Jump to content

More money for doing OT and development?


Recommended Posts

One of my daycare littles is going to need OT and special development support. I will be expected to help with these therapies and have a developmental therapist at my house on occasion. Everyone tells me to ask for more money to care for the child.

 

I took her to a first assessment today because her mom couldn’t due to work. Mom is very upset from the results and will be more upset when she hears from the developmental worker about the full extent of issues. I couldn’t tell her the full extent which could include global delay and FAS. That the worker wanted to talk to mom and dad about but let me talk about the need for OT.

 

As a mom of someone with a disability I feel for her and her child and understand the need for support and but.... I don’t want to hit mom with a price hike while she is worried about her child.

Link to comment

I think you’ll need to look into the laws in your area. I feel that charging someone with a disability/special needs more might fall under discrimination and be illegal? (At least where I live).

 

Perhaps you could charge for extra services (ie: taking her to doctors appointments)...

 

I think you should look into the legalities and what your competitors do before making any decisions.

Link to comment
I think you’ll need to look into the laws in your area. I feel that charging someone with a disability/special needs more might fall under discrimination and be illegal? (At least where I live).

 

Perhaps you could charge for extra services (ie: taking her to doctors appointments)...

 

I think you should look into the legalities and what your competitors do before making any decisions.

I won’t be taking her to drs appointments just things I can walk to as I have 5 daycare kids. That will be up to her parents I only took her to the developmental worker because she was at our local community centre today and my other kids could play while she was assessed.

 

But you are right charging more for daycare because she has a disability is not right but she will be getting far more attention than the other children.

Link to comment

Yes. Look into laws and protocols in your area. Where we live it would be more for a child with a disability if a lower staff go child ratio was needed. Also you don’t want to divert attention from the other kids or restrict their activities or schedule to accommodate extra help for this child. You’re being very proactive about this. Good for you !

Link to comment

The parents should pay for another individual to come in for therapy sessions with the child. I don't think you can charge more just because the child takes more time because then every daycare that had an unruly kid would charge differently per child. I would say if you are required to provide DIFFERENT services then maybe its a consideration but simply talking a little more time is not

 

If the child can interact with the other kids, i know in my nieces daycare the kids that are more on target are very caring and "help" the other child that is not - they are patient for them when they take longer to finish a task

Link to comment

Of course. They know we go on field trips and to the community centre and walks and parks etc .

..:

Do you have it in your contract for the other kids to be able to have permission to take them off premises? I know my little niece needed parents to consent for her leaving the property where the day care was.
Link to comment
The parents should pay for another individual to come in for therapy sessions with the child. I don't think you can charge more just because the child takes more time because then every daycare that had an unruly kid would charge differently per child. I would say if you are required to provide DIFFERENT services then maybe its a consideration but simply talking a little more time is not

 

If the child can interact with the other kids, i know in my nieces daycare the kids that are more on target are very caring and "help" the other child that is not - they are patient for them when they take longer to finish a task

 

I would be doing the extra work with the child other than when the developmental worker is there. They don’t need to pay her that’s a community service . And I have my full-time employee . However, if I take over complete care of this child she’s responsible for the other four.

Link to comment
Yes. Look into laws and protocols in your area. Where we live it would be more for a child with a disability if a lower staff go child ratio was needed. Also you don’t want to divert attention from the other kids or restrict their activities or schedule to accommodate extra help for this child. You’re being very proactive about this. Good for you !

Luckily ,I have another full-time staff but most of the workload of the other four children will fall on her .

Link to comment
The parents should pay for another individual to come in for therapy sessions with the child. I don't think you can charge more just because the child takes more time because then every daycare that had an unruly kid would charge differently per child. I would say if you are required to provide DIFFERENT services then maybe its a consideration but simply talking a little more time is not

 

If the child can interact with the other kids, i know in my nieces daycare the kids that are more on target are very caring and "help" the other child that is not - they are patient for them when they take longer to finish a task

Unfortunately, the other children are only 2 and 3 and I don’t want them picking up a 19-month-old they can barely carry . Not to mention they maul the snot out of her already and it’s a hard time getting them off her . It is actually more of a hinderance than a help .

Link to comment

That’s the issue I would be expected to do a lot of the occupational therapy and development work with her. She is almost 19 months but has the skills of about 8 months. So there is lots and lots of work to be done . And let me say I am not trained in occupational therapy so it is something I would have to learn .

I would charge more within reason if the disabled child takes more time and attention away from your other daycare children. It's business.
Link to comment
Unfortunately, the other children are only 2 and 3 and I don’t want them picking up a 19-month-old they can barely carry . Not to mention they maul the snot out of her already and it’s a hard time getting them off her . It is actually more of a hinderance than a help .

 

They don't "help" by carrying the child at all. They wait for the child, carry a toy for the child, etc.

Link to comment
That’s the issue I would be expected to do a lot of the occupational therapy and development work with her. She is almost 19 months but has the skills of about 8 months. So there is lots and lots of work to be done . And let me say I am not trained in occupational therapy so it is something I would have to learn .

 

If you could treat her at her developmental level, that's one thing - just a bigger baby to diaper, so to speak, but if you are expected to advance her development, yeah, its not really something I would think a small daycare is equipped for. Are you willing to convert to a special needs daycare for one child or refer them to a special needs daycare? I think kids who are just slightly behind benefit from being around kids who are on target or ahead and that moves some of their skills ahead but she is worlds behind...

Link to comment

We actually don’t want them doing anything for her she hast to learn to do things herself . The only independent skills she has are crawling which she’s only learned in the past two months and feeding her self the more they do for her the less she’s going to learn . If they left her alone that would be great .

They don't "help" by carrying the child at all. They wait for the child, carry a toy for the child, etc.
Link to comment
If you could treat her at her developmental level, that's one thing - just a bigger baby to diaper, so to speak, but if you are expected to advance her development, yeah, its not really something I would think a small daycare is equipped for. Are you willing to convert to a special needs daycare for one child or refer them to a special needs daycare? I think kids who are just slightly behind benefit from being around kids who are on target or ahead and that moves some of their skills ahead but she is worlds behind...

 

This being a very small area I don’t think there are specifically special-needs Daycares. I live in a small rural area of 19,000.

Link to comment

Mom wants her with me because I came highly recommended from my other employer. And I am literally three minutes from her work and 2 minutes from where she picks up her other daughter at another daycare . And I am one of the only Daycare is that opens before 6:45 and where she would not be paying $75 a day being that she’s already paying 45 a day for her other daughter . If she was paying 75 a day and 45 a day she might as well not bother working .

Link to comment

Thank you it is daunting though. I have already been told not to let her “bum scoot” which she does .all .the .time . I have to stop her immediately put her on her tummy and wait for her to get up on her hands and knees and crawl that way as that’s the only way she’s going to develop proper core strength which will lead to walking and other advances . Who knew but I learned from the Developmental Worker that walking and language development are linked together. As the child has no words either she babbles but has no distinguishable words. She recognizes no words except for her own name and mommy and daddy . So I have to label everything for her all day . This is a nose, this is a cup, this is a .... Plus I have to learn the correct moves for her to be able to stand because it has to be done in a certain sequence . We have to untrain and retrain her brain to move correctly.

You are an amazing lady, taking on therapy for this child.

She is lucky to have you as her carer!!!

Link to comment
That’s the issue I would be expected to do a lot of the occupational therapy and development work with her. She is almost 19 months but has the skills of about 8 months. So there is lots and lots of work to be done . And let me say I am not trained in occupational therapy so it is something I would have to learn .

 

If the mother expects you to go above and beyond such as occupational therapy and development work for her child, this requires more skill and time on your part so yes, you should be compensated for it. As mentioned previously, you're running a business.

Link to comment

It honestly sounds like you would be doing the work of a support aide. And it sounds like this child needs a full time support worker.

However, that's not your job. Your job is general care for all the children in your daycare. This might ruffle feathers, but , I would reconsider doing this as it will impact your staff and the other children ( one staff to four, instead of 2 to 5 ratio).

Link to comment

I have daycare insurance that I pay $1000 a year for. The agent didn’t ask specifically about special needs children. They are more concerned with pools, dogs ,highways that kind of thing. Whether a child has had an accident in your home if you’ve been charged with child abuse ... etc.

Do you have insurance for special needs kids? How will this impact your business financially, eg training, extra hours to learn how to care for the child, changes in insurance and staff?
Link to comment

It won’t be totally up to me. There will be a team of people responsible for her care . I have daycare insurance.

Keep in mind, if you're in occupational therapy mode when you're not a licensed occupational therapist, you are liable should this child's care go awry. Think about your legal repercussions.
Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...