Would You Consider This Late?

[pinkcrayonz]

One of my dcc is dropped off about 8:15 and always picked up by 3:15... mom goes to school, and those were the hours she asked for..... so I arranged for another child to come from 3:30 once the 1st one was gone... no issues for months, but baby was sick most of this month so mom texts me that she will be picking up baby at 4... yah not happening, I text her back that that wont work, explain I will be over my allowed numbers for that age group, and could loose my liscence, no text back 4:05 she shows up, she says well your hours are till 5....I proceed to explain to her that isnt how it works...
she storms out you could tell she was mad, as I handed her a bill for late fees... was I ok to do that?

[daycare]

If you have a written contract with agreed hours heck ya you should have charged her. To disregard your text was very inconsiderable
I would have done the same thing.
Something like this happened to me once and mom did not pick up her child after I told her no kid can't stay later, (cap. Issues as well) so I called the emergency contact and had them pick up the kid.

[marniewon]

I agree - as long as you have contracted hours with this family and you told them you couldn't watch the child after a certain time, yep, charge the late fees and stick to them! You need to watch out for your business, as this mom has demonstrated, no one else will for you. If mom is mad, oh well...she'll either get over it or leave.

[Jewels]

I think to do something like this, you need to make sure at interview, or when filling out paperwork, that you say "your hours are contracted, even though my hours are til 5, your are only until 3:00, so if you go over 3, that would be considered late, as I will accept other children" I know when I had my son in childcare, I put down the hours until 4:30, and was almost always there, but there were times due to traffic or whatever that I never made it until 5, but she was still open, so if she would have slapped me with a late fee, I would have been irrate, as she never said anything, I know my daycare parents all know I'm open until 5:30, and no one ever shows up past then, but they sometimes are late on their own contracted times, but thats okay with me, as I am open, and I have never said, these are the only times you can be here.

[marniewon]

but they sometimes are late on their own contracted times, but thats okay with me, as I am open, and I have never said, these are the only times you can be here.

Just curious - why do you have contracted times if you don't care if the dck's are there from open to close?

[Jewels]

Well I don't consider them contracted times, but on the contract it says X will be here from 7:30-4pm, but my hours our 6:30-5:30pm, and although on the contract they filled out it says 4pm, I have never stated that you can never go over that time, my contract states I am open until 5:30, and as my parents see it, and as I would see it....normally I always pick up by 4, today I'm running late, but its okay because shes open with children until 5:30pm.

[SimpleMom]

I might have given her one warning and then made sure that she knew the reasons for the hours and contracted times. i've only had this issue once when my numbers overlapped, but parent knew it was a possibility and came to pick up asap.

i keep my numbers low most times, so space is pretty open all day. if the hours match up with payment i'm usually fine wth late pick ups (contracted times) and drop offs. we just go about our day as usual and post a note on the door if we are out back or walking or at the park,etc.

[Christian Mother]

Well I don't consider them contracted times, but on the contract it says X will be here from 7:30-4pm, but my hours our 6:30-5:30pm, and although on the contract they filled out it says 4pm, I have never stated that you can never go over that time, my contract states I am open until 5:30, and as my parents see it, and as I would see it....normally I always pick up by 4, today I'm running late, but its okay because shes open with children until 5:30pm.

It's the same with my daycare. All my DCC have scheduled times of drop off and pick up but I close at 5pm. That allows for a parent to use that time if they are in a bind. There have been a couple times that the parents wld ask a head of time that they needed a later pick up time. But not often at all. I am happy to help if it doesn't conflict with a schedule or there ok with me taking there child with me. I do also contract diff. time slots so I don't go over my ratio. For me, I am not state certified but I follow state laws. I will not have more then 4 children in my home not including my own 2 children that are in school. So if I have a part time child scheduled from 8-noon and there late that would get me in trouble and if it happened again that parent would be termed. I am stricked with my parents but I also give them a lot of perks to. I don't charge late fees, I don't charge for days there not here...that kind of thing. So being respected is a big thing with me.

[Lucy]

You were ok to do that. I'm sure it was hard for you. It would be for me. Sorry you had to have this problem. It ****s, doesn't it?

Just make sure when you interview and give them your policies, that you say "You are CONTRACTED for X time to Y time. Although I am open later than this, you will be considered late if you do not arrive within 5 minutes of Y time." Or something to that affect.

[daycare]

Care will take place on the following days of the week and times listed below:
Days:

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

(sorry it was in a grid table and copied over weird)



The charge of child care is ______per month for tuition and $20.00 per month for Curriculum fees. All tuition fees are to be made one week in advance on the last day of the week that your child receives care. Curriculum, fees are due on or before the 15th of each month. (Please see Parent handbook regarding tuition for all rules). Be sure to arrange all early and late pick up by calling ahead of time and speak directly with the provider. This will help you to avoid having to pay extra fees. Please do not leave voicemail messages or use text messaging as a way to inform provider.

Failure to abide by your contracted times as well as notify provider of early arrival or late pick up will be charged a fee of $1.00 per minute per child for each minute that they arrive early or are picked up late. There will be a 5 minute grace period given for both drop off and pick up. If you are more than 15 minutes early or late, fees will still apply regardless of notification.

[Rachel]

I think it depends on how you are charging. IMO, you can have contracted hours, or open hours, but not both and charge teh same. If your weekly fee is 150, and you are only charging her 120 because she picks up early, it's fair. But if she is still paying 150 even though she agreed to pick up early, she is paying you for that spot and you are in the wrong.

Here the standard goes by opening hours which IMO is much easier. Private people often offer a 1/2 day schedule (until 1:30) or full day (4 or 4:30), but you don't get a discount for taking part of the day. Ds goes to someone this year, and if I picked him up every day at 12 I would be pretty annoyed if she decided to charge me on a day I was "late" and got him at 1:30.