Do You Charge A Fee If DCP Forgets Something Important?

[trix23]

For instance, one client forgot her child's sippy cup today. Another time someone forgot a jacket on a cold day. Another one forgot shoes.

Do you charge a fee if parents forget something important like that? And if so, how much? I was thinking $10/occurrence to make it high enough for them to remember these things.

[LysesKids]

For instance, one client forgot her child's sippy cup today. Another time someone forgot a jacket on a cold day. Another one forgot shoes.

Do you charge a fee if parents forget something important like that? And if so, how much? I was thinking $10/occurrence to make it high enough for them to remember these things.

Nope, I don't charge fees unless it's forgotten diapers or formula... usually providers supply sippy cups and it makes sense to keep a few - it's tax deductible; That said, I'm an infants only home, so I don't have a lot of older kids to keep busy and only one child is old enough to walk, so he's in soft shoes . I also have a supply of left over clothing that children outgrew & parents donated. I have a few spare outfits & plenty of blankets to wrap littles in.

[daycare]

I don't charge fess, but I won't let a parent drop off it if is something important. Like diapers or shoes.

I would recommend keeping cups for each child at your home that stays there as well as a cubby box for each child that keeps their clothing in it and stays. I require this so that I don't have to deal with the oh I forgot it at home.

[flying_babyb]

we have spares too. $5 for wipes or diapers (4 per $5) if forgotten. Im trying to convince my boss to charge parents a fee for "borrowing" extra clothes since our parents never return them!

[Pestle]

I don't charge fees, no. I permit no outside food so I have all my own dishes here and I don't use sippy cups for developmental reasons. Anything needed on a daily basis is left here in a cubby with the child's name on it. I have a pet with a flea allergy so I don't allow diaper bags to be left here each day; too easy for pests to come in.

If the kid is missing an article of clothing and I somehow didn't notice at drop off, they borrow it from my daughter and I point it out to the parent. None of her clothing goes home with them; it comes off at the end of the day. Usually the parents are embarrassed and they make a point of remembering that particular thing from then on.

If they're missing formula, I text the parent to bring it.

Schools don't charge you for this, and I don't think it's a reasonable thing to charge parents for. It's not the same as a late pick up or a late payment fee.

[LysesKids]

we have spares too. $5 for wipes or diapers (4 per $5) if forgotten. Im trying to convince my boss to charge parents a fee for "borrowing" extra clothes since our parents never return them!

See that's my fee for diapers. I keep a small pack of each size just in case, but haven't needed them in a few years as most my kids are in cloth. Never had issues with parents returning borrowed items, but then I require they keep 2 sets here in cubbies. My back ups are literally for when a child went thru both their spares.

[CityGarden]

I do not allow drop off without diapers/wipes if needed or without their lunch and have sent parents back home to bring them.

I like for nap blankets, small pillows and a water bottles to remain here so they never go home. Either ask for a set to stay at daycare or provide them.

Personally I don't like adding fees because I don't want the extra work of enforcing them AND they don't solve the immediate problem of something being missing in the moment.

[Pandaluver21]

We don't take infants, so no worries about formula.
We do have diapered kiddos/potty trainers, so if diapers or pull-ups or what have you are forgotten we charge $1 per diaper, $2 per pull-up and $3 per wipe.
Pretty much everything a kid will need is left here (spare clothes, diapers/wipes, snowboots, swimsuit, etc) If they forget boots, or a jacket, etc I will stress with the parent and the kid that it is important, but do not charge for it. If we are going outside and it is too cold without a jacket/boots, that child is given a coloring page or book indoors with another teacher (or where I can keep an eye on them) while we go out.

[finsup]

Before I provided everything I would supply it for the day, remind at pick up and if they didn't have it the next morning I would send them back home to get it.
Now, I just provide everything. I'm done chasing parents, nagging about supplies, having to keep track of what goes home with who, what parent I need to notify that they're low on something etc. Now, my rates are higher and everything is provided.

[renodeb]

I only charge if it's something I have to buy. (formula, bottles etc.) I have a multitude of spare clothes and sippy cups.
Deb

[renodeb]

When I first started doing dc I had the parents provide diapers & wipes. What a pain that ended up being. Kids were running out of diapers and wipes, parents forgetting stuff for days at a time, parents complaining that I used to many wipes.
Now I provide everything and I prefer it that way. It's just easier. (I still have two sets of spare clothes for each child supplied by parents). I actually sent a kid home in just a spare shirt of mine with daycare written all over it and a diaper and they still didn't return the shirt!

[AmyKidsCo]

My policies say that there's a $2 charge for consumables used (diapers/wipes), and $5 for each item of clothing sent home and not returned. So far I've gotten all my clothing back and been able to "borrow" diapers/wipes back and forth between kiddos, but the policy is there in case I need it.

If I had a parent who was constantly forgetting diapers/wipes I'd definitely charge them. Per diaper change.

[daycarediva]

I don't charge fess, but I won't let a parent drop off it if is something important. Like diapers or shoes.

I would recommend keeping cups for each child at your home that stays there as well as a cubby box for each child that keeps their clothing in it and stays. I require this so that I don't have to deal with the oh I forgot it at home.

They get turned away at the door. "Oh no diapers/shoes/coat? I gave you notice X and X. You will have to go get diapers/shoes/coat before dck can attend."

It typically takes ONCE for that to happen.