Do You Close For Snow?

[jenh171]

I really would like to figure out a fair policy for snow days. It is driving me nuts this winter because 4 of the five people I work for work in the schools, and the other one works no matter what the weather is. So I want to be accomodating to the one girl who does NOT work in the school, but it's a huge pain to stay open with one child here. Also, I don't have a separate area for child care, so I just hate working when my daughters/boyfriend all have off for snow. Until now, I have been just biting the bullet and working with the one little girl here, but it's seems much more sensible to perhaps close when the local school closes?

Also, I would like to know the logistics of how you go about taking the snow day. Do you let your parents know the night before? Because another issue is that when we get hit with a foot of snow, I spend all morning waiting to hear from parents if they are coming or not...and I have to be ready to work in case someone shows up. So I was thinking of maybe telling my parents that I will work with the local school...if they close, I will close. Does that seem reasonable?

[TSDaycare]

We were posting about snow grudges at the same time! I would say it is entirely up to you-if you can afford to close that day without making her pay for care-go for it! However you may lose clients also for that reason..... There are actually alot of home daycares who run on the school schedules, but I guess it all depends on the type of parents you have (teachers, federal workers, sales, etc). If I were to do that in my area I would probably lose business-but believe me I would love to follow the school schedule most days!

[jenh171]

I really wouldn't mind just continuing to work on snow days, but for the past two years, it has worked out that I only have this one little girl here. It just doesn't seem worth it.

[DBug]

Do you charge whether kids are there or not? My policies say that if I choose to close for any reason, parents don't have to pay for that day. My rationale is that they may have to pay someone else to watch their kids, so I wouldn't want them to have to pay double. That's why I don't close for snow days or other issues (like our lack of heat a few days ago). That way, parents can choose whether they come, but either way I get paid.

If you do get paid whether kids are there or not, I'd say close. Or at the very least, make it a movie day if you just have one dckid on those days.

[DCMom]

I stay open. I'm getting paid for it and more often than not my parents call in and stay home. If I do happen to have a few kids, they love it because they get the run of the house, they are outside playing in the snow or watching movies since I just do my own thing on those days (with a couple extra little bodies!)

[Cat Herder]

I don't close. I have backup power, water and heating. I am a obsessive planner ::

[lil angels]

I do not close I think if I said I was going to close on snow days they would look at me like I am crazy because I don't have to drive so way would I close. I use that as a day to get more done the kids seem to like it to because they get to do things that they normally can't do.

[ninosqueridos]

I don't close. I have teachers who don't have school but still bring their kids. I figure, if they can get here, fine. If not, fine. The only thing that ****s is that it's 8:30 and I have YET to get a phone call if any of my dck's are coming (and DH has been cleaning up the driveway for over an hour already).

[jenh171]

I don't close. I have teachers who don't have school but still bring their kids. I figure, if they can get here, fine. If not, fine. The only thing that ****s is that it's 8:30 and I have YET to get a phone call if any of my dck's are coming (and DH has been cleaning up the driveway for over an hour already).

I hear you! As it turns out, all of my five dck's are not coming today because of the snow, but I hadn't heard back from the last mom until 8:30am! So since I didn't know if she was going to pull into my driveway or not, I had to shower and be ready anyway. Call the waaaambulance, because yes, I am whining about it!

[Cat Herder]

waaaambulance, because yes, I am whining about it!

They said it would be an 11 minute ETA.....sorry, hun, that's the breaks with all the Brown outs...

[Live and Learn]

Jenh171:

Like you I work with all teachers but one family.

It is my policy to work only on teacher work days. They don't go to school on snow days so I don't work either.

My one non teacher family was informed of this policy when they started with me.

We rarely get snow here in paradise. Only one day this year so far...we got about an inch with a little freezing rain mix.

Good Luck.

[newtodaycare22]

I don't close. I have teachers who don't have school but still bring their kids. I figure, if they can get here, fine. If not, fine. The only thing that ****s is that it's 8:30 and I have YET to get a phone call if any of my dck's are coming (and DH has been cleaning up the driveway for over an hour already).

That was me at 8:30 too (and DH)...I feel your pain!

[snbauser]

My policy states that I follow our school's inclement weather policy. If they close, I am closed. But for me it is a little different than most family child care providers. I am licensed for 12 children BUT I have to have another teacher here when my 7th child arrives. So I will not put my teacher's safety in jeapardy to make them come here in order for me to open. I did just recently make an exception and opened on a day when the schools were closed but that was the first time in 8 years. And that was only after we were already closed for 3 days, my road was fine, AND I talked to all of my teachers to make sure they could safely get here.

[DCMomOf3]

I do not close, it's up to the parents if they will stay home or not. 99.9% of the time businesses stay open so the parents are expected to work snow or not. I am in an area though that always gets a decent amount of snow.

[snbauser]

I am in an area though that always gets a decent amount of snow.

I think that is an important point. Some areas could get a foot of snow and the schools would still be open. Here a light dusting of snow can shut down the entire city. LOL!!