Your Vacation, On Time Payments

[daycare]

I have in my policy that parents are to pay on or before every Friday one week in advance. Unless paying monthly payments are made on the last Friday of each month one month in Advance

My policy also states that if the daycare is closed for any reason on a Friday then the payments must be paid on or before that day.

I just went on a vacation from a Thursday to a Sunday. I emailed and reminded everyone that payments are due on or before Friday. Some wire transfer, check Cash.

Well guess what not one person paid me. None of my clients. I was super shocked. I should have no allowed any one in on Monday morning but there was all that drama with my niece going on I didnt want to deal with it.

So my question is does anyone else have this same policy? Am I not being fair requesting that they make payment early because I'm closing?

I look at it Like this. If my Water bill is due on a Saturday even though the utility office is closed, it still has to be paid by that date.

Am I stating my words wrong in my policy ?

I'm getting ready to go on another short vacation next month and want to avoid this from happening again!
Thanks for your help in advance

[cheerfuldom]

this is one thing that I am flexible on. If I am closed on the day that payments are made (Monday here), then I accept payment the day I return and that daycare is open. My thought is that I am the one going out of town or whatever and I would rather wait for the payment than have people trying to figure out how to get it to me. My families have a budget too and paying several days in advance or off schedule in some way might screw up with their accounts depending on when they are paid. Some of my families live paycheck to paycheck and they wouldn't have the money that far in advance in some instances. As long as it is paid the morning I return and they are still current, then I am fine. Did everyone pay when you got back?

[daycare]

Yes Monday night and one on Tuesday.

But the thing is that all but one are on wire transfer
They could have wired it when they were supposed to but chose not to

[momofboys]

You were only asking for it one day in advance, is this correct? You normally are paid on Friday for the next week but since you were on a long weekend vacation you asked for it on Thurs? If so, I see nothing wrong with your policy. I would make sure you are clear at drop-off on your next long weekend that payment will be due that evening. I have no real advice other than the fact that I feel bad that no one followed through!

[TBird]

My policy is that they pay me before I close. They are welcome to POST DATE their check but it must be in my hand before I leave. When they go on vacation from their jobs doesn't their direct deposit still go through on pay day??? Haven't had a problem yet...maybe you should have given a written reminder??? Not sure what happened....:confused:

[Country Kids]

I'm always the odd ball when it comes to the way I bill. I bill once a month and all bills are due on a date every month. If it falls on a holiday or a weekend my parents can pay me the day before/after or the Monday after if it falls on a weekend. I have only had two parents in 15 years have issues with this and they didn't last long with me.

[littlemissmuffet]

Childcare fees are due on the first day of each service month. If the 1st falls on a Saturday or Sunday, fees are due on the Friday. If the 1st falls on a holiday, fees are due the day prior to the holiday. If the 1st falls on my vacation time, fees are due the day before I close the daycare for vacation. If the 1st falls on your vacation time, fees are due the day before you begin your vacation. If your child is absent for any reason on the 1st of the month you are still required to make payment on the 1st. If the daycare is closed on the 1st due to emergency or illness on my part, fees are due on the next day the daycare is open for business.

[Crazy8]

My payments are due on the last scheduled day of care for the following week. So for a child who comes M, W, F, they pay on Friday evening. For a child who comes M, T, W - they need to pay on Wednesday evening. Same if I am taking some days off. If I was closed on Friday the payment is due on Thursday. My late fees however, start at 5pm on Friday. I had too many people dropping off checks over the weekend because they "forgot" on Friday. I appreciate the effort, but if I make my deposit by 8pm Friday it is in my account that day, if I don't get it in till the weekend it doesn't post until TUESDAY so therefore you forget on Friday you get a late fee. You show up Monday without it and I don't accept the child (fortunately that has never happened).

My only acception has been when I'm taking more than a week's vacation (usually only a day or two more) - I don't make them pay for 2 weeks up front - they can bring the 2nd week's payment when they come back.

I always send home a notice detailing my days off and when payments are due and then I write it on their daily sheet the day before so that there is no misunderstanding.

[wdmmom]

I post signs at the entrance/exit and I always state that all payments will be required BEFORE a specific date. If a parent is having an issue with paying on a Thursday rather than a Friday, payment options need to be worked out BEFORE the day it is due.

I charge $10 per day late fee including Saturdays and Sundays! If you don't pay me on Thursday when it's due and you wait until I return...say Tuesday...you're going to owe an additional $50 in late charges when you come back. If the money isn't collected, you aren't getting daycare.

They know when payment is due and if it's due sooner, they know that I will hold a check if they talk to me about it BEFORE hand!

[daycare]

You were only asking for it one day in advance, is this correct? You normally are paid on Friday for the next week but since you were on a long weekend vacation you asked for it on Thurs? If so, I see nothing wrong with your policy. I would make sure you are clear at drop-off on your next long weekend that payment will be due that evening. I have no real advice other than the fact that I feel bad that no one followed through!

NO i was asking that it be paid on time.... basically what happened was that becuase i was gone on thursday and Friday, everyone decided NOT to pay me on friday when the money was due..

[JenNJ]

I ask that my clients give me checks dated for our regular payment date. That way I have checks in hand and I'm not springing payment on them last minute.

[daycare]

I posted paper reminders, sent email reminders, text reminders and verbal reminders that payments were due on *** date before I left for vacation. Everyone decided since I was gone that they were not going to pay me.. All of my clients but one are wire transfer. they could have paid it on Firday, chose not to.

[Sugar Magnolia]

I am sorry that happened to you. I know its a monday-morning-quarterbacking response, but on thursday I would have verbally told them "I don't see your check in the box. It has to be paid today or there will be a late fee." I wouldn't have let them sneak out on me like that. I have this exact same policy. I DO OFFER parents to hold the check until Friday though. Cash....tough call (can't 'hold' cash) and same for wire transfers (if they don't have it in their accounts until Friday, its hard to transfer early to your account). But maybe offer to hold the checks like I do?

[daycare]

see thats the thing... I was not asking for anything to be paid eary, I was just asking for it to be paid on time. So basically, those that wire transfer should have wired it on Friday when they got paid...........BUT they didnt.

I will make sure that those who pay cash give me a check before leaving...thats a good idea...

[Sugar Magnolia]

see thats the thing... I was not asking for anything to be paid eary, I was just asking for it to be paid on time. So basically, those that wire transfer should have wired it on Friday when they got paid...........BUT they didnt.

I will make sure that those who pay cash give me a check before leaving...thats a good idea...

Ooooh, well in that case, there's NO EXCUSE for the wire transfer people to have not paid you. Slap a late fee on them, or the next time you go on vacation they will do it again. Or any other time they don't feel like paying you on fridays. Nope, that is NOT FAIR to you! It may be a little late now to hit them with the late fee, but maybe you can talk to them and say "I know I was on vacation friday, but your wire transfer did not come in on friday either. I count on timely payments or I cannot run my business on my budget. I will let it go this time, but going forward, you must pay every friday or my $25 late fee will be charged on Monday and I will not be able to waive it again. I must treat all parents equally."
Did you check and see if the wire transfers came in today?