Holidays at Daycares?

[mom2aredhead]

Yes, but back to the original point/question, he won't be paying his public school for his child not to be there plus someone else to watch his child, because it's closed- yes, yes, everyone pays taxes, but that's a whole other subject- and everyone- whether they have kids or not pay for those taxes.

And how do private schools handle this? I would assume the tuition is the same in September as it is in December when they are closed for the holidays, no?

 

[kcromley]

I wouldn't dream of suggesting that OP, or anyone else, is a bad parent. The original post expressed his displeasure at having to take the day off to be with his child (presumably due to the finances involved). And the low opinion expressed of those working at day care centers, and of day care center generally, is disappointing at best. If one thinks that poorly of them, why would one leave their child at one? Our child care workers, and the child care industry in general, deserve much more respect than that reflected in some of the posts on this thread.

 

[brockash]

True, but there will be the additional expenses of alternate care because the primary place where his children are is closed on a day that he does not consider to be a "holiday". Wasn't that kind of his point?

Correct, but I thought his point was more about the fact that he'd either have to take the day off as well, or pay twice basically. It didn't sound like the issue was that the daycare was closing, it seemed to me the issue was that the daycare was closing but still charging and also forcing him to either take a day off with no pay or pay them and another provider for those days

 

[brockash]

And how do private schools handle this? I would assume the tuition is the same in September as it is in December when they are closed for the holidays, no?

I'm sure they do (I've never been in private school, and neither have my children,) but I see a difference with this as it's a choice to put your kid in private school as oppose to public. Yes, it's his choice to make a living and therefore his kid has to go to daycare somewhere (and he's repeatedly said it's not his personal daycare he's upset with it's the practice) but again I don't quite see that as the same type of choice. I see him having to make a living to support his family a much higher priority then him chosing to put his child in a private school.

 

[tinker&belle]

OP, I have been thinking about this for the afternoon. I am wondering if your child is in a for-profit daycare or a not-for-profit daycare?
I have only done non-profit.

 

[kcromley]

Presumably the OP chose this particular daycare arrangement as well, and should have checked its policies prior to enrolling. There are many alternatives available, including support from the other parent, assuming there is one alive, or reconfiguring his own work (telecommuting, flex-time, alternative work plans, job-sharingetc) or finding other types of care (nanny, au pair, in-home care, parent co-op,)

 

[mjantz]

....As for the issue of "paying for daycare on days they are closed"... I suspect that you pay a flat fee (monthly/weekly)? At the beginning of each year (or the end of the prior year, as the case may be), the daycare will sit down with a calendar and determine what days it will be open and what days it will be closed (just as any other business does-- and that includes law firms). They then figure out the operating expenses and costs associated with the days they will be open, and allowing for reasonable profit (as daycares are generally not non-profit associations), they arrive at a dollar amount for tuition. Your tuition is then prorated over a 12 month/52 week period, and the days that the center is closed are already accounted for in that amount. So it isn't that you are paying for days they are closed-- you aren't paying for those days at all, as they have already been "deducted" from the overall tuition.

And yes, I have kids in daycare, the daycare is closed 2 days over Thanksgiving and 3 days over Christmas, and yes, the full amount of tuition is due for both November and December.

P.S. And I'm a lawyer and my office is, in fact, closed the day after Thanksgiving. Yes, it is a paid holiday for all of our staff.

The OP has been told this numerous times in numerous ways by several PPs (including me) yet he has not responded to this explanation of why there is no reduction in tuition.
Look at it this way: If you're paying $200/week (I haven't priced daycare so I have no idea what any kind of going rate is) without getting any breaks for holidays you'd probably end up paying $250/week & you would be told you don't have to pay for holidays. You're still paying, its just wrapped into the tuition.

Also, I resent the implication that I'm little more than an uneducated babysitter. I have a BS in Early Childhood Education & I'm looking to go back to school for my Masters in probably 3-4 years. I am NOT uneducated & many of the people I work with have some form of higher education. Many of them choose to work in childcare because they have preschool children & like working down the hall from their kids.

 

[GJM]

When my DS attended afterschool care in his public elementary school, it was 1 price for the month - didn't matter if there were any holidays or not.

My DS is off 2 weeks for Christmas break - 1/2 day on Dec. 19 and he returns on Jan. 5

 

[Strangeite]

Believe it or not, I think this discussion has been very productive and interesting. As for those that think that I look down upon child care providers, I challenge you to look back at any of my posts and find anything that suggests this. As I have stated in many posts, I love my daycare and think they provide excellent service to my daughter. I simply didn't see the logic of paying them for non-holidays.

To those of you that think I am somehow a bad parent for engaging in this discussion. I don't have much to say to you other than you might need to take a basic logic class because you obviously never heard of the logical fallacy called "ad hominem". You just make yourself look ignorant when you engage in such behavior.

Tinker&Belle: It is a for profit daycare. I don't know if that changes your opinion, but you asked.

Last but certainly not least. Being Monday, I needed to give the daycare a check for this week's services. When asked how much we owe, I was told I needed to pay for four days. The director of the center said that parents shouldn't pay for Friday because it isn't a holiday.

 

[Juliet25]

I wouldn't dream of suggesting that OP, or anyone else, is a bad parent. The original post expressed his displeasure at having to take the day off to be with his child (presumably due to the finances involved). And the low opinion expressed of those working at day care centers, and of day care center generally, is disappointing at best. If one thinks that poorly of them, why would one leave their child at one? Our child care workers, and the child care industry in general, deserve much more respect than that reflected in some of the posts on this thread.

ITA. I can't figure out why the OP doesn't just switch child care centers if the terms of the care upset him. I get the point about being miffed over paying for care that the child isn't receiving, but that's a rather short sighted view. As has been discussed, the child care center has $$$ it needs to raise in order to stay in business. If the center gave parents a tuition break on the days that the center was closed, the center would probably charge more in tuition the other weeks of the year. The operation expenses have to come from somewhere.

I know day care centers are businesses, but I also know that the BMWs and Volvos in the parking lot don't belong to the teachers caring for your child for the majority of the day.

 

[Juliet25]

The OP has been told this numerous times in numerous ways by several PPs (including me) yet he has not responded to this explanation of why there is no reduction in tuition.
Look at it this way: If you're paying $200/week (I haven't priced daycare so I have no idea what any kind of going rate is) without getting any breaks for holidays you'd probably end up paying $250/week & you would be told you don't have to pay for holidays. You're still paying, its just wrapped into the tuition.

Exactly.

 

[kcromley]

A great lesson for all to check the fine print for all contractual services they receive to ensure they understand the terms (particularly important for lawyers...)

 

[melancholywings]

Believe it or not, I think this discussion has been very productive and interesting. As for those that think that I look down upon child care providers, I challenge you to look back at any of my posts and find anything that suggests this. As I have stated in many posts, I love my daycare and think they provide excellent service to my daughter. I simply didn't see the logic of paying them for non-holidays.

To those of you that think I am somehow a bad parent for engaging in this discussion. I don't have much to say to you other than you might need to take a basic logic class because you obviously never heard of the logical fallacy called "ad hominem". You just make yourself look ignorant when you engage in such behavior.

Tinker&Belle: It is a for profit daycare. I don't know if that changes your opinion, but you asked.

Last but certainly not least. Being Monday, I needed to give the daycare a check for this week's services. When asked how much we owe, I was told I needed to pay for four days. The director of the center said that parents shouldn't pay for Friday because it isn't a holiday.

I think you're coming a crossed as a troll. Unintentional or not you're comments have a level of elitism in them that understandably rubs those in the childcare profession wrong, and is giving the impression that you do indeed look down on them.
Every profession has it's own standards and value of service, I don't understand why I have to pay my lawyer so much $$ just to write someone else a one page email, or even better to dictate that email to someone else who has to then write it. But that's part of the package of dealing with his services. And to retain his services I have to pay him what he thinks his time is worth. It's no different than your daycare, you might see it as being an overcharge, but if you want to use them you have to pay them what they think they are worth.

 

[tlh0726]

My ex sitter charged the same rate regardless if your child was or was not there. Her contract said that she allowed herself 2 weeks vacation time per year(more than that if you counted the numerous times that we had to either drop off late or pick up early to accomodate her kid's various activities). She also took days before or after a holiday. (Convienent for her, not for everyone else) I did not mind paying her for holidays or times that my children were not there because we were on vacation or they were sick. The thing that got me was that in reality I was paying her for her 2 weeks vacation, (plus the 2 hours here, 2 hours there) my 2 weeks vacation (1 month of childcare that my children were not there) plus someone else for 2 weeks if I did not take the same days she was.
My kids loved playing with hers, I finally had to pull my kids due to the fact that I could not afford to lose work to accomodate her request any longer.

 

[Illnevergrowup]

Melancholywings, thank you for your comments. It is exactly what I was thinking!

 

[brockash]

Also, I resent the implication that I'm little more than an uneducated babysitter. I have a BS in Early Childhood Education & I'm looking to go back to school for my Masters in probably 3-4 years. I am NOT uneducated & many of the people I work with have some form of higher education. Many of them choose to work in childcare because they have preschool children & like working down the hall from their kids.

I in no way meant any of my comments towards any daycare providers here, as I do not know you, and I wouldn't think anyone else would either. It sounds like you and many of the ppl. you work with are those cherished great ppl. that I've said many times parents strive and are so lucky to find, however not all ppl. that do this job are, and not all do it for the right reasons (just like with any other job,) so please know that I did not mean to offend YOU in any way. Like I said, I've found someone that I absolutely love and I can't explain how grateful I am to have someone that truly cares about my child as our provider, but I didn't always have that, and have seen the ppl. that aren't doing it for the right reasons.

 

[brockash]

My ex sitter charged the same rate regardless if your child was or was not there. Her contract said that she allowed herself 2 weeks vacation time per year(more than that if you counted the numerous times that we had to either drop off late or pick up early to accomodate her kid's various activities). She also took days before or after a holiday. (Convienent for her, not for everyone else) I did not mind paying her for holidays or times that my children were not there because we were on vacation or they were sick. The thing that got me was that in reality I was paying her for her 2 weeks vacation, (plus the 2 hours here, 2 hours there) my 2 weeks vacation (1 month of childcare that my children were not there) plus someone else for 2 weeks if I did not take the same days she was.
My kids loved playing with hers, I finally had to pull my kids due to the fact that I could not afford to lose work to accomodate her request any longer.

Wow, that seems like it would get expensive

 

[mom2aredhead]

Last but certainly not least. Being Monday, I needed to give the daycare a check for this week's services. When asked how much we owe, I was told I needed to pay for four days. The director of the center said that parents shouldn't pay for Friday because it isn't a holiday.

So after all that, you don't have to pay for the "Black Friday" holiday. Good news, although you may admit it was a little presumptive to go online and complain about their policies when you didn't know if you were being charged or not.

And I think it may be time to ask the daycare providers for a schedule of holidays for the remainder of the year so that there are no more surprises. Christmas and New Years are both in the middle of the week this year, so if I were you, I'd make sure I knew the schedule and the days I was expected to pay for prior to the week they occur.

 

[princessmom29]

I am amazed how many people don't think of a daycare center as a business but as employees.

FYI, I started this conversation at work and nobody here thinks it is fair to charge for days that are not holidays.

Consider the workplace. I am making a generalization agian here, but it seems to me that your attitude towards the situation fits it. You are obviously a successful professional. Please consider this:How many years has it been since you were scraping to make ends meet? What is your real attitude toward the minimum wage workers taking care of your children? I ask this because I am a biochemist now, but I worked through college taking care of other people's children and I encountered discussions like this and the attitude of most of the parents that made this argument was that it was our fault we were in minimum wage jobs and that we did not deserve to get paid for holidays. What you need to realize here is that a daycare in not "just another business" these people care for your children and deserve your respect for doing so. The only way they can be paid for holidays is if the center charges for them. I think they deserve that.

 

[princessmom29]

Believe it or not, I think this discussion has been very productive and interesting. As for those that think that I look down upon child care providers, I challenge you to look back at any of my posts and find anything that suggests this. As I have stated in many posts, I love my daycare and think they provide excellent service to my daughter. I simply didn't see the logic of paying them for non-holidays.

To those of you that think I am somehow a bad parent for engaging in this discussion. I don't have much to say to you other than you might need to take a basic logic class because you obviously never heard of the logical fallacy called "ad hominem". You just make yourself look ignorant when you engage in such behavior.

Tinker&Belle: It is a for profit daycare. I don't know if that changes your opinion, but you asked.

Last but certainly not least. Being Monday, I needed to give the daycare a check for this week's services. When asked how much we owe, I was told I needed to pay for four days. The director of the center said that parents shouldn't pay for Friday because it isn't a holiday.

I think you are being a bit rude and condecending here, We may not all be lawyers, but we are certianly not stupid. You are purposely setting yourself up as superior and I think that is a pretty low blow. Almost as bad as those who are "making themselves look ignorant." I refuse to throw my intellect around like a badge of honor in a discussion like this. I think it is tacky.