Is This a Reasonable Request for Contracted Times?

[daycare]

I recently posted on here about contracted times, and I'm revising my policy about drop-off/pick-up policy this week.

Is it reasonable to ask parents to notify me if they will not arrive within 5 minutes before or after their contracted time? I know schedules vary, but I'm thinking of those days I have kids all packed up in the winter and they are just sitting bundled. Is a 10 minute window on either side more reasonable?

hey there have not been on in a long time. School got the best of me.. Hello everyone

I work on contracted times only. this allows me to know when to prep each child. I get a child ready to go 5 minutes prior to the parent arriving. I do this so as soon as a parent walks in out the door they go.

When I have let parents get their child ready to go, they take forever, linger and often don't parent their child. It creates chaos in our environment and that is the last thing I know most of us want.

I think you have to find what works best for you.

I don't ask parents to notify me of when they are going to arrive, I just expect each child to be here until their contracted pick up time. If they are here later than the contracted time, I charge them a late fee of $15 for the first 3 minutes and $1 per min after that. No one ever picks up late here.