Hemp me spend my Dependent Care $$

[familyfirsttimer]

I made an error in judgment and changed my daughter's after care arrangement for this school year and completely missed the fact that my "available balance" at the time would have not included the contributions for the rest of the year! (I know it was a dumb mistake but since the Heathcare FSA works the opposite way, I just forgot)
Anyway, is there anything that can be doen to "spend" this money that's left...she is going to a neighbors so it's not a center that I can claim.
Any help you can give is SO appreciated, I HATE to forfeit it.

 

[figment52]

I made an error in judgment and changed my daughter's after care arrangement for this school year and completely missed the fact that my "available balance" at the time would have not included the contributions for the rest of the year! (I know it was a dumb mistake but since the Heathcare FSA works the opposite way, I just forgot)
Anyway, is there anything that can be doen to "spend" this money that's left...she is going to a neighbors so it's not a center that I can claim.
Any help you can give is SO appreciated, I HATE to forfeit it.

Check with HR - most DCAccounts, unllike the medical FSAccounts, allow for deduction changes during the year. You should be able to minimize the amount you have to "spend" by cancelling or lowering the amount of the deduction for the balance of the year. The qualifying event would be a change in the cost of child care.

 

[clh2]

Did your DD go to any daycamps this summer? Overnight camps do not count. Day camps are considered an "allowable" daycare expense.

 

[ldo]

Christmas break day camp--many rec centers, gymnastics places, etc. offer something for when school is out. Also, did she do ANYTHING this summer?almost any day activity at a place that has a tax ID # can count if it is sometime during the day (overnight does not count)--rec center classes, camps, etc.

 

[disprincessatheart]

You can still claim sending her to a neighbor, if the neighbor is willing to claim it on her taxes. We had to do this one year with my parents, but I was willing to pay the additional on their taxes in order to get my flex spend money back!

 

[danygirl]

find a nice camp for Christmas Break and send her. I would pick one of the ones that offer day trips everyday, and only make her go if the trip was good. I would rather pay a camp than forfeit.