Holidays at Daycares?

[Strangeite]

My wife just informed me that we have to pay the daycare for the two days that THEY are closed for Thanksgiving. She says that this is common for all daycares but I find it hard to believe.

Is this really a common practice?

 

[brockash]

Yes, it's very common. It used to really bother me, but I guess if you think about it; it's not really fair to them to just be "on call" when you need them and then not get paid when you don't; everyone needs stability. It also got a lot easier for me to accept once I started getting off and paid for holidays Go figure Anyways, yes it's very common. My DD doesn't go to a daycare, she goes to a babysitter, and there's nothing really "required," but I definetly still plan on paying her as well. I just learned it's something I needed to accept until I don't have kids in daycare/babysitters ect.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

Absolutely. Every single one of the parents who bring their kids to me gets paid holidays. I do to. I have 5 families. If they had to work or if they didn't get paid holidays I might consider not making them pay. Also it is in the contract they signed. The only time they don't pay is if I am sick and close down (this is rare), or if I go on vacation. Other than that I get paid for all other days. I also know many other providers who do the same.

 

[Minniemouse07]

Same here...we pay for holidays!

 

[GJM]

I always paid for holidays - I would pay monthly, you are paying for the spot your child has at the daycare.

If I decide to take a vacation and leave my child out of daycare for a week, I still pay for that week also.

 

[Strangeite]

I guess it is common. I would be more sympathetic if we were talking about a inhome childcare provider; but, it seems more difficult to swallow when it is a brick and mortar daycare with 75+ kids.

Over Christmas they are going to be closed for 3 days that week. I feel really sorry for the parents that have to work some of these days; as they have to pay the daycare AND find an alternative provider. It just seems wrong.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

That does seem wrong that they are closing on non holidays and still charging. I totally agree. I am a home provider. If I close for illness, or my vacation time I never charge, because they parents have to pay someone else to watch the kids. I do charge when the kids don't come because they are sick or on vacation. Some kids go to Grandmas or camp for a week in the summer, but I still charge for that. I can't find another child to fill that spot for that time.

 

[Strangeite]

The woman working next to me has to pay as well when her daycare is closed and hers is closing for FOUR days during the week of Christmas.

I am sorry this just seems wrong.

 

[GJM]

I was lucky with my daycare they really only closed major holidays. But at the start of each year we received a list of the holidays for the coming year, so you knew when they would be closed. I guess if anyone didn't like it they could go find another daycare.

I am thinking since Christmas is a Thurs. they are closing on Friday also along with Christmas Eve.

 

[mjantz]

We're a Mothers Day Out that follows the public school calendar so we're out 3 days for Thanksgiving, 2 weeks for the Christmas/New Year holiday & other school holidays. However, our parents pay the same amount every month because tuition is averaged out over the school year.
And, even a large facility has expenses. Their teachers may get paid holidays (wish I did!) & there are other expenses that happen whether the school is open or closed.

ETA:

The woman working next to me has to pay as well when her daycare is closed and hers is closing for FOUR days during the week of Christmas.

I am sorry this just seems wrong.

Why does it seem wrong? My job has no paid vacation time. If I take a day off its unpaid. I am not getting paid for the 3 days of Thanksgiving or the week of Spring Break or any time at all during the summer. So, I plan accordingly to make sure I can pay my expenses during the breaks without pay. I would expect any parent who has a child in daycare would plan ahead to make sure they were covered during any holiday breaks.

 

[tnd]

My center does not give us a discount for being closed on Thanksgiving. I think it is pretty common. However, when my mom ran a home daycare, she never charged for days she was not open. She was a rarity though, I think most providers (home or center) do charge.

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

DS's child development center (pre-school for early childhood education students to gain field experience) closes for nine days each year. Two days a Thanksgiving, three at Christmas, Memorial Day, 4th of July, New Year's Day and Labor Day.

 

[Strangeite]

Believe me, I love my daycare. I really do. My indignation is laid at the feat of the industry that gets away with this practice.

I understand that they have expenses that occur whether or not there is a holiday. My business also incurs expenses even though there is a holiday. The difference is, I don't expect my clients to pay me just because it is a holiday.

I see it this way. I charge my clients when I provide a service to them. They may pay a retainer so that I will "hold a spot" for them; but, any and all services I provide are deducted from this retainer. The daycare is not providing me a service when they are closed. In fact, they are forcing me to pay additional expenses because of the fact that they are not providing services. I will either need to find an alternative provider on Christmas Eve and pay double for childcare on that day OR take the day off of work and not get paid for that day.

 

[GJM]

Do you get a list at the start of each year with the holidays listed? If you are that upset about this, look for another daycare and I am sure they are all like this.

 

[aprilfoolwed]

I do home day care - have 4 kids from 3 different families.

I do not get paid for holidays, but I have really toyed around with changing my contract to give me legal holidays as a paid day. I get very little pay for what I do - it amounts to about $3/hour per child. I wouldn't do this except that my own young children are home with me and I can make a little money while staying home. The minute I ever decide to do this as a full-time job (and not just extra money while my children are home) I will change my contract to give me the standard holidays as paid time off.

I take my vacations unpaid. And any sicks days (and believe me, I'd have to be close to death to feel justified taking a sick day) are unpaid as well.

It's a VERY hard job - people want to just pay you for when they use you - NOT for holding a spot. And that's not fair.

That said - I think the day care center should really only get paid for Thanksgiving - if they elect to close on Black Friday, it should be unpaid. But major holidays should be paid IMHO.

 

[*pixie*dust*]

Mine is the same. We pay for the holidays.

Also, when it come time for a vacation, I am allowed 1 week at half the normal rate, provided I give notice. Any other vacations we might take I have to pay the normal rate.

 

[Strangeite]

Do you get a list at the start of each year with the holidays listed?

No, we don't get a list of holidays that they will be closed at the start of each year.

If you are that upset about this, look for another daycare and I am sure they are all like this.

As I stated earlier, I am not upset with my particular daycare, as their practice seems to be the industry average, I am upset with an industry that is able to get away with this.

Can anyone name any other industry that gets away with a similar practice?

As to the argument that I am paying for them to "hold a spot" for my child. This is not a valid argument. Since they are closed, there is no "spot" to be held. In order for them to justify charging me to "hold a spot", there must be a spot to be held and since they are closed no other child could be in that spot.

 

[brockash]

We're a Mothers Day Out that follows the public school calendar so we're out 3 days for Thanksgiving, 2 weeks for the Christmas/New Year holiday & other school holidays. However, our parents pay the same amount every month because tuition is averaged out over the school year.
And, even a large facility has expenses. Their teachers may get paid holidays (wish I did!) & there are other expenses that happen whether the school is open or closed.

ETA:



Why does it seem wrong? My job has no paid vacation time. If I take a day off its unpaid. I am not getting paid for the 3 days of Thanksgiving or the week of Spring Break or any time at all during the summer. So, I plan accordingly to make sure I can pay my expenses during the breaks without pay. I would expect any parent who has a child in daycare would plan ahead to make sure they were covered during any holiday breaks.

I can totally see why it seems wrong to him. Here's the thing, yes maybe he does or does not get paid holidays (I highly doubt he gets off and paid for 4 days during that week, but maybe he does ect.) but it seems wrong because not only do they have to pay the daycare provider for those 4 days off, but if they're not lucky enough to have a job where they're off for those 4 days, they're also paying another person to watch their child/children- they're paying 2 daycare providers for those 4 days. Like I said before, I get that everyone needs to make money, and I've accepted paying for holidays for daycares ect. but 4 days seems pretty extreme.- And you're right daycare providers don't usually get paid vacation days/sick ect. (not ppl. that work a daycare centers, because they generally do) but that's because that job doesn't get those benefits, just like any other job, you get some benefits and not others, it's your choice to make what you chose to do, just like daycare provider's get the benefit of not having to pay for daycare or put their own children in daycare. Every job has pro's and con's.

 

[Strangeite]

It is not like the daycare are my employees. When I hire an employee I get to dictate the terms of their compensation, the hours they work and the benefits they receive. The daycare is a business, just like any other business; with the primary difference being that when there is a holiday, their profit margin goes up.

Most business that close on a holiday have their profit margin go down; but the daycare industry's profit goes up. How can they justify this?

 

[camlace]

Not sure why you think the daycare industry is different than any other? I am a salaried employee...I get paid holidays, some "official" (ie Federal or State)...some unofficial (floating holiday to be used after T-Day, after/before after 4th July, etc). The company and/or my customers receive NO services from me for these day off...but I still get paid. You are not paying for an hourly service you are paying for long term care for your child. So you pay for holidays/vacations same as any other industry.

If it is a national type of center (rather than a one-off local center) I would find it highly unlikely that you were not told what days the center is closed. It is usually part of the contract you sign. I have been at my center for almost 3 years and only received the holiday schedule when I originally signed the contract. I do not get an update every year unless there is a holiday on the weekend, then it is clarified whether the center will be closed Fri, Mon or not at all to observe the holiday.