Daycare help needed...caution long post ahead!

[allblue]

I am a forner Childcare Center director (in the Atlanta area). I now own a substitute company and work with centers all over. With that said, I agree with some other people that I would have a big issue with the baby oil. I too had my parents fill out forms with their permission for sunscreen, diaper ointment, etc. It is very common here for centers to close during a week in the holidays, not all centers do it, but a lot do. The reason is this, I had over 220 children in my former center, out of the 220, I only had 20 attend that week (we were open all week with the exception of Christmas day). Any family that was out all week was only charged half tuition. Now, my entire staff was not there as they were not all needed, but the cost of opening the doors cost more than the cost made during that week. Each family also got one week of vacation free of charge per year. While I do not agree with a center charging for a week that they are closed, the alternate to that is higher weekly fees as it is all built into the cost.

Also, lots of centers work with both flex spending and CAPS (childcare assistant) and know that those payments are always made in arrears. Most centers make sure the parents stay current on their portions of those and know that they will get their money from the other.

With regards to the drop in, the centers that do offer it, offer it on a limited basis. It is all about the ratios and number of children that are allowed per classroom. If they allow drop ins they most likely take part timers too so on the days that part timers aren't there they probably have room but on the days they are then they may be full.

On the telling teachers not to allow your children in..well that just makes me mad. I never would have put a teacher in a situation like that. She should have called you and spoke with you. Teachers do not need to know about parent's bill.

This has become very long so I will wrap it up with go to this website www.decal.state.ga.us and you can pull all childcare centers in the state of GA licensing reports and monitoring visits. So, if you do decide to go to another center this can help with which one. If you are looking at the YMCA ones, they are listed as well.

I used to tell tours and will say the same thing. Go with your gut. You know what is best for your children

 

[Mono~rail]

OP, your 4 dds are absolutely beautiful!

 

[disneyjunkie]

But why should we have to pay for that week if you are not open to provide the service we are paying for?

To me it's the same as paying tuition. My son attends a Catholic school. In December school was only open 12 ½ days. I still had to pay the full months tuition.

I agree also Tiff, about the holiday issue. Another one of my pet peeves around here is daycares closing when we have snow. Since they rely on my transportation, not school busses, and since I have to go to work, I still need daycare. (Well, actually, I don't now, because my kids are older.) But my point, is daycares close when other businesses don't, which leaves parents high and dry for care.
BTW, your girls are beautiful!

Maybe they're closing to ensure the children and staff's safety.

Just wanted to add that daycare workers do not make anywhere near 12.00 an hour. They make closer to minimum wage. I worked in daycares for a couple of years when I was in college and when my oldest was born so I know this firsthand.

That depends on where you're located and how good their union is. I teach kindergarten in a city funded daycare center. Our salary is no where near minimum wage. It's not as good as it could be, but the benefits are incredible.

 

[babytrees]

I would be more concerned about the baby oil. If a child accidentally gets baby oil in their mouth and inhales it they can become very, very ill. I would insist that they keep the baby oil away from my child. The fact that you asked them to stop doing something to your child and they totally disrespect your wishes is a big red flag for me. For that reason alone I would go elsewhere.

As a former child care worker/provider...that was my big red flag also.

I think it's time to move on.

 

[Miss Kelly]

I don't think its unusual for the daycare provider to ask for a week off (paid). I also don't think its unusual for your children to be declined entrance to their classroom when your payment was late. No payment= No childcare. This is a business.

 

[Luv'sTink]

To me it's the same as paying tuition. My son attends a Catholic school. In December school was only open 12 ½ days. I still had to pay the full months tuition.

This is how my DS preschool did their tuition also.

I do believe that if you feel this is the best place for your child to be when they can't be with you, then they deserve to be treated like you would want to be treated. Do you feel you deserve a paid vacation? If you don't feel this is the best place and the person doesn't deserve respect then you need to find a new daycare, IMO.

 

[illini]

I do not have any problem with the teachers having paid holidays and vacation time. At the old daycare, the head teacher in the baby room (who was my fav) took off every summer, the whole summer and the director would go to portugual for a month every year. Also, like I said before they would close for a day after a holiday here or there. And we also could take a week off without having to pay or lose or spot. But for a daycare center to shut down totally and we still have to pay, yes, I have a problem with that. It's not a home daycare run by 1 person. Does your center shut down while you take your vacation?

If that was the policy for all centers then it would be the norm and I understand this but like I said I have several friends and co-workers who have children in daycare and they all said their centers don't do this.

The daycare center we use closes a week at Christmas and a week around 4th of July. We do not have to pay those weeks. It smells a lot of the time like bleach and 'stinky' as my mom used to call it. I don't like when my son has that bleachy smell either.