ANOTHER Question about daycare and holiday pay - UPDATE

[Happy 2B mommy]

DD goes to a Daycare center on Tues and Thurs mornings for 4 hours (8 hrs a week). I just got my bill and I'm being charged for holidays when the center is closed -- Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving (a Friday) and Christmas and the days before and after Christmas (a Wed & Friday ). I have no problem paying for Thanksgiving and Christmas, which are days DD would normally be there but I'm surprised by paying for the days that DD wouldn't normally be there (the Wed and Fridays). Before going to the Center, DD went 2 mornings to an in-home DCP who charged Holidays only if they fell on a day your child would normally be there.

We've been attending for a while and we were never charged for the summer holidays when the center was closed and DD would not have been attending. When I spoke to the Owner, she said that was an oversight and everyone pays for the days when the center is closed. She said otherwise it wouldn't be fair to the parents who have their children there full-time, as they still have to pay for the complete week. When I pointed out that I'm paying double what I normally would for the week of Christmas, she said that holiday pay is explained in the handbook. All it says is "XYZ will be closed on the following PAID holidays".

Was I spoiled by my in-home DCP? Is this normal practice for Centers? and is it fair to part-time people?

ETA to clarify

[egoldber]

Amy goes to a preschool that is also a child care. This fall, she went on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We pay by the month and pay for a full month regardless of holidays. So we paid for all of December, even though the center is closed for the last week and a half of the month. Since we don't pay by the week, that seems "fair" to me. But I don't understand why you would MORE during a time when the center is closed. That's just crazy IMO.


She said otherwise it wouldn't be fair to the parents who have their children there full-time, as they still have to pay for the complete week

Um, no, according to their rules, that would be fair.

[MontrealMum]

Our daycare, which is government-run, was closed 2 days last week and 3 days this week. The parents (there is a parents' board) voted on which days it would be closed because of the holidays, but there was an understanding that between Dec. 22-Jan 2 that the center would be closed for 5 days total. We will not be charged for those days. Normally we pay per day, so last week we will pay for 3 days, and this week, for 2. All the children at this daycare are full-time so we don't have the particular issue that you do, with the center being closed on a day that your child doesn't normally attend.

Whether the days are your normal ones or not I don't see the fairness or logic in charging parents for time when the place is closed.

ETA: I guess it depends on whether you are billed by the day or by the month, but in either case, it certainly shouldn't be going UP from your base rate - that makes no sense.

[doberbrat]

dd goes to dc part time. our tuition is the same regardless of holidays.

I'd have a conniption if it went UP for the holidays when they're closed.

[lorinick]

My dc went to day care I paid weekly and didn't pay for day's we didn't go. But I always paid the same. I was able to make up a day. DS went three days a week so if Christmas fell on my day I would sent him in another day during the week he normally wouldn't go. I was lucky I guess. I advisior didn't care. As long as you told them the week before it was fine. But if your full time I guess you would just have to pay. But imo you shouldn't have to pay more than you normally do. That I wouldn't do. I would just pay my normally amount and say I can't pay anything extra. That's not right.

[mommyp]

Our in home DCP tuition is the same as yours was. DD goes Tues/Thurs, so last week when they were closed Wed/Thurs/Fri, we were still paying for Thurs. We pay monthly for all the Tues/Thurs of each month, if one of the "paid holidays" happens to fall on a Tues/Thurs, we pay as if she is there. We know this is the policy and that makes sense. It doesn't make sense to me that you are paying for days when she is not normally there, you certainly shouldn't be paying more than your usual tuition.

[baileygirl]

It doesn't make sense to me. We only pay for holidays that fall on days we are scheduled for.

[carolinamama]

DS goes 2 days per week. We pay for those 2 days whether the center is open or closed or if he goes or not due to our own vacation, sickness etc. However, we do not pay for any other day even if the center is closed. We pay monthly no matter what. I understand paying for the days it is closed and you are not going, but not more. That makes no sense to me to pay more. People who go full time pay more all the time, you pay less all the time.

[Happy 2B mommy]

Thanks for sharing your opinions. Part of me thinks that the Center is doing this because DD is soooo part-time (I'm charged by the hour, not weekly). I think I'm going to call other centers and find out what the common practice is with other local places. DH looked at the statement last night, and his guess is that it automatically spits out "Holiday pay" for the set holidays. The problem is that while I like the center, the owner just doesn't seem very logical about things like this. My guess is that she's just going by the computer. She didn't see my point at all when I spoke with her yesterday.

[jhrabosk]

"XYZ will be closed on the following PAID holidays".

Yes...they're paid holidays if you usually pay for those days. You shouldn't have to pay for them otherwise!

Would it be clearer to the director if you just simply pointed out that you're paying MORE than your standard weekly rate? Fairness to other parents has nothing to do with it.

[Jeanne]

My girls went 4 full days per week (with my second in her last year there) and we get zero in-service,holiday week shut-down, holiday, or vacation credit. We pay full tuition regardless of how many days the center is open. It's privately run so he can charge what he wants. It's a for profit center.

There are other daycare centers around here that are non-profit and they don't charge for all these days. They are much more budget friendly. But they aren't as good either.

[Octobermommy]

So are you saying that you have been billed more than a normal week b/c the center was closed?

If so I would tell the owner you will be more than happy to pay for a normal week but not any more than a normal week. Everyone should have to pay what they normally pay ( if that is the policy to pay for closed holidays). If someone else pays for their child to go every week they would pay for the week regardless of the center being open or not. If you pay for two days in a normal week, you should pay for two days regardless of the center being open or closed.

I would have reservations if the owner can't get this concept. It is pretty easy to understand.

[happymomma]

I think it's not fair for you to have to pay more than your usual week. Makes sense that they would charge you for the days that your DD would be going and now the center is closed. But you shouldn't be penalized for the days that your DD isn't going in the first place. At most, you should be paying what you normally would be paying. I wonder if you talk to the director and show her what you usually pay, she'll probably understand what you are talking about.

[new_mommy25]

My DD also goes to preschool on Tues/Thurs. I pay by the month and paid for a complete month even though holidays did fall on Thursdays this month and we will miss those days. But IMO, to pay for days that you don't attend, like the day before and after Christmas, is just ridiculous. It seems almost greedy to me.

[kijip]

That's ridiculous. I compare it to this- say Christmas eve and day fall on a Thursday and Friday. My assistant works M-Th. I pay her for her full week- the M-Th but not for a 5th day that week. Holiday pay is not extra above what is normally earned most places (unless you are getting a premium for working the holiday). They should only charge you for closed days that you otherwise would be scheduled to be there.

[Melaine]

Someone must be confused there! They cannot actually expect you to pay MORE than usual? I understand if you pay the same for a holiday week, but MORE is crazy!

[Happy 2B mommy]

Yes, we are (now) expected to pay 'holiday pay' for the holidays that DD would NOT normally be there (so, any holiday that falls on any Monday, Wednesday or Friday) This is, according to the Owner, "to defer her significantly lower rates than other centers". Her reasoning is that no other center will take DD for such a minimal time (4 hours on Tues/Thurs for a total of 8 hous a week) at her prices. She says her other clients who are part-time have no issue with this and that we are the only people who have complained or found this unfair. If DD were there M-F (1/2 days or full days), I would only have to pay my regular weekly charge.

So, I am being penalized for not having DD there M -F. Although she said she was considering charging only 1/2 of the holiday pay and would 'Do that for you'. Uhg.

I find this unfair. I have not checked out the rates of other centers (last DCP was in-home), so I don't know if this place is truly a bargain. The advantages of this place is that the care seems good, DD enjoys it and it is super-close (a few blocks away)

Thoughts?

[mamicka]

Thoughts?

Find another DCP. This person is very immature & is trying to "stick it to you" because you don't give her more business. Seriously, this is not someone I'd trust to care for my child.

[LBW]

I think the director is ridiculous. Do you have a contract? Does it state you are required to pay for every holidays, regardless of whether it is a scheduled day?

If I was in your situation, I'd probably call a couple of centers to see if they have openings and what their rates are. If you are getting a deal, and you are happy with the care your child is getting, I'd just pay the 1/2 holiday rate (assuming it's in the contract) and let it go. But, in the process of checking other centers you might actually find one you like better - with a less vindictive director!

[egoldber]

It sounds to me like she is losing money and trying to find means to make up for it. But if that is the case, then she should raise her rates in general, NOT change her policies mid year. There are places that offer part-time care. I would look around.

[JustMe]

I work a lot with childcare centers as part of my job and have looked into many for dd as well. What she is doing is very strange (although I guess you already know that), although there are centers that do charge a regular higher hourly rate for kids that are part-time or very part-time.

Although the practice is strange, and especially unfair because it does not seem this was explained to you beforehand, I would recommend that you look into other situations...see what you think about the care, etc, and then if there are any you are happy with compare the fees with where you are now, taking the holiday pay thing into account. You still may feel that dc gets the best care there and that you are getting a good or comparable deal financially...if this is the case, I would not move dc. When it comes to childcare for my dd, I have learned to let go a lot of things that I might not for other things (not in terms of quality of care, but in terms of what I think is right or fair to me).

Good luck

[spunkybaby]

I had read your first post before Christmas and was going to respond that I thought the daycare provider was out of line to expect you to pay for holidays if they fall on days your child is not there. Upon rereading, I still think your daycare provider is odd, but I have to agree with her that most centers will not accept part-time kids for just 4 hours a day, 2 days a week. My kids go to a daycare center 2 days a week, and the monthly rate is the same regardless if they attend from 6:30 am to 6 pm each day (the center's operating hours) or just 4 hours each day. I do have the option of dropping the kids off on their non-scheduled days and paying a hourly rate, but that's only because we already pay the set rate for 2 days each month.

So I would do as other posters have suggested and check around to see if there are other centers that would let your child pay the hourly rate for just 8 hours a week. If not, and if you are otherwise happy with your DCP, I would just pay the holiday pay (and take her offer to pay for a half day) and chalk it up to as the extra you need to pay for the flexibility of being able to pay for just 8 hours a week.