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TTOTS 05:23 PM 12-02-2009
Originally Posted by unregistered:
hi,
in regards to the post from:

Frustrated in ny
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it doesn't seem confusing to me, every business that pays their employees vacation or sick leave and every business that doesn't pay for it, every one of the businesses have to get someone to replace each employee while they are gone (sick or on vacation) and pay the replacements salary from the businesses own money (not from their employee that is gone), or they have to split up the work between other workers, who then can't do all of their own work, while taking on extra work from the employee who is gone.

Providers do not work for parents, we are not employed by parents. Our daycare is our own business, we make our own policies, we make our own contract, we decide what we want to charge. There is no legal guideline as to what we charge, because we can charge whatever we want. In my state, daycare and cost of living is expensive. Infant rates range from as low as $500 (stay at home moms) to as high as $1200 (and even higher). There are providers (private-stay at home moms) that even charge more and they get it, i think that is crazy, but parents do pay that and if they want to pay that, it is their choice. Licensed (and unlicensed-stay at home moms) providers can charge any amount (i'm pretty sure in every state), we can take off as many days as we want. I can take off

the thing parents forget is when a parent takes vacation, sick days, etc... We can't just fill that spot so we don't lose money. If a parent takes 2 weeks, that will be about $250-$300 (depending on what state you live in), a provider can just add $25 a month and get paid for the vacation time after all. At home daycares and centers, they charge a flat rate (in my state and most or all others), to keep your childs spot reserved for you, most do not give you your money back (for full time flat rates) and keep your spot vacant, while losing money.

It is up to each provider to choose what they want to charge and take off. I have had my daycare for 10 years (with manylong term parents). My daughters run it with me (one goes to full time college-luckily a few miles away and the other will go sometime soon). So, our daycare has an advantage of 3 family members, for more one on one attention. We provide more than just about any other daycare or center.
In the last 10 years, we have provided or done the following:

We have never called in sick (even though it's in our covtract).
We have never taken or charged for any vacation (and 2 weeks paid is in our covtract).
We have rarely sent a sick child home, maybe 12 times (even though it's in our covtract).
We used to be open for many years, 365 days a year with 0 time off, many, many times for more than 300, 400 and even 500 hours a month (even though it's in our covtract).
We used to let low income parents keep their co-payment up to $70, provide free over time, free nights out, paid for b-day parties for low income parents, given many rides (due to no car, break downs, etc...), many times we provided long term care (for parents out of state vacations-aslong as 2 full weeks, hospitalizations for surgeries and accidents, c-sectons, broken neck, etc...), we have bought countless thousands of $ for clothes, coats, shoes, etc..., paid rent, toys, bikes and more. We used to spend $50-$100 on each child for every b-day and christmas, as well as for my own children and then like many providers, their dad skipped out. We still do all the other non financial things and all the free nights out, overtime, late fees...........until a parent abuses me, then i charge.

This is our business and we decide what we charge, what hours we work, what we let slide and when we have had enough abuse.

We fix so many problem children (enotionally, physically, biying, eating and anger problems, etc..), children that are 3 1/2-5. Now we have a 4 1/2 yr old that was wetting and pooping in pull ups, literal drooling (flowing constantly, all day long, every day), walking like a much younger child (like a special need child on his toes, with hands dangling) couldn't say more than a couple understandable words. It took two days to teach him how to keep swallowing, it took 1 statement of no more going in your pants at my house and he never did again, but he did for 6 more months at home (parents even acknowledged he did it intentionally). Some parents won't try or help us out. We get so many children like that, it's unbelievable, it is extremely hard, so time consuming, tedious, frustrating that these parents let this go, don't know better, but don't get help or are lazy. I can't not take these children, i don't want them to slip through the cracks. I have three of these children (delayed due to parents) in my care. I get many parents that won't accept there is something wrong with their child/ren (it is extremely obvious) and they fight me or the system or the steps needed and we have to fix them ourselves.we have gone through so many children with problems, i want to start insisting on getting special needs pay (i never have). Sorry, just venting. I'm serious, it happens a lot.
I used to do a daycare network, hooking up parents and providers, helping parents feel comfortable and at ease. I don't do it anymore (very time consuming), i had tons of parents wanting to use my daycare. Sometimes i want to quit and take the easy kids, i used to hear how hard it was to find daycare.

Thanks for reading, have a great christmas
very well said! I am a mother and daycare provider. I have been on both ends of the stick.
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