"No Pay, No Stay" Policy Wording Help?

[AfterSchoolMom]

For the past three years my payment policy has been payment on Friday for the upcoming week of care with a $10 per day late fee. However, I have had SOOOO many issues with parents fighting my policy that I'd like to make it short, to the point, and iron clad.

Here's what I'd like to do - change my payment day to Monday AM for the current week (so that I still get paid prior to services), but adopting a "no pay, no stay" policy. If you don't pay on Monday AM, you don't get in the door at all. No late fees, no chances, no nothing. I will probably consider exceptions on a case by case basis, IF they come to me ahead of time, but I won't advertise that fact at all.

Number one, does that sound unreasonable? Number two, how do I word that in my contract and make it CRYSTAL clear to prospective families without being harsh at interview time?

[grandmom]

How to word is one thing, but will you enforce it?

I can't imagine enforcing it when a parent forgets their checkbook. It happens to me a lot.

[cheerfuldom]

This does not sound unreasonable. It sounds like you need to just be prepared to enforce and appear harsh if need be regardless of the exact wording as the pp said.

[daycare]

My payment policy states that all payments are due on the last day of teh week that thier child receives care, one week in advance. If the payment is not rec. by closing of that day, there will be a $40.00 late fee, along with a $10.00 daily fee until paid in full. Child cannot return to the Daycare until all fees are paid in full.
Any child that is absent for more than 3 days because of non payment will be terminated immediately without refund. All unpaid fees by parent will be collected in small claims court. Parents understand that they will be responsible for all court fees, out standing daycare fees, curriculum fees,late fees, and any other fees that may have occured to pursue the collection process.


I didnt have it written word for word, just something like that is how mine reads...

[Former Teacher]

I agree with the PP that people forget their checkbook or other some lame excuse. IMO, if you make Monday your payday: then inform them that effective Monday evening at pickup if there is no payment (late fees included) then they may not come in the door Tuesday.

IME: Mondays were the worst day for being hectic and having forgetful parents

[SandeeAR]

I have always had Monday morning as my payday. In 1 1/2 years of being open, I have had parents forget twice. Both brought the money that day at pick up.

[Abigail]

For the past three years my payment policy has been payment on Friday for the upcoming week of care with a $10 per day late fee. However, I have had SOOOO many issues with parents fighting my policy that I'd like to make it short, to the point, and iron clad.

What do parents fight on your policy? I would require two weeks pay upfront to begin with. I would keep payday on Friday and have a specific time like 6:00 pm on Friday or before pickup on Friday. If you simply say "Friday" then you're likely to get a parent stopping by at 11 pm to drop it off, LOL. I would also have a one-time late fee if not paid by then of $10 or so. If the late fee plus the original weekly fee is not paid at drop-off on Monday morning, you may not attend care.

[momma2girls]

I agree with the PP that people forget their checkbook or other some lame excuse. IMO, if you make Monday your payday: then inform them that effective Monday evening at pickup if there is no payment (late fees included) then they may not come in the door Tuesday.

IME: Mondays were the worst day for being hectic and having forgetful parents

THis is what I have in my contract as well. Either pay on am or pm pick up, otherwise late fees will be added, and need to be paid in full, otherwise I will not provide care on Tues. am.

[AfterSchoolMom]

I agree with the PP that people forget their checkbook or other some lame excuse. IMO, if you make Monday your payday: then inform them that effective Monday evening at pickup if there is no payment (late fees included) then they may not come in the door Tuesday.

IME: Mondays were the worst day for being hectic and having forgetful parents

I've had parents forget their checkbooks or forget to go to the ATM. They've had someone else (like Grandma or a friend) pick up on payday with no check. I've had them park and call their child on the phone/honk the horn for them to come out so that they didn't have to tell me face to face that they weren't paying, and go to school and pick up their child on Friday so that they didn't have to pay. I've had Dad blame Mom for the money not being there, then Mom blame Dad for the money not being there. I've had one that I've posted about before that even parks DOWN THE STREET and sends her child back in for their things to avoid paying.

I've had parents throw fits over late fees, I've had them flat out refuse to pay them, I've had them tell me that I have no right to charge them. I've had them conveniently "forget" that the money is late and stroll in on Monday with the regular check. I've called, harassed, sent notes, emails, etc. that get ignored.

Finally, just recently, I've just had them big fat leave care with no notice.

Since I do SA care, parents are well aware that it's near impossible for me to get new families during the school year. However, at this point I'd rather have them leave than get steamrolled this way any more. I'm sick of it. That's the motivation for wanting to change my policy.

None of my current families are coming back next year - two are aging out, one is moving, and I'm not welcoming one back. It's a good time to change the things that aren't working for me, and payday on Friday has been a dismal failure thus far!

[Cat Herder]

" 'Round here we do it the American way. Sorry partner, No pay, No stay "

Write it on the bottom of a printed photo of Clint Eastwood from Man with No Name and frame it by the door. ::

Your policy is how I do it. I take it Fridays since most of mine feel they may forget , it's payday for them.

No cash in hand Monday and they leave with their child to run to the ATM...afterall kids love the little ****ers they give and my dog appreciates the little doggie biscuits.

[AfterSchoolMom]

Your policy is how I do it. I take it Fridays since most of mine feel they may forget , it's payday for them.

That would be fine too! EARLY pay is no problem!

[Blackcat31]

I agree with catherder....Friday is payday. If they forget they cannot come in on Monday. If they try I tell them to take little Johnny and head to the nearest ATM.....and come on back with cash in hand.

I also use software that automatically adds a late fee. I am NOT a computer geek so I am sorry but I am unable to remove or reduce late fees. All my parents are aware of this. They can argue with me all they want but they also know it will do them just as much good to complain to the lightpost about it since it is not anything I have the power to control/change.

IMPO, this is more about respect and enforcement than it is about the right words to use. Your parents know your rules, they just for some reason do not think they have to actually follow them.

[dEHmom]

Fridays are paydays for the following 2 weeks (or weekly however the parents want to do it). Mine all pay for the 2 weeks on their payday, which works out. They get paid either thursday or friday, i never asked which day, they take out the moola and hand it to me either in am or pm. doesn't matter to me. If they say oh shoot i forgot to stop at atm, then they usually run out and get it and bring it back, or i tell them monday am is fine too. BUT i know my parents wouldn't jip me. It truly is a mistake and that's fine with me.

It's in my contract payment is due the friday for the following week/2 weeks care. Payments made on monday am, will have an additional charge of $20 ($10/day) late fee. If payment is not received monday at dropoff, care will not commence until all fees are paid in full.

I can see a monday payday becoming a wednesday payday. at least on the friday it gives some wiggle room. I honestly depend on my paydays, and if i didn't receive my pay when I was expecting it, there may not be food on our table for the weekend. kwim? And the weekends are always a great time to spend money, and what if the parents don't realize the other didn't pay yet, and so mom goes shopping, and spends it all? i know that dh's payday is thursday for 2 weeks and usually by monday it's gone.

[AfterSchoolMom]

what if the parents don't realize the other didn't pay yet, and so mom goes shopping, and spends it all? i know that dh's payday is thursday for 2 weeks and usually by monday it's gone.

Yes, but honestly, why should any of that be my problem? As has been said here before, I can't call my mortgage company and say "well, I thought DH paid the mortgage and I spent all my money, sorry", they're not going to give me a break.

That's what angers me the most about the whole situation. They know that the money is due. It's due every week on the same day. It's not a surprise, it's not a shock. They drop their children off at my house every morning and pick them up every afternoon. They see me and my home daily.

If it happened once in a blue moon it'd be no problem for me to say that it's ok, just drop it by on Monday. However, I just don't buy that they "forget" because it happens EVERY SINGLE WEEK. There has not been one single week all school year where everyone has paid me on time, and there have been more than a handful where NO ONE pays on time. In my case, I really believe that the "forgetting" is absolutely done on purpose.

[texascare]

Most people in the corporte word get paid on Fridays so i have my pay day then so "they can remember". They pay at drop off --if not late fees occur starting then. You just have to have a back bone. no pay no stay. Enforce Enforce Enforce. It's your paycheck!!!