your help! All the feedback I have received here has been so appreciated . Thank you!!