When Your Vacation Time Changes

[Unregistered]

My in-home lisenced daycare provider has changed her vacation on me twice for two different vacation times and I'm wondering what the norm might be, if there is one, for how strict a schedule your DCP keeps.

In her contract she has two weeks vacation in a calendar year. She originally stated she was taking 1 week off and I scheduled for care from family (who will make a vacation/visit out of the 10hr drive to our house). But my DCP changed the date to a time our family member won't be able to take time off work so I am left to find alternate care I will have to pay for. Which is fine, I understand I won't always be able to rely on family visiting to watch my daughter. But it really did work out perfect.

Then she scheduled her other week off and gave us dates. My husband and I then decided to book the same week off and we'll take our vacation then too. Now, she has gone and changed these dates also!

I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for here. Perhaps some advice on how to handle this...My husband is mad and thinks that we shouldn't have to pay her for the week we originally all booked off that she has now gone and changed. I'm not sure how to talk to her about this. I normally pay her for MY vactation time but not hers.

[Blackcat31]

My in-home lisenced daycare provider has changed her vacation on me twice for two different vacation times and I'm wondering what the norm might be, if there is one, for how strict a schedule your DCP keeps.

In her contract she has two weeks vacation in a calendar year. She originally stated she was taking 1 week off and I scheduled for care from family (who will make a vacation/visit out of the 10hr drive to our house). But my DCP changed the date to a time our family member won't be able to take time off work so I am left to find alternate care I will have to pay for. Which is fine, I understand I won't always be able to rely on family visiting to watch my daughter. But it really did work out perfect.

Then she scheduled her other week off and gave us dates. My husband and I then decided to book the same week off and we'll take our vacation then too. Now, she has gone and changed these dates also!

I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for here. Perhaps some advice on how to handle this...My husband is mad and thinks that we shouldn't have to pay her for the week we originally all booked off that she has now gone and changed. I'm not sure how to talk to her about this. I normally pay her for MY vactation time but not hers.

I am sorry that your provider has done this to you. I take 2 weeks vacation every year as well as a few other days off, however, ALL of them are pre-planned and the dates are given out in the beginning of the year to all parents. Parents pay for my vacation time (some of the days a reduced rate).

If I had to change my vacation dates, I would feel badly about it and would NOT expect my day care families to still pay me if the notice was short. I suppose I might if I gave something liek a 30 day notice but not for a whole week vacation dates that changed.

I would suggest that you talk with your provider about this and she may be willing to work with you as it is her inconsistency that is causing the trouble. Also what does your contract with her say about her vacation time and the amount of notice she needs to provide you with?

[Unregistered]

Her handbook says nothing about notice she should give me when she takes vacation. This is the first time I've had a DCP so I wasn't really sure what to look for in the contract. I'm going to sit down with her to iron out some of these things. I think a lot of my frustration lies with the inconsistencies (there are other small things) otherwise I really think she's great!

[California Provider]

I think your provider is being extremely unprofessional and inconsiderate.

I actually take three weeks of (unpaid) vacation every year, some paid holidays, and a few unpaid personal days. However, I give a list of these dates to my clients every December for the following year. So my clients have several MONTHS advance notice before I take a vacation.

In my opinion, you should -at the very least - get a very steep discount since your provider changed her vacation dates after you'd made back-up arrangements to accommodate her original plans. If it were ME, I wouldn't make you pay at all.