Family Saying No To Picking Up On An Early Closing Day

[e.j.]

Sorry! I hit "submit reply" before I had a chance to reading over my reply! My last sentence didn't make much sense and it's too late to edit it. I meant to say that closing for the day (at least as far as this client is concerned) may be your best option if you absolutely need to close early and need to be somewhere on time. Through the years, most of my parents have been great but I can almost guarantee that any time I need to close early to be somewhere..... that's the day someone shows up late for pick up.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I will be closing promptly at 4PM, no exceptions. I will be charging a $5 PER MINUTE late pick up fee.

Yes!

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Unless you have some wiggle room for your own plans, I would tell her I changed my mind and will be closed that day. If you decide to remain open for her, she may test your resolve and you will be late getting to where you need to be. If you tell her there will be late fees if she doesn't pick up on time, she may take that as permission to be late and, again, you don't get to where you're going in time. If you threaten with CPS, it may escalate the problem. If you are prepared to lose her as a client, that may not matter to you but I'd check with CPS first to make sure they are a viable option for you in that situation before you threaten the parent with that possibility. (I thought I had either read or heard somewhere that CPS won't do anything in this type of situation. I could be wrong, though.) Closing just seems to be the best way to close when you need to.

This is the best idea. This mom WILL NOT be there at 4:00.. She has made that clear..

[finsup]

It wouldn't be too hard IF I did get out at 5. It would be annoying and make my plans more difficult but it could be done. Dcm was very quiet when she picked up. I said hi etc, she didn't chat at all, got dcb and left (very unlike her). I didn't mention anything as I felt I made it pretty clear in my text reply but now I'm sort of trying to decide what to do.

As my husband pointed out CPS probably isn't going to come out on a Friday evening and take a kid if a parent isn't there exactly at the time of closing. Which he's probably right. So that leaves me with a few options.
Closing for them, the entire day.
Doing a very steep late fee.
Having a term letter in hand if they are late. Actually even with a term letter, there would still be a late fee. I would give two weeks as long as there are no issues those weeks.

I'm going to think it over for a bit and decide how to move forward. Ugh...it's always something

[Mike]

If you think you can risk kid being picked up at 5, I'd do the high last pickup fee and at 4, just start preparing for your plans. If you would really prefer to not have the child there past 4, I would close for the day, for her anyway.

[Meeko]

CPS may not come out, but the police will if you tell them you have an abandoned child that the mother refuses to pick up. I had a provider friend do it once.

[hwichlaz]

CPS is unlikely to rush out and retrieve a child from a safe and trusted caregiver

[Max]

Ok so I'm a new provider and have always been paid hourly in past jobs so if I wanted to get off work an hour early, I had to use vacation time.

If you guys close early, do you use vacation?

I do contracted hours, with scheduled drop off and pick up times. If I family is scheduled to pick up on Friday at 4:30PM, wouldn't it be bad business to close early (say 4pm) that day and NOT use my own vacation time?

Jw

[Blackcat31]

Ok so I'm a new provider and have always been paid hourly in past jobs so if I wanted to get off work an hour early, I had to use vacation time.

If you guys close early, do you use vacation?

I do contracted hours, with scheduled drop off and pick up times. If I family is scheduled to pick up on Friday at 4:30PM, wouldn't it be bad business to close early (say 4pm) that day and NOT use my own vacation time?

Jw

Completely depends on how your contract, billing/invoicing and policies work.....or in some cases how it's worded.

I have closed early on occasion and not used PTO but my clients prefer I close early (without credit) verses taking a whole day (even if unpaid) so I think it depends on several factors..

[Blackcat31]

CPS may not come out, but the police will if you tell them you have an abandoned child that the mother refuses to pick up. I had a provider friend do it once.

CPS is unlikely to rush out and retrieve a child from a safe and trusted caregiver

My licensor told me a while back that I am licensed to provide care during whatever hours I state are my operating hours and ANY time a child is left (for whatever reason) I am to call CPS and although like previous poster said they more than likely aren't going to come rushing over, the police certainly will.

I have written policies that clearly state the steps I will take should a child be left in my care beyond my operational hours so parents aren't left "surprised" by any of them.

I also believe that just because CPS may not come over physically, they still definitely take notes of a situation.

[hwichlaz]

Ok so I'm a new provider and have always been paid hourly in past jobs so if I wanted to get off work an hour early, I had to use vacation time.

If you guys close early, do you use vacation?

I do contracted hours, with scheduled drop off and pick up times. If I family is scheduled to pick up on Friday at 4:30PM, wouldn't it be bad business to close early (say 4pm) that day and NOT use my own vacation time?

Jw

Very few of us charge by the hour, and very few of us get the same employment benefits that our clients do. The thing with home care is, back up is a must. We get sick, there's no staff or sub to call in etc. And even if there were, would you want your kid in your sick provider's home? I have to close early sometimes for my own doctor's appointments....it's better than shutting down for the entire day, and if I don't take care of myself, I can't take good care of your kiddos.

My rates are based on half day and full day, btw.

[amberrose3dg]

I'm closing at 3 tomorrow. The two families that would be here past 3 don't need care. They take their time picking up. I'm sorry but I rather get an extra hour once on a blue moon.i don't give any money back it is still a full 8 hour day.i wouldn't let a family tell me what to do. That whole give an inch take a mile.

[Mom2Two]

Unless you have some wiggle room for your own plans, I would tell her I changed my mind and will be closed that day.

ITA If she never shows up you won't have to deal with her testing boundaries.

[Leigh]

Ok so I'm a new provider and have always been paid hourly in past jobs so if I wanted to get off work an hour early, I had to use vacation time.

If you guys close early, do you use vacation?

I do contracted hours, with scheduled drop off and pick up times. If I family is scheduled to pick up on Friday at 4:30PM, wouldn't it be bad business to close early (say 4pm) that day and NOT use my own vacation time?

Jw

I have never received a refund from my son's swimming lessons being cancelled due to rain. Never from my cable going out for 2 days. Never from a landlord when I had to leave my apartment for a week because of a hot water heater breaking down. Never from pre-K when they closed for the day.

I don't do vacation time. I figured what I needed per child, per year, and that is what I charge. If a parent asks about "free" days for vacations, I let them know that I charge based on my yearly fee. If they want 2 weeks' worth of "free" days, they will have to take 2/52 of my yearly rate and spread it over the other 50 weeks. Either way, my yearly rate is my rate.

[hwichlaz]

I have never received a refund from my son's swimming lessons being cancelled due to rain. Never from my cable going out for 2 days. Never from a landlord when I had to leave my apartment for a week because of a hot water heater breaking down. Never from pre-K when they closed for the day.

I don't do vacation time. I figured what I needed per child, per year, and that is what I charge. If a parent asks about "free" days for vacations, I let them know that I charge based on my yearly fee. If they want 2 weeks' worth of "free" days, they will have to take 2/52 of my yearly rate and spread it over the other 50 weeks. Either way, my yearly rate is my rate.

BTW, just so you know...
your cable company will refund the two days if you ask, and if your apartment is uninhabitable your landlord has to pay to put you up somewhere else or prorate your rent.