Holidays at Daycares?

[princessmom29]

Most daycare workers work for minimum wage. I have no problem paying for daycare on holidays so that they can get a paid hloiday. I have been in their position and blieve me daycars absolutely could not pay their workers without charging for holidays. There insurance premium for the month is still the same wether they are open or not. It was parto f the contract I signed when enrolling my child. In order for the school to continue to operate they have to do it.

 

[Strangeite]

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.

See, but you are committing the same fallacy. I argue that they ARE different than ever other industry. While your company pays you when you are off on a holiday, is your company charging their customors on the day they are closed? My guess is that they are not. Your company is taking a loss by being closed and giving you the day with pay. The daycare on the other hand is receiving the same level of revenue when they are closed but with drastically reduced expenses.

And no they did not give us a list of dates they will be closed.

 

[mjantz]

Chances are their profit margins don't go up. It probably just keeps them from going in the hole. As I said, they probably average out tuition. So, for example, you're not paying for the days in Nov & Dec that they're not open. You're paying for the 2nd week of February when there are no days off & they're paying everyone full salaries.

And, before anyone says that I don't understand because I'm in childcare so I don't pay, actually, I have paid because my kids are too old for the facility I work at. Also, about 2 years ago I worked at a school that followed 1 school district calendar & my kids school followed another school calendar. There were about 8 days that I was suppose to be at work & they were out of school. So, I took a few days, DH took a few days, the grandparents helped out & we just made it work. So I am not unsympathic to the fact that when your kids have a day off & you don't it can be stressful.


ETA: If you did not receive a list of holidays I would definitely request that be made available. We give out a full-year calendar at the beginning of every school year.
Also, while a company may not technically say 'We're going to charge you for Christmas day' don't you think they're figuring vacation days into their expenses & charging buyers accordingly?

 

[princessmom29]

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?

That is not really true. With exception of possibly utilities they have the same expenses on a holiday as any other day if they are paying their employess for the holiday. I know when I worked daycare we never saw a profit increase. On the contrary we struggled during the holidays to make payroll sometimes because parents are much more likely to be late with tuition during the holiday season.

 

[princessmom29]

See, but you are committing the same fallacy. I argue that they ARE different than ever other industry. While your company pays you when you are off on a holiday, is your company charging their customors on the day they are closed? My guess is that they are not. Your company is taking a loss by being closed and giving you the day with pay. The daycare on the other hand is receiving the same level of revenue when they are closed but with drastically reduced expenses.

And no they did not give us a list of dates they will be closed.

Actually a lot of companies do charge their customers on a day they are closed. Any company that signs contracts for maintinace ect gets the same monthly rate regardless of holidays. Think the copier guy, the janitorial service, the bug man ect. I see this as no different. I signed a contract and agreed to the terms.

 

[Strangeite]

That is not really true. With exception of possibly utilities they have the same expenses on a holiday as any other day if they are paying their employess for the holiday. I know when I worked daycare we never saw a profit increase. On the contrary we struggled during the holidays to make payroll sometimes because parents are much more likely to be late with tuition during the holiday season.

But their profit does go up. They are not spending money on the food for 75 kids that they would have had to spend on those days, there are not spending money on the gas for the buses on those days, their electricity cost is reduced on those days, the hourly employees are not getting paid on the holidays so their payroll is reduced, etc. etc. etc.

Like I stated earlier, I understand that my daycare is just doing what everyone else is doing, but that doesn't change the fact that it is wrong.

Your local dentist office is probably closed on holidays, but he doesn't charge his patients for being closed. I bet the dental employees are paid. His insurance is the same. The due dates on the loans for the equipment are still due. The rent for the office is still due.

How would you feel if your dentist sent you a bill, even though you didn't go in, just because it was Thanksgiving?

 

[brockash]

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.

Just wanted to say, that before I put my kiddos in "in-home private daycare," I had my DS in 2 actual daycare facilities, and also never received a list of dates they were closed.

 

[goofyboyzmom]

I totally agree that you should pay for the actual holidays, Thanksgiving day, Christmas Eve and Christmas day, New Years Day, etc. The odds are that you are not going to have to work any of these days and have to pay for other care. Now, that said......closing Black Friday, 3 extra days at Christmas, etc. - that is unacceptable to charge for those days.

I do not charge any parents for ANY of the days because I want them off also and I feel that if I said I was technically open and was charging them for not coming, they would come and I would not be off.

 

[Tisha_PA]

The daycare that my oldest DD went to got paid holidays. You paid a set amount per week and if a holiday fell during that week it didn't matter. The daycare that my youngest kids go to does not make us pay for holidays. With this daycare, I only need pay for the actual days they attend. I should point out that the daycare my oldest DD went to was for-profit and the daycare my youngest kids go to now is a not-for profit so that may be why they don't charge on holidays.

 

[averysmom]

Totally common - Most jobs pay you to have those days off - I
think that child care providers should get paid too.

 

[averysmom]

But their profit does go up. They are not spending money on the food for 75 kids that they would have had to spend on those days, there are not spending money on the gas for the buses on those days, their electricity cost is reduced on those days, the hourly employees are not getting paid on the holidays so their payroll is reduced, etc. etc. etc.

Like I stated earlier, I understand that my daycare is just doing what everyone else is doing, but that doesn't change the fact that it is wrong.

Your local dentist office is probably closed on holidays, but he doesn't charge his patients for being closed. I bet the dental employees are paid. His insurance is the same. The due dates on the loans for the equipment are still due. The rent for the office is still due.

How would you feel if your dentist sent you a bill, even though you didn't go in, just because it was Thanksgiving?

Just wondering... do you get paid on Stat holidays?

 

[brockash]

I totally agree that you should pay for the actual holidays, Thanksgiving day, Christmas Eve and Christmas day, New Years Day, etc. The odds are that you are not going to have to work any of these days and have to pay for other care. Now, that said......closing Black Friday, 3 extra days at Christmas, etc. - that is unacceptable to charge for those days.

I do not charge any parents for ANY of the days because I want them off also and I feel that if I said I was technically open and was charging them for not coming, they would come and I would not be off.

ITA. I can totally see that paying for actual holidays should be done, and really have no problem doing so. I think the OP is more upset that it seems there's many additional days that he's having to pay for and possibly having to pay another provider as well, while he's at work ect.

 

[aprilfoolwed]

Wow - I guess I need to thank this post for making me thankful for my clients - I am glad I don't have many of you as my clients! Such animosity for the people who care for your children every day - people who take very good care of your children and do it for a fraction of what you make! Wow.

For those of you who do't have to pay for holidays - consider yourself lucky and that you have a care provider who really tried to take care of her clients. I don't charge for holidays - but my clients are all part-time and I like to try to help them save a dime here and there. If they went to any center (whether it was a large national center or a small in-home center) they would have to pay for the week regardless of the holidays.

The dentist analogy actually had me laughing. You pay the dentist for your alloted time slot - your appointments. At a daycare, you pay for your alloted time slot (what you contracted for - full-time, part-time etc - whatever arrangement you have the care provider). Essentially, your "appointment" with the day care is for the contracted period of time. That's what you pay for.

Any care provider has the right to set their hours. The day care has every right to be closed any days they like. I do, however, agree that anything outside of the actual holiday should be unpaid time off. Many employers decide to close on the day after thanksgiving - it's their choice. I have had jobs where HR points out that it's a BONUS paid holiday - their choice for the employee. The only case where I think it is okay for them to close and charge is if it was in writing when you signed the contract - it's their terms and you would have to agree with them by signing the contract.

Day care is a hard job - I try to be really nice to my families, but the reality is most families don't feel the same way about their care providers and worry more about the money than the actual care. I've had people quit without notice and disregard our contract for 2-week's notice (and I did not get paid - not much I could do about it unless I wanted to sue for my wages - lawyers fees would cost more than I would get so it's not worth it). Clients drop off early/pick up late with no regard to my schedule on a regular basis.

So geez - don;t complain about giving your care provider a paid day off a few times a year. They do you a HUGE service for less than minimum wage (as a private home provider I make less than $3/hour per child).

 

["Cinder" Ella's Mom]

Yes, it is! We always paid for the entire week, even if our kids were not there or daycare was closed for holidays.

 

["Cinder" Ella's Mom]

Oh my gosh. I just read some of the previous posts and really had to agree that daycare work is hard work! I personally am so grateful to those wonderful people who take such great care of my kids so I can work and make way more than they ever do! I think they deserve alot more than they get!!!

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Over the years my kids have been in many daycares. All charged for the holidays. The trick is to find a center that doesn't take too many days off during the year. The place I used the longest was great-they closed Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years Day, 4th of July, Labor Day and Memorial Day. Any other day was business as usual and I was very pleased about that since not all jobs give you off for the minor holidays or sometimes even ALL of the Federal ones.

 

[kcromley]

child care is not an area I would seek to scrimp on. Ever.

 

[brockash]

[QUOTE="Cinder" Ella's Mom;28879195]Oh my gosh. I just read some of the previous posts and really had to agree that daycare work is hard work! I personally am so grateful to those wonderful people who take such great care of my kids so I can work and make way more than they ever do! I think they deserve alot more than they get!!![/QUOTE]

I totally agree that daycare work is hard work, and if you're lucky enough to find wonderful ppl. to take care of your children that's the best thing in the world, although I definetly won't say that all ppl. or daycare's take such wonderful care of their children ect. Just like with any job, there are always for lack of a better word "slackers." I feel very grateful that I have a great person that takes care of my DD, and have no problem paying her for holidays, and I give her gifts/gift cards on holidays her birthday ect., but that's my choice and I've definetly been on the other end. If you/I think our daycare provider deserves more than they get then we have the right to give them more ect. if we have it or wish to. My DS was first in a regular daycare, and while I don't think he was ever in danger by any means, I don't think they took "wonderful" care of him. Again, I don't think he was every in danger, but I felt they ran it more as a business, he was more of a check or number ect. Back then, our family did not make nearly as much money as we do now, and while you may make "way more" than your daycare provider I did not back then, and many other's do not. I'm fine with daycares ect. getting paid for the actual holidays (although many ppl. including myself back then did not/ do not get paid for holidays.) I can completely see where additional days that the parent is having to pay for a closed daycare on a "non-holiday" and also pay for another daycare, because the parents have to work, would seem rediculous and unfair to those ppl. My mom was a daycare provider for over a decade, so I understand how wonderful these ppl. can be and hopefully always are, but I don't think it's totally out there that some ppl. feel it's unfair to them as the parent. Like I said before, every job has it's own benefits. If I decided to quit my job to be stay at home with my children and do daycare, I wouldn't expect to make as much as I make now, nor would I expect that I would get paid vactions- I don't feel it's one of my benefits as a daycare provider...- my biggest benefit would be getting to stay home with my children, my children not having to go to daycare, and saving money because I wouldn't have to pay for daycare. I think the paying for the day of the holiday is completely reasonable, but totally see the view of parent's who have to pay for multiple days of a closed daycare.

 

[Strangeite]

At a daycare, you pay for your alloted time slot (what you contracted for - full-time, part-time etc - whatever arrangement you have the care provider). Essentially, your "appointment" with the day care is for the contracted period of time. That's what you pay for.

So geez - don;t complain about giving your care provider a paid day off a few times a year. They do you a HUGE service for less than minimum wage (as a private home provider I make less than $3/hour per child).

That is why I have a problem with it. I am paying for a contracted period of time; but, because of the decision on the part of the daycare, I can not utilize that period of time that I have paid for.

But apparently I am in the minority. I guess that the ads in the newspaper, the "limited liability company" behind the name and the EIN from the IRS, confused me into thinking that they are a "business". In reality it appears that they are modern day saints and I should take pleasure in the fact that I am paying the owners of the daycare to go shopping on Black Friday while I have to take the day off of work to stay home with my daughter.

Sorry my mistake.

 

["Cinder" Ella's Mom]

To the OP: I think you really are entitled to be irritated if your daycare did not give you a schedule of their holidays and when they would be closed. Ours always gave us a calendar so we could plan. Then we never minded. Maybe you can get together with some of the other families from daycare and split the cost of a sitter for the day. You should really demand that they give you a schedule for the year.