Daycare Holiday Bonus WWYD situation

[wellyes]

I'd planned to give DD's daycare providers a week's salary for Christmas. She goes to a private home. It's a great situation actually, there are 3 women full-time watching just 6 kids.

Here's the situation: All the other kids are teacher's kids & none are going to the daycare the last 2 weeks of the year. One of the women offered to take DD to her house for daycare during that time, but I'm taking those weeks off anyway so I declined. So the daycare is closed those weeks. I haven't confirmed this but I assume they'll still expect to be paid for the time.

Do I still give a week's salary as a Christmas bonus if I'm also essentially paying two weeks' vacation at the same time? I don't want to be stingy or not give a gift but I'm not sure of the protocol here.

[egoldber]

I would ask them specifically if you are supposed to pay for those weeks. I know it's not exactly the same situation, but we pay a pro-rated amount for August, when our center is closed for one week. I don't think it's unreasonable to not expect to pay for a full month when they are closed for 2 weeks.

[AnnieW625]

I don't give my daycare provider a bonus. We have to pay for 52 weeks a year, this includes the week at Christmas (it used to be two), all school holidays, and Spring Break. I figure she has already got her bonus for those weeks. She used to also take a week at 4th of July, and the day before Thanksgiving, but this year because of the economy she knows people aren't traveling as much so she opted to keep her daycare open. We also pay for daycare even if DD isn't there for the day. If she wasn't going to be there every Friday then we'd get a break for that but not an occaisional day off, which is understandable in my opinion.

[traciann]

I don't plan on giving my daycare providers a weeks worth of salary...I just couldn't afford it. I do plan on giving a gift card of some sort between 25-40. Most places usually do make you play for the time off...its something I would confirm for sure.

[GaPeach_in_Ca]

We're paying and our daycare is closed.

(I think) we are doing $100 cash and not a full week of pay. I need to run it by DH just to be sure.

[Melaine]

Do the DC providers get other paid leave throughout the year or is this it? I'd say if that is it, then I would still do the bonus. Most jobs allow for paid time off and DCP sometimes miss out on that. If this holiday time off is in addition to other time off then I think I would consider a small gift rather than a cash bonus.

[bubbaray]

I saw the other thread last week about this. I know *here* giving a nanny a week or more bonus at Christmas is the norm, but AFAIK, it is NOT the norm for in-home or center daycare providers.

My girls were in a licensed in-home daycare for 4.5 years. I generally gave gifts around $50 mark. Last year, we gave a $100 GC to a spa (b/c both girls were there). Honestly, there is no freakin' way I would give that DCP a week salary. NO WAY.

I would be happy to give our current daycare center a week to divide up, but that isn't gonna happen. DH would freak, for one, and plus its a not for profit, with a mix of income levels and subsidies for lower income families. So, I will just do something for the group and MAYBE something individual. Not sure about that....