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Right now I care for a few kiddos all singletons. Just found out Dcg who is 2 is going to be a big sister. I talked with the parents and new baby will be coming here too. Since this is my first adding a sibling experience I was wondering how you guys go about charging. I really don't want to give any kind of discount but not sure at this point. Just wanted to see how you all handle this. By the way it will be 3 days a week.
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I do not offer a sibling discount. Providing care to them costs me the same. My bills stay the same. My income needs to pay my bills don't change.
- Unless otherwise stated, all my posts are personal opinion and worth what you paid for them.
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Nope, I don't offer a discount. A spot is a spot.
Besides, the sibling would require the same amount of care - probably even more - so why should you get paid less for that spot?Comment
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No discount here either, I do require parents with more then one child enrolled to give 4 weeks notice instead of two weeks. Because when they leave you have 2 spots to fill and can actually be hard on the budget if you cant fill spots right away.Comment
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As a parent I've never been given discounts for siblings, nor have I expected a discount for siblings.
Going off another post, I noticed many of you have a policy of "one drop off and pick up per day per family"....I personally believe this should only be a policy IF there is a siblings/family discount. Otherwise it seems a bit hypocritical. If they were from different families there would be 2 drop offs and pick ups every day....and if there were a reason where I needed to pick up one child early and leave the other child in care, I would expect to be allowed to do that.Comment
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I used to offer a discount but I don’t anymore. It doesn’t mean any less work and over time I’m losing money.Comment
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- Unless otherwise stated, all my posts are personal opinion and worth what you paid for them.Comment
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I never offered a discount to my families but my son's nursery school offers a sma discount for siblings. I think its whatever you're comfortable doing!Comment
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I suppose you're right (about the contract), but I personally would not choose a daycare with that stipulation. To me, it is hypocritical, and if I had the foresight to recognize the hypocrisy when signing up, I would question it.I doubt you would expect that if it were in your contract before you enrolled.
It isn't about tuition for me, it is about the amount of traffic and disruption I am willing to deal with in my program. Sibling slots a hard to come by here, I have no problem filling them.
My loss, I guess, because I know you run a quality program! Just throwing my opinion in. I can see why you wouldn't want it to be an every day thing, but a few times a year shouldn't be questioned if I pay for two full time spots.Comment
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A few times a year would never be a problem with most requests (doctors appt, scouts sign up, ballet recital, etc.). Same goes for early/late arrivals. Heck, I've done free care for over a year and overnights for parents emergent medical issues. Pre-approved requests are pretty easy to get. 
It is the double schedules (half day programs) and weekly/chronic requests I simply can't do. I am out-lawyered and outbadged by my higher earning neighbors on the traffic issue. 
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- Unless otherwise stated, all my posts are personal opinion and worth what you paid for them.Comment
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That makes sense! You can consider me as someone who would choose your program again!! LOLA few times a year would never be a problem with most requests (doctors appt, scouts sign up, ballet recital, etc.). Same goes for early/late arrivals. Heck, I've done free care for over a year and overnights for parents emergent medical issues. Pre-approved requests are pretty easy to get. It is the double schedules (half day programs) and weekly/chronic requests I simply can't do. I am out-lawyered and outbadged by my higher earning neighbors on the traffic issue. ::Comment
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Very good point! I will not give them a discount. This is my job and how I help provide income! Someday I may actually grow a backbone of my very own!Comment
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Siblings don't receive discounted care therefore do not receive discounted rates.
I used to have a rule of one drop off one pick up per family per day but like Happymom said, I've got a couple kids that arrive later than their sibling and my set up does allow for a parent to drop off without the younger sibling seeing them.
Currently, I offer no sibling discounts but I do have a family that has been with me for a long time now that did get a sibling discount. It amounted to about $10 per week but it came with the stipulation that if one child was absent, the other had to stay home too. If that wouldn't or didn't work for them, then the sibling discount was not an option either.
But like I said, at this time I don't offer sibling discounts at all.Comment
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Yes, I did back in the day when I was just a stay at home mom trying to make some extra money. I finally wised up and stopped.
I don't normally have siblings.Comment
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I do not offer ANY discounts.
Siblings are actually more of a risk. Not only for the simultaneous loss of income as mentioned above, but they can also bring in back to back illnesses, they tend to be in competition (fight) more often and need more emotional support... especially with newborn siblings.
Regarding the “one drop off/pickup”: I have this policy and just reinforced it this week actually. IMHO, There are very few siblings who do well seeing their brother/sister leave with mom or dad and they get left behind. It doesn’t matter if it’s a boring dr appointment, the child left out doesn’t care. All they see is Billy gets special time and they don’t. I’m not going to be the one who is left dealing with the meltdown that the parent created.
Arrival/departure times are hard enough on the kids and us (as providers) without adding a third one to the day.
If it was a center or classroom environment where the child left out wouldn’t be aware of their parent on the premises, that would be different.Comment
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