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Thank you for writing this. My husband and I operate a private Pre-K Child Care Program out of our home. We often get this question from disgruntled parents. They think the money they are paying is for the time that we spend with their child, like how they would pay a babysitter. They don't understand that operating a child care, school, or any kind of business for that matter, has overhead expenses that have to be paid on a consistent basis, regardless of whether a child attends or not. Just like how a family needs a budget to keep the roof over their heads, a business needs a budget, too! Before we can pay ourselves a dime of the tuition that parents pay, we have to make sure that all of the expenses are paid, including things like crayons, school chairs, desks, curriculum supplies, napping cots, increased hot water, electric, and heating bills, hand soap, first aid supplies, liability insurance, etc. We work 10 hours per day caring for and educating other people's children, have college degrees, are fully licensed and insured, and have years of experience. We spend about 3 additional hours when our business is closed each day cleaning, sanitizing, prepping lessons & activities for the children, and tending to paperwork (e.g. attendance and payment records, advertising, parent communication reports, etc.) We also spend a lot of time each weekend working to keep up with the wear and tear on our home from the business, and installing things, like fencing, to help keep kids safe! We devote our lives to this business, and are lucky just to break even at the end of the month. We understand that child care is expensive for a family to pay, but it is not a lot to earn. We charge $45 per day for up to 10 hours. Even if we didn't have any overhead expenses, that would mean that each of us were earning only $2.50 per hour - nobody would work for that! If people had any idea how much time, effort, and YEARS of education a teacher invests in his/her career, in comparison to how little we are paid, they'd think we are crazy for even entering the field! Thank you for helping to shed some light on the situation.
Aren't theses day care's there to provide service? So why should I have to pay them for a day their closed but have to find another baby sitter for the day I'm already paying for.
Aren't theses day care's there to provide service? So why should I have to pay them for a day their closed but have to find another baby sitter for the day I'm already paying for.
You don't have to pay them! Withdraw your child if you wish, it's your prerogative. Find a daycare that suits your needs and schedule.
Please return here when you find such a unicorn, I'm sure others will be interested.
Aren't theses day care's there to provide service? So why should I have to pay them for a day their closed but have to find another baby sitter for the day I'm already paying for.
I think it is funny that you asked this question immediately after it was answered in the previous posting.
One way of maybe dealing with parents who think they are stuck with a payment plan that's not fair, is to present various payment options. That's what I do and it seems to be working for me. You need a few hours a day, pay by the hour. Only need a few days a week, pay daily flat rate. The parent that needs full time care more times than not chooses the weekly flat rate, and they hardly ever have much to complain about as it was a choice, and they realize the great savings at the end of the year.
Babysitters vs daycare. Days gone by when I use to go on the road to babysit my fee would run between $10 to $15 an hour, depends on job description and kids. An 8 hour shift would be $80/120, a 12 hour shift $120/180. I've worked for health care workers that needed 13 to 14 hours a day. A nurse for example that normally works 12 hour shift rarely works 5 days. Maybe 3-4 days. However, the norm for most daycare is 5 days a week at 12 hours or more. Majority employees out there work 8hrs or less. Just imagine how tired you'd be working 12 hrs five days a week. Don't you think they deserve those holidays when available????
I now work from home from 7 - 7. collecting ONE DAYS PAY on average flat rate for an entire week and you have the audacity to complain about paying that one days pay for 4 or 3 days due to an holiday sometimes. My GOD who are you people???? In most cases, its contract workers at day-cares, or running one at home means being self-employed. There are no benefits here. No health insurance, no sick leave, no paid vacation, no bonus, no severance pay, just a lot of no's. No's that you as an employee would not put up with. Like less pay when your boss close for an holiday.
I am aware that I will occasionally get new parents coming in who will be unreasonable and hard to please. I normally inform them of a weekly/daily flat rate and an hourly rate. So maybe the established Daycare should think about implementing various payment options as well. For someone who has a problem paying for a day like Thanksgiving and the day after will not need to, only fair wouldn't you think. So, if its $60 a day that's 60 x 3 = $180. Are they then willing to pay $300 for the coming week? I think not; my clients always choose the weekly flat rate (whether child comes or not). Obviously switching back and forth WILL NOT BE ALLOWED, example weekly flat rate when child comes all week($160), then daily rate when child comes only a day or two.
Its good to stop and think carefully about things that upset us sometimes, because when we do, we tend to realize that, we are not the ones being treated unfairly but rather we are not being thankful enough. I am bless as I am always lucky to get good parents who knows and appreciate someone who takes good care of their child for 12 or more hours a day for a very meager fee (less than $3hr). A weekly flat rate is normally very reasonable because it is also calculated on the basis knowing that there will be closed days. You really would have a problem paying a backup sitter for those days if you have to work?????
YES.....I know, been there, I'm a mother and now grand-mother. The thing to do is to always find a backup sitter for days like those or emergency. They are there, you just have to do your research. If family members are available offer some form of payment, or kind; like granting favors in return. If no family member/friend to help and is on little more than minimum wage, join mommy's club and take turns to babysit. There is always a solution to your problem. If you have someone taking good care of your child, try to say thank you more often. Good care is hard to come by and normally expensive, so if you are getting good care for a reasonable fee, give God thanks, because you are very, very, LUCKY!
The original question is the same as asking why you pay taxes for a whole school year when teachers only work 9 1/2 months or why wasn't my retirement check more since there were 31 days in the month. Wow!
The original question is the same as asking why you pay taxes for a whole school year when teachers only work 9 1/2 months or why wasn't my retirement check more since there were 31 days in the month. Wow!
Or ....I object to the paid vacation that I get at my job.
The original question is the same as asking why you pay taxes for a whole school year when teachers only work 9 1/2 months or why wasn't my retirement check more since there were 31 days in the month. Wow!
Why do I have to pay school taxes when I have NO children in school???? The injustice, the unmitigated gall, the audacity... where is the outrage???
Yep, always something that is unfair to a certain population, but when taken in totality it serves the common good and pays dividends even if they are sometimes obscure and secondary in nature.
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