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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Late Pick Pp Fee's
tenderhearts 05:13 PM 06-21-2010
In my contract I do have a fee for late pickups, it doesn't bother me if they are late picking up BEFORE my closing time as long as they call me and let me know they are going to be late. However at my closing time I don't want late pickups. I know that a few min. is normal I suppose.

I have a new daycare mom well newest she has been with me for 2 mo now and she is always pushing it, literally. Like int he first couple weeks it was always 5:05, then it started creeping later to like 5:10 or more, after a couple days of this I said I know things happen on occassion but I really need you to pick up by my closing time and she gave me some excuse that she thought I closed later than I did, ok fine so how you would misunderstand that I don't know but she says she did. I like this mom and all I do think she's a little out there and seems very frazzled alot of the time, but I always tell my clients in the interview that I am very firm on my pick up times.
So she started coming better by the closing time. Now it's creeping back to the 5 - 6 min after,with one day last week being 5:07 and 5:10 she was offering the late fee but I hate doing that, however I did accept it and have told her on 3 different occassions when it was like 10 -15 min late that she needed to pay the late fee, she is always fine with it and told me whenever she owes it to let her know. So here's my problem, I don't know when I should start the late fee, my contract says after my closing time it's $5.00 every 15 min starting at 5:00, so I should be charging her even if she's 5 min late but like I said I feel like that's being too nit picky, but I don't want her coming after the 5:05, later I have no problem charging, like 5:10.
She appears to not mind paying the late fee so what do I do, just tell her again when she's more than 5 min late to come by my closing time? Or just keep charging her and hope she gets tired of paying the extra fee? I can't afford to lose any more kids.
My new contract states after 5:05 it's late and it's $1.00 per minute after that. It seems easier, I wish she was on that one.
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MsKara 05:24 PM 06-21-2010
I would explain to her that you have changed your policy with late fees and you want to have everyone on the same set of policies. Have her sign a new contract with your new late fee policy.
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My4SunshineGirlsNY 06:21 PM 06-21-2010
It's frustrating when you get those that don't mind paying the late fee when the intention of the late fee is to prevent anyone from being late.

I have one mom, who just started last month..the one that irritates me with dropping off without seeing me and had her son in her running car, that disrespects my closing time of 5p.m.. I have a late fee of only $4/hour with a one hour min. (I know, WAY TOO cheap!)...and never charged her when she was picking up at 5:10-5:20, which she has done a handful of times in the month that I started her son. I should have been consistant from the get go....

but Friday she showed up at 5:10...her son is the last one here and my kids were waiting ALL day long to use the pool...I close at 5, that is MY family time and my kids had to wait longer just for her to show up. So that was enough for me to say enough is enough, I added on the extra $4 to her total. Well today the father picks up the boy at 4:50 and he NEVER has picked him up before so that must of been enough for the mom to understand that I close at 5.
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tenderhearts 08:08 PM 06-21-2010
Sounds like she got the hint, hopefully it sticks. With this mom when it's been after 5:10, her shoes on, backpack on waiting with her out front on the porch, still no hint, she runs up here oh I'm sorry I'm sorry, come one hurry, then 3 different occassions our daughter had some senior projects and we had to be there by 5:30, 2 of my family members were waiting in the car while the other one was out with me waiting on the porch, as she pulled in at 5:14 my daughter got in the car, she knew we were leaving and still no hint. It hasn't been that late but it was 5:10 last thur and 5:07 last mon. she called thursday and told me she was stuck in traffic, she doesn't work no excuse, so frustrating.
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momofboys 04:53 AM 06-22-2010
Originally Posted by tenderhearts:
Sounds like she got the hint, hopefully it sticks. With this mom when it's been after 5:10, her shoes on, backpack on waiting with her out front on the porch, still no hint, she runs up here oh I'm sorry I'm sorry, come one hurry, then 3 different occassions our daughter had some senior projects and we had to be there by 5:30, 2 of my family members were waiting in the car while the other one was out with me waiting on the porch, as she pulled in at 5:14 my daughter got in the car, she knew we were leaving and still no hint. It hasn't been that late but it was 5:10 last thur and 5:07 last mon. she called thursday and told me she was stuck in traffic, she doesn't work no excuse, so frustrating.
You SHOULD NOT feel guilty for charging her even if it is just a few minutes late. The verbage of my late fees read that I chage __X amount__
for 20 extra minutes of my time OR any part of 20 minutes. I would outright tell her thought that you can no longer accept late pick-ups. It infringes on your family time too much, even if it is just a few minutes. It's irritating I know. I would also change your policy to read that if a parent picks up late with no advance notice it is grounds for termination. I am not sure if you want to go that far but I hate late pick-upers. It's so annoying!
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My4SunshineGirlsNY 06:06 AM 06-22-2010
Originally Posted by tenderhearts:
Sounds like she got the hint, hopefully it sticks. With this mom when it's been after 5:10, her shoes on, backpack on waiting with her out front on the porch, still no hint, she runs up here oh I'm sorry I'm sorry, come one hurry, then 3 different occassions our daughter had some senior projects and we had to be there by 5:30, 2 of my family members were waiting in the car while the other one was out with me waiting on the porch, as she pulled in at 5:14 my daughter got in the car, she knew we were leaving and still no hint. It hasn't been that late but it was 5:10 last thur and 5:07 last mon. she called thursday and told me she was stuck in traffic, she doesn't work no excuse, so frustrating.
This would frustrate me and I would have a hard time keeping a mom like this...I'm holding on by a thread with this mom I have that shows up late and irritates me with a few issues.
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momma2girls 06:10 AM 06-22-2010
Originally Posted by tenderhearts:
Sounds like she got the hint, hopefully it sticks. With this mom when it's been after 5:10, her shoes on, backpack on waiting with her out front on the porch, still no hint, she runs up here oh I'm sorry I'm sorry, come one hurry, then 3 different occassions our daughter had some senior projects and we had to be there by 5:30, 2 of my family members were waiting in the car while the other one was out with me waiting on the porch, as she pulled in at 5:14 my daughter got in the car, she knew we were leaving and still no hint. It hasn't been that late but it was 5:10 last thur and 5:07 last mon. she called thursday and told me she was stuck in traffic, she doesn't work no excuse, so frustrating.
I start getting shoes, coats, and whatever else on at 4:20 - 4:25, pickup is at 4:30. There are many times I have to be out the door myslef for children's activities at 4:40--
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momofboys 06:36 AM 06-22-2010
Originally Posted by My4SunshineGirlsNY:
It's frustrating when you get those that don't mind paying the late fee when the intention of the late fee is to prevent anyone from being late.

I have one mom, who just started last month..the one that irritates me with dropping off without seeing me and had her son in her running car, that disrespects my closing time of 5p.m.. I have a late fee of only $4/hour with a one hour min. (I know, WAY TOO cheap!)...and never charged her when she was picking up at 5:10-5:20, which she has done a handful of times in the month that I started her son. I should have been consistant from the get go....

but Friday she showed up at 5:10...her son is the last one here and my kids were waiting ALL day long to use the pool...I close at 5, that is MY family time and my kids had to wait longer just for her to show up. So that was enough for me to say enough is enough, I added on the extra $4 to her total. Well today the father picks up the boy at 4:50 and he NEVER has picked him up before so that must of been enough for the mom to understand that I close at 5.
I would seriously consider raising that late fee. $4 hr is nothing to most people & most parents would consider that so cheap that they would not make it a priority to be on time. My late fee now is $10 for every half an hour or ANY PART of half an hour.
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momma2girls 06:55 AM 06-22-2010
Originally Posted by janarae:
I would seriously consider raising that late fee. $4 hr is nothing to most people & most parents would consider that so cheap that they would not make it a priority to be on time. My late fee now is $10 for every half an hour or ANY PART of half an hour.
I agree with this post- I used to have a late fee of $5.00 per 15 min. I had parents pay this all the time, they thought nothing of it, an extra $10.00!! I did increase it to $10.00 per 15 min. and it stopped.
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tenderhearts 09:20 AM 06-22-2010
Thanks, so would you say something or charge if it's always 3-5 min late even? I updated my contract just a few weeks ago and I have that starting 5:05 it's $1.00 per minute, but I know she will always be at least 5 min late. I gave the 5 min grace period just because I know stuff happens. Should i not even have a grace period? Also her contract (my old one) it's $5.00 every 15 min. after close. So I can charge $5 bucks even if she's just a few min late. I'm thinking that I'm going to change it to each min. past 5:00 is late and not do the grace period. It's just so irritating, because like I said we've had her ready in the driveway and I've said I was suppose to leave already and we get in the car a go and she just doesn't seem to get the hint. One good thing is her dad will be picking up 2 days a week and he doesn't appear that he would be late so hopefully not.
I think if she's late again tonight I'll say something. She mentioned yesterday that it would be either herself or her daughter pick her up, well her daughter gets off of work at 5:00 so obviously she'd be late. I had a dilema so I couldn't ask at the moment, so after she left and I took care of the issue I called her and said, I just wanted to be sure your daugher knew she had to pick up by 5:00, well she picked her up (5:04) so I took as though her daughter wouldn't have been able to.
I just don't get why she's late, she doesn't work yet.
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momma2girls 09:27 AM 06-22-2010
Originally Posted by tenderhearts:
Thanks, so would you say something or charge if it's always 3-5 min late even? I updated my contract just a few weeks ago and I have that starting 5:05 it's $1.00 per minute, but I know she will always be at least 5 min late. I gave the 5 min grace period just because I know stuff happens. Should i not even have a grace period? Also her contract (my old one) it's $5.00 every 15 min. after close. So I can charge $5 bucks even if she's just a few min late. I'm thinking that I'm going to change it to each min. past 5:00 is late and not do the grace period. It's just so irritating, because like I said we've had her ready in the driveway and I've said I was suppose to leave already and we get in the car a go and she just doesn't seem to get the hint. One good thing is her dad will be picking up 2 days a week and he doesn't appear that he would be late so hopefully not.
I think if she's late again tonight I'll say something. She mentioned yesterday that it would be either herself or her daughter pick her up, well her daughter gets off of work at 5:00 so obviously she'd be late. I had a dilema so I couldn't ask at the moment, so after she left and I took care of the issue I called her and said, I just wanted to be sure your daugher knew she had to pick up by 5:00, well she picked her up (5:04) so I took as though her daughter wouldn't have been able to.
I just don't get why she's late, she doesn't work yet.
No, I would never do a grace period, or they will always take advantage of it!!
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momofboys 09:28 AM 06-22-2010
Originally Posted by tenderhearts:
Thanks, so would you say something or charge if it's always 3-5 min late even? I updated my contract just a few weeks ago and I have that starting 5:05 it's $1.00 per minute, but I know she will always be at least 5 min late. I gave the 5 min grace period just because I know stuff happens. Should i not even have a grace period? Also her contract (my old one) it's $5.00 every 15 min. after close. So I can charge $5 bucks even if she's just a few min late. I'm thinking that I'm going to change it to each min. past 5:00 is late and not do the grace period. It's just so irritating, because like I said we've had her ready in the driveway and I've said I was suppose to leave already and we get in the car a go and she just doesn't seem to get the hint. One good thing is her dad will be picking up 2 days a week and he doesn't appear that he would be late so hopefully not.
I think if she's late again tonight I'll say something. She mentioned yesterday that it would be either herself or her daughter pick her up, well her daughter gets off of work at 5:00 so obviously she'd be late. I had a dilema so I couldn't ask at the moment, so after she left and I took care of the issue I called her and said, I just wanted to be sure your daugher knew she had to pick up by 5:00, well she picked her up (5:04) so I took as though her daughter wouldn't have been able to.
I just don't get why she's late, she doesn't work yet.
I would give the mom a new policies page effective today that states that you can no longer tolerate late pick-ups. From today on there will also be NO grace period. Anytime utilized after 5:00 pm are considered overtime whether planned in advance or not. Here's what my new policy states:

"Anytime before or after your contracted timeframes listed above must be arranged in advance. If you believe you will be late for pick-up or drop-off, please notify me. I reserve the right to charge a late fee ($10.00/for every half hour or any part of half an hour whether planned in advance or not) for habitual late pick-ups or for overtime planned in advance. I understand that sometimes traffic/weather will be bad & there is no way to avoid a late pick-up. If lateness is not habitual I will be lenient & likely not charge a late fee. If you have a meeting or doctor's/dentist's appt after work & know in advance that you will be late please give me some advance notice. Please be respectful of my time with my family by abiding by these guidelines."
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tenderhearts 09:34 AM 06-22-2010
Thanks, I thought about that too the grace period, I have never had problems before except with the daycare dad I've had issues with. Thankgoodness he learned and hasn't done it anymore. I just hate when one person doesn't follow the contract. Especially when you've said something and you've dropped the biggest hint that she has inconvenienced you. Duh but like I said she's a little "out there". Well I think I'll retype up my late pick up policy. thanks for all your help.
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skittles 11:11 AM 06-22-2010
My late pick up fee is a dollar a minute after the first fourteen minutes. My parents have a 14 minute "grace period" if they are stuck in traffic ect.. I purposely started closing 1/2hr early when I redid my contracts so I could build this into my program. Now if they are late I charge them the fee and I don't mind so much because I am use to working on my "old time" (which they are not aware of). I only have one family that has been charged once but they still come past closing (which is 5pm) use to be 5:30pm but I would still have kids at my house until 6pm and sometimes 6:30pm.
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missnikki 11:20 AM 06-22-2010
Here's my late fee, as found in my policy handbook:

5. Late Pick-up Fees (after hours): Parents picking up children after 6:00 p.m. will be charged a late fee of $1.00 per minute, per child with no cap. Late fees are payable in cash to the closing teacher upon pick up. Unpaid late pick up fees will be billed to the child’s account balance. Upon three or more late pick ups, a penalty of $30 will be billed in addition to applicable per-minute fees. If an unforeseen circumstance will prevent timely pick up of your child, please call to notify staff at (phone number) as soon as possible.

When parents show up 5 mintues late with starbucks in hand, they oughtta know that $5 won't be worth it. They get 2 chances to get off with just a dollar a minute. We all have things to do and believe me, your kids are great but we watch that clock!!!
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boysx5 11:32 AM 06-22-2010
I always tell parents at the interview that I work a long day and that I have things to do after I'm done with work just as they do I don't want the extra money I want them here because some will pay the late fee and don't care about the money they just want that extra free time sad but true
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Unregistered 06:38 PM 02-18-2011
Today of all days a Friday! One of my daycare parents gets stuck in traffic. Calls me about 20 mins before pick up time to tell me he is stuck in traffic and will be picking up 15 minutes late. My policy is: "Overtime fees" begin a minute after the 15 minute window is up. His contracted pick up time is 5:15pm so he has until 5:30pm to get here before fees begin at 5:31 which is $10 for those 15 minutes. Well 5:31 comes and goes, then 5:46, (another $10) then 5:53! Doorbell rings and it's not him its the mom at the door. Well good thing she came, but then she says Dad has the money and can he still come to pay me. Uh yes?!
Mom apologized about 3 times while here. I said yes the traffic is really bad I understand. I had to tell her that normally the fee is paid by closing, but that I will see him here when he arrives. Dad finally arrives at 6:15 and then almost shorts me $5! Good thing I went over the charges with him. No apology for being late from Dad.

Should I feel guilty for NOT feeling guilty to not give this guy a break and let the OT fees slide? I am thinking not because;
1) If dad or anyone had to stay and work longer at his/their job, he'd/they'd expect to get paid for it.
2) I am still considered working staying in "work" mode waiting for him to show up to pay me even later than I had to, to care for the child which was another 15 minutes after mom left.

Moral of the story is: if you work overtime, you should get paid for it!!!
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Abigail 09:30 PM 02-18-2011
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Today of all days a Friday! One of my daycare parents gets stuck in traffic. Calls me about 20 mins before pick up time to tell me he is stuck in traffic and will be picking up 15 minutes late. My policy is: "Overtime fees" begin a minute after the 15 minute window is up. His contracted pick up time is 5:15pm so he has until 5:30pm to get here before fees begin at 5:31 which is $10 for those 15 minutes. Well 5:31 comes and goes, then 5:46, (another $10) then 5:53! Doorbell rings and it's not him its the mom at the door. Well good thing she came, but then she says Dad has the money and can he still come to pay me. Uh yes?!
Mom apologized about 3 times while here. I said yes the traffic is really bad I understand. I had to tell her that normally the fee is paid by closing, but that I will see him here when he arrives. Dad finally arrives at 6:15 and then almost shorts me $5! Good thing I went over the charges with him. No apology for being late from Dad.

Should I feel guilty for NOT feeling guilty to not give this guy a break and let the OT fees slide? I am thinking not because;
1) If dad or anyone had to stay and work longer at his/their job, he'd/they'd expect to get paid for it.
2) I am still considered working staying in "work" mode waiting for him to show up to pay me even later than I had to, to care for the child which was another 15 minutes after mom left.

Moral of the story is: if you work overtime, you should get paid for it!!!
Wow, is that $30 in overtime fees? That would be more than a day's care here! Ouch. Good day for you financially though!
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snbauser 03:52 AM 02-19-2011
Late fees are a penalty. They are supposed to be an incentive for parents to be on time. If the late fees are too low, then the parents won't mind paying them. My late pick up fee is $15 for every 15 minutes or part there of (so 1-15 min = $15, 16-30 min = $30, etc). I only have to enforce it occassionally because parents don't want to have to pay that fee. I am pretty lenient on when I charge it. I will normally let a few minutes here and there slide. Then when it gets to the point where I feel I am being taken advantage of I will send home a note that says they were late and how much the fee would have been. At the bottom I write a note stating the fee would be waived this time but will be enforced going forward. That is kind of like a written reminder. After that I charge.

I have one family that is taking advantage of it lately. Mom works at a hospital so she works a few 12 hour days each week. BUT dad is dropping off at 7am and picking up at 5:30 almost every day regardless of mom's schedule. I know for a fact that she was off the other day and she still didn't pick her child up until 5:28. Dad has to hurry to get here by 5:30. Lately he has been right at 5:30 or a minute or two later. I haven't said anything. Yesterday it was 5:36. They have a reminder in their box for Monday regarding my late fee, what time they picked up on Friday, and how much it would have cost them. Next time, they will be charged.
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Kaddidle Care 05:29 AM 02-19-2011
Originally Posted by tenderhearts:
she doesn't work

Then she should be home with her child. This is a full time DC child?
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Unregistered 06:23 AM 02-19-2011
I wanted children gone at closing time, not extra money. I discovered late fees just salve their conscience. I took them out of my contract.

I started a 1-2-3 you are out policy for my closing time. I had one DKM that was there at exactly closing IF on time. Late 5 minutes at least once a week. I wrote a polite but firm letter explaining how used I was feeling about her intruding into my family time. I stated firmly my position. If she was late three more times this year I would terminate. I mailed it to her so I wouldn't have to speak to her in front of her child. She called to apologise, and thanked me for doing it so privately.

She was great for several months. The next time she was late I sent her a COPY of the first letter with the three crossed out, and a TWO hand written above it. The only time she was ever late again was during a snow storm. I helped her raise that child for 2+. After her first child was in school, and no longer in my care, she had a "surprise". I helped raise that child also.
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DBug 06:27 AM 02-19-2011
Never feel guilty about charging late fees! I don't have contracted hours, just days, so if a parent usually picks up at 4:30 and they show up at 5 instead, no problem. BUT, if they show up one minute after 6 pm (closing), I start charging $1 an hour. That's my family time, after working a 12 hour day, and I do charge it every single time. I have charged for parents being stuck in traffic, in snowstorms, and for being late because they were picking up dinner on the way home. Honestly, I love the kids, but I need my family time and my house back, and that's what my family deserves too.

I don't offer a grace period and I don't think the OP should either. Esp. if the mom isn't at work! And really, if parents are at work, they should have some ability to watch/listen for the weather or other issues that might slow them down and be able to make other arrangements. For example, if they're stuck in traffic and they can call me, they can also call an emergency back-up to come pick up their child.

JMO, and I'm working in an area where if a family left, I'd have no problem filling their spot, but to me, family time is just as important as work time, and I'm the only one who can enforce that with my business, kwim?
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Unregistered 01:51 PM 05-04-2015
I don't have any problem. I have the schedule of the parent and it is automatically 50.00 if you are ten minutes late. It must be paid before your child return to DC. I must say I have parents at least twenty minutes early. Communication is key. I am very tough if the parent haven't call me to prepare me of their late pickup.
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