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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Lessons Learned From You All
dreamer 11:48 AM 03-13-2017
Here are some of the things I've learned from you all so far.
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1. Payment first. If you allow families to pay after the care, you could be taken advantage of.

2. If any parent or child is making your life hard, term them. You have enough to deal with without the added stress.

3. Don't bend your rules for anyone. Don't let families walk all over you!

4. You are interviewing families, not the other way around! Let them know by being as professional as possible about your business. If they are too demanding, they are probably not a good fit. They need you, you don't need them.

5. You do not want to be the cheapest daycare. Many families equate price with quality.

6. Take paid vacation and don't feel bad about it. Include it in your contract.
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EntropyControlSpecialist 01:00 PM 03-13-2017
Yes! All great things to learn from here!!
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Ariana 02:03 PM 03-13-2017
Absolutely!

As for payments, I take biweekly payments after care has occured but take a two week deposit upon enrollment. This way if they fail to pay me I keep the deposit and am covered! Just another way to protect yourself
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dreamer 06:05 PM 03-13-2017
Originally Posted by Ariana:
I take biweekly payments after care has occured but take a two week deposit upon enrollment. This way if they fail to pay me I keep the deposit and am covered! Just another way to protect yourself
I've never heard anyone say they take a deposit, that's a very interesting idea!
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TheMisplacedMidwestMom 07:17 PM 03-13-2017
Was just going to make a post about being thankful for all the lessons on here! It's a fun feeling to feel like I'm running a daycare, not parents running me!

Yes, would definitely add the deposit as an important lesson. Also having it ALL in writing and having a contract.

I was always so afraid of being too strict with parents and turning them off. Now I have great parents and clear boundaries.
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Lil_Diddle 07:53 PM 03-13-2017
Originally Posted by dreamer:
I've never heard anyone say they take a deposit, that's a very interesting idea!
Oh yes! A deposit lets me know if a family is serious up front. Also, it has came in handy twice, once when I termed a family and second when a family left with no notice
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AmyKidsCo 08:03 PM 03-13-2017
I require the first week's payment upon enrollment, then subsequent payments are due the Thursday prior to each week. Payment for the last two weeks of care is due within a month of the child's first day of attendance. This covers their last 2 weeks of care (even if my rates have gone up) when proper notice is given. (It also means that parents aren't really ever "late" with payments because I've got 2 weeks' worth in the bank already.)
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Ariana 10:55 AM 03-14-2017
Originally Posted by dreamer:
I've never heard anyone say they take a deposit, that's a very interesting idea!
Lots of people do it! My deposit is applied to the last two weeks of care. So If contract gets terminated they don't pay for the last two weeks if they decide to use it. This covers my butt if someone skips out on payment or terminates without giving two weeks notice!
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Pestle 10:59 AM 03-14-2017
I take a week's deposit, and so far I've had two families balk about paying it, and ended up terminating both families over, among many issues, frequently late payments and frequently late pick ups.
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dreamer 01:26 PM 03-14-2017
Wow, its really important then! I might implement that as well!
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LovetheSun 01:20 PM 03-15-2017
We used to do paid vacation but then some families left right before our vacation So now we do UNPAID vacation but we take a large fee in the beginning of the year (around $450) so that vacations are covered no matter what!
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