Daycare Question: is this normal?

[rolypoly27]

My DD goes to a family daycare with a licensed DCP that came highly recommended by a local childcare association. She is the only provider, and she takes care of 4 infants total. I just read over our agreement and it says that she takes 2 weeks paid vacation a year, normally around the holidays at the end of the year. Is this normal? Why do I need to pay someone to not watch my child and go on vacation? Plus, I would have to find alternate care during that time so I'd be paying double. Just wanted to know if this was normal for a daycare with only one provider.

I'm thinking about moving her to preschool-type daycare for more structure and social interaction after she turns 1. I liked the family daycare for the early months because she was getting more personalized attention with one consistent provider instead of the high turnover I see at other daycare facilities. I might just have to move her earlier if we have to pay for two weeks of childcare for no reason.

[elephantmeg]

pretty typical in my experience, especially for the better caliber of home daycare. And the preschool daycare that my DD goes to is run the same way-they are closed a week over Christmas that you are supposed to pay for (they do some fund raising and last year made enough to pay the teachers that week so we didn't have to pay)

[Cam&Clay]

Absolutely normal. I pay our provider the week of Christmas and Spring Break/Easter and DS2 does not go there. She deserves paid vacation just like any other employee. She also gets paid holidays (Labor Day, Columbus, Thanksgiving, etc.).

The only exception has been that last summer she took a trip for the entire month of July to her home country. I don't pay in the summer because I work on a school system schedule but those who did pay her in the summer did not pay her for that month. She only takes this trip every 10 years, though.

[LD92599]

It's normal, just like you'd probably also get 2 weeks of paid vacation from your employer.

My former daycare (which recently closed) all in all had 5 weeks off yet my monthly rate was the same AND i had to pay for extra care the 5 weeks. But now in looking at other daycares, with higher monthly rates, in the end, it all balances out.

[BabyBearsMom]

I think that is fairly normal in a home daycare settings. Most daycares around here close for a minimum of 2 weeks and you pay for those two weeks. We are lucky to have a daycare with multiple teachers and when one of the teachers is out sick, they have a substitute that they use.

When you say "pre-school" style daycare do you mean Kindercare and the like or do you mean an actual pre-school? Most of the pre-schools around us do not accept kids until they are 16 to 18 months old. Also, DD went to La Petite Academy before she went to her current home daycare and I was really unhappy with the quality of the care there so I have a negative view of those types of corporate daycares.

[BabbyO]

I saw this for pretty much every daycare we interviewed/looked into, esp if state licensed. Our provider does not require this of us...but she is paid every holiday (Labor Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, etc) that we have DS home with us.

It is crummy, but think of it this way...if you are working, you probably get 2 weeks paid vacation, and paid sick days or PTO time. Watching your child IS their JOB...many don't get insurance for it...I'm ok with paying for holidays/vacation.

It is tough to have to basically "Double pay" for two weeks...but perhaps you can work things out. I think it is reasonable to ask for advance notice on vacation time so you can find alternate care. We often are able to plan our time off to compliment our sitter's time off...so that takes some of the burden away.

[rolypoly27]

Thanks for the replies. Good to know this is fairly typical in home daycares. I guess we'll just have to try and take our vacation time off at the same time. We originally put her in home daycare because we went to several corporate daycares (Kindercare and the like), and didn't like what we saw. I really like where she is now, but just wanted to make sure the vacation pay was normal. As first-time parents, we are always trying to make sure we are doing the right thing! Thanks again everyone. I feel better now.

[BabbyO]

Thanks for the replies. Good to know this is fairly typical in home daycares. I guess we'll just have to try and take our vacation time off at the same time. We originally put her in home daycare because we went to several corporate daycares (Kindercare and the like), and didn't like what we saw. I really like where she is now, but just wanted to make sure the vacation pay was normal. As first-time parents, we are always trying to make sure we are doing the right thing! Thanks again everyone. I feel better now.

I totally get this...I was a bit surprised at first, too. Once I thought about it, though, it made sense.