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Being fair?


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Currently I give my daycare parents 3 days a month free of charge for illness or holiday. When my new contract comes out I am thinking of going to one day a month. Many daycares give no days. Getting close to a year in business has taught me that if you give people anyway leeway they will use it to the max.

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I would do what the going rate is and what other businesses in your area are doing in order to be fair. And yes, you're right, if you give people an inch, they'll take a mile. In this life, you'll always be taken advantage of if you're not prudent and shrewd.

 

I think you're being more than fair by giving one day a month. As you say, many daycares give no days. Do what you have to do for your business.

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I've never heard of any days free for illness or holiday. When we sent my son to a private prek at a daycare center there were no such days. At one of his school break camps you can get a refund if you cancel within 4 days or so and if you cancel last minute for illness you get a credit for a future day during the school year. But I am sure that if there is a parent who does this constantly they rein them in or take steps.

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If one day a month is standard in your area, then don't give your time away. Also, since you have staff, you need to consider the cost of having them available.

 

One of the private schools in our area has families commit to the whole 9 months so they can guarantee their staff the hours for the year. That may seem excessive for daycare, but I hadn't really thought about staffing and their hours from the employer standpoint.

 

Do you have a wait list? If you don't have a problem getting and keeping clients, then you don't need to bend over backwards to please them. Also, good on you for the late fees for that family.

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If one day a month is standard in your area, then don't give your time away. Also, since you have staff, you need to consider the cost of having them available.

 

One of the private schools in our area has families commit to the whole 9 months so they can guarantee their staff the hours for the year. That may seem excessive for daycare, but I hadn't really thought about staffing and their hours from the employer standpoint.

 

Do you have a wait list? If you don't have a problem getting and keeping clients, then you don't need to bend over backwards to please them. Also, good on you for the late fees for that family.

 

Unfortunately, for me when people don’t come it’s me that takes economic hit not my staff . My full timer comes whether I have one kid or five . So it’s me taking the economic hit. She gets paid whether I make $35 that day or $170 know what I mean ? I am full right now and have had no problems retaining the kids that I have they are all the same original kids from when I started last October except for one who was posted out . So I need to find a new little friend for September .

 

But what is standard in my area is no free days . So I think even giving them one is pretty good . Plus , they don’t pay me for the four weeks I will be taking off during the year . I will be taking two weeks in the summer the straight two weeks and I take a straight two weeks at Christmas since most of my customers are Military and the Military is off for two weeks .

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I've never heard of any days free for illness or holiday. When we sent my son to a private prek at a daycare center there were no such days. At one of his school break camps you can get a refund if you cancel within 4 days or so and if you cancel last minute for illness you get a credit for a future day during the school year. But I am sure that if there is a parent who does this constantly they rein them in or take steps.

Yes ,the licensed daycares in this area you must give a lot of advanced notice before you get any kind of free day or refund.

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