New Client...Forseeing Problems

[Angelwings36]

There is another daycare provider in my area that I have worked with for the past 4 years. If she has to take a sick day or keep an appointment I take some of her daycare kids for her. There is one family that I have consistantly taken for her in the past 4 years.

Anyways...

The other daycare lady called me yesterday to inform me that she was closing her doors due to a new business that she is in the process of opening. She asked me if I would be able to take on some of her families...I said yes. One of the families I will have is the one that I have had consistantly for 4 years.

So here's the deal...

This is a broken family. There is a 4 year old girl and 2 year old boy. They are with their mom one week and with their dad the second week. Grandma (on dad's side) is the one who pays the daycare bill. I have never had a problem when they are with dad but when it's mom's week she consistantly shows up late in the mornings (without a call) and has been as late as 45 minutes after my closing time to pick the children up.

So my questions are...

In my contract I have a late pick up policy. I close at 5:15pm. I charge a $15.00 late fee for every 15 minutes or part of 15 minutes that a family is late...

ex. 5:16pm - 5:30pm $15.00
5:31pm - 5:45pm $30.00
and so on...

I keep my late fees rather high because I do not like having to work later than my closing time and I know parents are not going to want to pay these fees.

I also give 12 grace days per year with a 15 minute extension time ONLY IF I recieve a phone call before my closing time that the parent will be late. So their late fees only start at 5:30pm instead of 5:15pm. I do this mostly because the weather in the winter here gets pretty terrible sometimes and traffic can be a battle to get through.

HOWEVER...

I am worried that this mom is going to be late on a regular basis with me and do not know if I should change my policies for her to make it more strict just in case?

Also being that grandma is the one that foots the daycare bill I'm afraid that if this lady does end up with late fees I will have a very difficult time collecting them.

Would you give all three parties a copy of the contract and have them each sign it?

Any advice would be appreciated.

[WImom]

I'd say give them all a contract since grandma is paying. Could you talk to the other provider and see how she has handled it (If it was a problem for her).

Maybe highlight the fee's part for grandma so you know shes aware.

[DCMomOf3]

If you can I'd consider setting your closing time earlier so late mom doesn't affect your evening schedule. I also would have all three sign the contract, at least both mom and dad. Since grandma isn't a guardian I don't know if having her sign would be appropriate even if she is paying.

[daycare]

There is another daycare provider in my area that I have worked with for the past 4 years. If she has to take a sick day or keep an appointment I take some of her daycare kids for her. There is one family that I have consistantly taken from her in the past 4 years.

Anways...

The other daycare lady called me yesterday to inform me that she was closing her doors due to a new business that she is in the process of opening. She asked me if I would be able to take on some of her families...I said yes. One of the families I will have is the one that I have had consistantly for 4 years.

So here's the deal...

This is a broken family. There is a 4 year old girl and 2 year old boy. They are with their mom one week and with their dad the second week. Grandma (on dad's side) is the one who pays the daycare bill. I have never had a problem when they are with dad but when it's mom's week she consistantly shows up late in the mornings (without a call) and has been as late as 45 minutes after my closing time to pick the children up.

So my questions are...

In my contract I have a late pick up policy. I close at 5:15pm. I charge a $15.00 late fee for every 15 minutes or part of 15 minutes that a family is late...

ex. 5:16pm - 5:30pm $15.00
5:31pm - 5:45pm $30.00
and so on...

I keep my late fees rather high because I do not like having to work later than my closing time and I know parents are not going to want to pay these fees.

I also give 12 grace days per year with a 15 minute extension time ONLY IF I recieve a phone call before my closing time that the parent will be late. So their late fees only start at 5:30pm instead of 5:15pm. I do this mostly because the weather in the winter here gets pretty terrible sometimes and traffic can be a battle to get through.

HOWEVER...

I am worried that this mom is going to be late on a regular basis with me and do not know if I should change my policies for her to make it more strict just in case?

Also being that grandma is the one that foots the daycare bill I'm afraid that if this lady does end up with late fees I will have a very difficult time collecting them.

Would you give all three parties a copy of the contract and have them each sign it?

Any advice would be appreciated.

first of if grandma pays the bill the parents need to understand that they cant not claim DC on their taxes, as they are not the ones that paid the bill. I am going through thisw right now with one of my families. I made them tell gma and now gma pays cash to her daughter, who then pays me.... This way, the bill is in the childs parent name and now can be calimed... Its a huge mess right now with the IRS


yes, I make all parties understand, read and sign my contract. They all have to understand that there are rules and they must be followed.

If DCM is not following the rules, and late fees apply, they are made out to her.. Not dad, not anyone else..... Keep a good sign in sign out book. This way there is proof of who is the one showing up early or late.

Dont be fleixible with this family at all. If they are late, they pay. I do allow for a grace period of 5 min coming and going and that is it...

I hardly ever have parents late or early, becuase I am not flexible with my rules. NOW, I am flexible for those families that are late every once in a blue moon, or if they call me and give me a heads up every once in awhile... BUT repeat offenders must be fined.....

[Blackcat31]

I got a "problem" family from a previous provider and it turned out to be a positive that I was aware of issues before they started here because I was able to address the issues ahead of time and cut them off at the pass before anything became an issue here.

I just told mom ahead of time that at my house I set the rules and enforce them. I would under no circumstances allow her to bend or break them. I never told her I had spoke with her old provider and knew all her bad habits but the heads up was great because in the 5 years I have had the family, they have added to their brood twice and I have had no issues what so ever.

[Angelwings36]

If you can I'd consider setting your closing time earlier so late mom doesn't affect your evening schedule. I also would have all three sign the contract, at least both mom and dad. Since grandma isn't a guardian I don't know if having her sign would be appropriate even if she is paying.

Dm has always been late picking up the kids from the other provider as well. Along with a whole list of things that she has tried to pull with the other provider including but not limited to...

Asking the provider to take her children when they were running fevers because she had no medication for them...no food in the house...and no money to get any.

Forgetting to provide diapers for the two year old.

Showing up to pick the kids up LATE smelling like alcohol.

And so on...

The other provider is not as strict with her policies as I am and has given the dm alot of lean way.

I do not want to turn this family away because I really do love the kids and they are easy kids and when it's dad's week everything goes really well...I just am not sure how I'm going to deal with daycare mom and want to decide that 100% now before I hand her a copy of my contract.

[daycare]

I think someone else said, discuss it before they even start. Let them know how you expect things to go and that you will not be as tolerant as the other provider.

Take action before a fire starts..........

[Unregistered]

Add in a hefty late pick up fee and make it payable at pickup otherwise the kids cannot return the next day.

Make in my handbook I have a list of expectations.... they include that I expect the children to be picked up by a capable and responsible adult... meaning, not a caregiver under the influence of anything. If they arrive under the influence I would suggest to them to call a more responsible adult... if they refuse I will tell them that I will notify the local police of my concern. Thankfully I have only had to deal with a parent that had been obviously drinking once.... they lived in town and I gave them all a ride home after everyone else was gone.

[Unregistered]

Stay away . . .

. . . from this family. If you like the kids now, you will get even more attached to them later. The things you have listed are inexcusable in my opinion. I guarantee that no matter how you will prepare, there will be problems with a family like this. You basically have to ask yourself the question, "Are you willing to work with this unstability and poissibly have to terminate later." This is your EASY opportunity to opt out. Once they are enrolled in your care it will be much more difficult. I personally would not touch this situation . . . Even if payment weren't an issue, no amount of money is worth the aggravation in my opinion. There are plenty of great families out there that treat their caregiver and children with kindness and respect. By posting this question, I think you already know what your answer should be. Good luck

[Unregistered]

I recently changed my policies from the $15 set up like what you have to $1.00 per minute. The reason I did this is I was running into parents being EVEN later. They figured if they were one minute late and had to pay $15, they might as well be 15 minutes late because the fee was the same. Just food for thought. I would definitely discuss it up front.

[Unregistered]

I, too, charge $1.00 per minute for late pick up. & my parents know that late drop offs (especially in the summer) aren't a good idea unless they call and make me aware. I don't stop my day or field trips or outtings to the park. If the parents don't call, we go about our business planned for that day and if they call and ask where I am, I tell them, "Oh, well, we had plans to go to ____ today and we made everyone aware of this last week. We won't be back until ____am/pm. I'll call you upon return and you can drop ____ off."

I only had one parent complain because we left for our scheduled field trip. They were given a permission slip and they were 45 minutes late. I wasn't going to stop the other kids from enjoying a day of fun just because some parents can't read a clock. Life goes on...so does daycare.

As for the new family, I would do with them the same you do with any other prospective family...do an interview. Request mom and dad be there. Lay out your policies and procedures. Explain your pick up/drop off/late policies with them and tell them that there is NO EXCEPTIONS. Allow them the opportunity to hire you or interview others. Don't make them feel like just because their current daycare provider is closing that they are obligated to come to you.

Good luck!