Um no.

[WDSearcher]

My child is 4 months old and goes to daycare. This is not a school. We are going to take a pass on fundraising for the daycare I pay for my 4 month old to attend. When I told the teacher this morning, she said she has gotten a lot of the same from the other parents. So far out of 12 babies, 5 parents have said no.

Sounds like the daycare isn't forcing anyone to participate, just asking. And they seem to be just fine with you not participating. So while I get that it's something you don't want to do ... I just don't get the anger about it.

For us, we choose what we want to help fund and what we don't. None of the schools demand participation. It's not like they love asking parents to do fund-raising. But they do want to be able to provide extras -- whether equipment or programming. If the school or school system can't or won't pay for it, then fund-raising is a viable option.

 

[FlyingDumbo]

Sounds like the daycare isn't forcing anyone to participate, just asking. And they seem to be just fine with you not participating. So while I get that it's something you don't want to do ... I just don't get the anger about it.

For us, we choose what we want to help fund and what we don't. None of the schools demand participation. It's not like they love asking parents to do fund-raising. But they do want to be able to provide extras -- whether equipment or programming. If the school or school system can't or won't pay for it, then fund-raising is a viable option.

I am already funding the daycare, I pay them every single week, the price that they set. And again, this is not a school it is daycare. I think there is a pretty big difference between fundraising needs of schools versus private daycare.

 

[FlyingDumbo]

Actually it is a germ factory. from here on out it shall be referred to as such.

 

[Disneychix]

I am already funding the daycare, I pay them every single week, the price that they set. And again, this is not a school it is daycare. I think there is a pretty big difference between fundraising needs of schools versus private daycare.

So there is no learning going on? You expect no level of interaction above and beyond feeding and diapering? No books, no music, no toys?

While I don't think that ipads are a top priority would your feelings be different if it was money towards a new play table for the younger ages at the daycare?
I'll say what I think again, you are paying a weekly price for the daycare to run as a business. Anything above that day to day expense the daycare will need to do fundraising.

 

[WDSearcher]

I am already funding the daycare, I pay them every single week, the price that they set. And again, this is not a school it is daycare. I think there is a pretty big difference between fundraising needs of schools versus private daycare.

Of course there is. But again ... they don't seem to mind if you don't participate in the fundraising, so I don't get why you seem to be mad at them for even asking. That's all.

 

[luvsJack]

I am already funding the daycare, I pay them every single week, the price that they set. And again, this is not a school it is daycare. I think there is a pretty big difference between fundraising needs of schools versus private daycare.

You don't seem to understand that we ARE talking abut a daycare.

So there is no learning going on? You expect no level of interaction above and beyond feeding and diapering? No books, no music, no toys?

While I don't think that ipads are a top priority would your feelings be different if it was money towards a new play table for the younger ages at the daycare?
I'll say what I think again, you are paying a weekly price for the daycare to run as a business. Anything above that day to day expense the daycare will need to do fundraising.

Totally agree with everything you say,

OP, if you plan to keep your child in this center until preschool or until K, at some point your child will benefit with things bought with fundraising monies. Whether it is a swing set or slides or a sandbox or its blocks, art supplies and new books---all of the children benefit.

You are not being forced to do this, but I think you need to rethink your feelings toward the center. What your child gets out of child care is equal to what you put into it and that goes beyond writing a check every week.

 

[dakcp2001]

I am trying to be unbiased since I have no children. I always buy from the neighborhood kids, and my coworkers kids, but this year we finally stopped because some of the fundraisers were getting out of hand. Like 30 bucks for 12 cookies? No thank you! And the boy scouts overpriced popcorn? No thank you! It seems odd to me that a daycare would have a fundraiser. It is a business. Play tables and iPads if needed are part of the cost to run that business. I am trying to draw a comparison to other businesses, and none of them seem to be appropriate to have a fundraiser. I have never been asked to buy anything from someone who was doing a daycare fundraiser and I work with a lot of women. So I think it is unusual. I guess I am trying to imagine if I ran my own daycare, I cannot imagine asking the people who I am trying to keep as customers, to fundraise It seems it would be better to charge a little more and advertise that we use ipads for learning, etc. Maybe it is just not common where I live. I am out of the loop. OP- what are they asking you to sell? Is it a food item or wrapping paper crap? If it is a food item, I'd give it a go. It can't hurt to put it in the breakroom and see if anyone bites.

 

[kirstenb1]

You don't seem to understand that we ARE talking abut a daycare.



Totally agree with everything you say,

OP, if you plan to keep your child in this center until preschool or until K, at some point your child will benefit with things bought with fundraising monies. Whether it is a swing set or slides or a sandbox or its blocks, art supplies and new books---all of the children benefit.

You are not being forced to do this, but I think you need to rethink your feelings toward the center. What your child gets out of child care is equal to what you put into it and that goes beyond writing a check every week.

Exactly! If everyone pays tuition, that's fine, but there usually isn't much left over for things that enrich a child's experience there. And since most kids are in daycare for say 9 hrs a day, it's really nice when there's money to do/buy something "extra". At our elementary school, one of the centers for kindergarteners is IPads. Each class has 3, and the kids rotate throughout the different centers, so each child has a few minutes with the IPad. So I can see how it would be nice for 4 yr olds at daycare to already have exposure to them.

 

[Tinkermommy]

So there is no learning going on? You expect no level of interaction above and beyond feeding and diapering? No books, no music, no toys?

While I don't think that ipads are a top priority would your feelings be different if it was money towards a new play table for the younger ages at the daycare?
I'll say what I think again, you are paying a weekly price for the daycare to run as a business. Anything above that day to day expense the daycare will need to do fundraising.

I agree with the OP about fundraisers at daycare.

Over 10 years ago I spent $16,000 a year on my daughter's daycare. They provided everything but food for the infants. They never had a fundraiser and I wouldn't have participated if they did.

I guess it depends on what you call "day to day" expenses. The facility we used was top notch (even had a water park and a small gym.) That was part of the attraction and justified the high price.

Honestly, if I went to a daycare that didn't have books/music/toys I wouldn't pick that center. The facility and their activities is what makes them competitive.

And I am sure they will use the "iPads" in their advertising/promotion. It's not all altruistic and for the good of the children.

BTW, my kids go to public school and the elementary doesn't have fundraisers but you join the PTA and pay a hefty price for it and it funds most things.

My daughter has fundraisers for specific activities (chorus, French club etc) and we do participate in those.

 

[Poohforyou]

Op, did you talk to the center director about why fund raising is necessary vs them using tuition money to make improvements? This could be a way into avoid a tuition hike. My dd went to daycare for 4 years and there wasn't ever fundraising. Any equipment, supplies etc was paid for through tuition.

 

[luvsJack]

I am trying to be unbiased since I have no children. I always buy from the neighborhood kids, and my coworkers kids, but this year we finally stopped because some of the fundraisers were getting out of hand. Like 30 bucks for 12 cookies? No thank you! And the boy scouts overpriced popcorn? No thank you! It seems odd to me that a daycare would have a fundraiser. It is a business. Play tables and iPads if needed are part of the cost to run that business. I am trying to draw a comparison to other businesses, and none of them seem to be appropriate to have a fundraiser. I have never been asked to buy anything from someone who was doing a daycare fundraiser and I work with a lot of women. So I think it is unusual. I guess I am trying to imagine if I ran my own daycare, I cannot imagine asking the people who I am trying to keep as customers, to fundraise It seems it would be better to charge a little more and advertise that we use ipads for learning, etc. Maybe it is just not common where I live. I am out of the loop. OP- what are they asking you to sell? Is it a food item or wrapping paper crap? If it is a food item, I'd give it a go. It can't hurt to put it in the breakroom and see if anyone bites.

I agree with the OP about fundraisers at daycare.

Over 10 years ago I spent $16,000 a year on my daughter's daycare. They provided everything but food for the infants. They never had a fundraiser and I wouldn't have participated if they did.

I guess it depends on what you call "day to day" expenses. The facility we used was top notch (even had a water park and a small gym.) That was part of the attraction and justified the high price.

Honestly, if I went to a daycare that didn't have books/music/toys I wouldn't pick that center. The facility and their activities is what makes them competitive.

And I am sure they will use the "iPads" in their advertising/promotion. It's not all altruistic and for the good of the children.

BTW, my kids go to public school and the elementary doesn't have fundraisers but you join the PTA and pay a hefty price for it and it funds most things.

My daughter has fundraisers for specific activities (chorus, French club etc) and we do participate in those.

I can only answer for the center I ran and the ones in our area---we had books and art supplies and toys and learning materials. But, those things have to be re-stocked and updated yearly. Some things last forever, something do not. Kids get bored using the same things too.

Playgrounds have to be kept up to code. This can be very expensive. I have seen centers choose to completely do away with playground equipment for that reason.

A child care center is a business, true. You pay a fee and that fee pays the utilities, payroll, food costs, insurance (which believe me is a BIGGIE), pays for teacher/employee staff training (x number of hours required each year) and all the rest that goes into the running of that business. Keep in mind that at most centers, the infant room is run at a loss because of the small child to staff ratios. Most centers do not make a huge profit each year; they cannot afford to shell out a lot of money on the things needed each year.

Usually they can make a choice, continue using the outdated old material that they have, ask parents to pay a large fee each year to help pay for things, go up on tuition or do fund raisers. Each center makes its own choice.

When it was presented to parents that we could either begin charging a material/supply fee OR do fund raisers, they chose to raise the money instead and their children benefited greatly from it.

 

[Styx Fan]

I totally agree with the OP about fund raising for a daycare. IMHO, the cost for supplies is part of the cost of doing business. If the income does not cover those costs, the income has to be increased or expenses cut someplace else. I know daycares probably are not cash cows, but a for profit is still a business.

I can understand why some parents, if given a choice, would choose to have a fundraiser instead of raising tuition. But that sounds like just spreading the cost around to other people. Why would someone else want to buy an overpriced something to keep those parents tuition costs down? When you have children and work outside the home childcare is not an extra, it is a part of your bills. And I know it is a huge expense....my oldest was in daycare for several years.

I have 2 kids one in high school and one in elementary. We have been there and done that with fundraising many times over. It really seems like the only ones who really profit from the selling stuff kind of fundraisers is the companies that sell things. One day at my DH soccer game last year it was a round robbin of parents buying things from each others kids. Only a small % of each dollar went to the band, football team, etc. The activities would be much better off if each parent just donated how much they spent on buying other kids stuff.

 

[Rafiki31]

All of my kids went through daycare and never had to sell anything. There was one fundraiser in all of the years of daycare and it was after a fire in one of the classrooms overnight, something electrical. It was a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, and ice cream party. It was fun and participation was voluntary. I paid a lot for daycare, I would not be ok with having to fundraise as well. I hate fundraisers. We chose not to participate in most of them.

 

[kmb584]

Definitely ridiculous and I wouldn't participate either!

My daughter started preschool last month and prior to that was in the same school's daycare for 2 years. The amount of money that I have paid them is astonishing. The school is doing so well that the owner just bought a THIRD building on the same street. It's a for-profit school and I've gotten letters about participating in fundraisers too. I simply will not do it. I've been paying them in arms and legs for so long that I'm surprised to see the actual limbs still attached to my body.

 

[WDSearcher]

Definitely ridiculous and I wouldn't participate either!

My daughter started preschool last month and prior to that was in the same school's daycare for 2 years. The amount of money that I have paid them is astonishing. The school is doing so well that the owner just bought a THIRD building on the same street. It's a for-profit school and I've gotten letters about participating in fundraisers too. I simply will not do it. I've been paying them in arms and legs for so long that I'm surprised to see the actual limbs still attached to my body.

But clearly you're also getting your money's worth, or you wouldn't continue to pay them that astonishing amount. Whatever they're doing, they must be doing it pretty darn well. And if they're a good daycare and a good preschool, then more power to them if they're able to expand. Lord knows we need more GOOD preschools and daycare facilities, because there are a lot of really really lousy ones out there.

As for the fundraisers, participate or don't ... whatever fits your situation best. But unless the school is somehow forcing kids to participate or denying services to those who don't, I just don't understand why people are angry about even being asked.

 

[luvsJack]

I totally agree with the OP about fund raising for a daycare. IMHO, the cost for supplies is part of the cost of doing business. If the income does not cover those costs, the income has to be increased or expenses cut someplace else. I know daycares probably are not cash cows, but a for profit is still a business.

I can understand why some parents, if given a choice, would choose to have a fundraiser instead of raising tuition. But that sounds like just spreading the cost around to other people. Why would someone else want to buy an overpriced something to keep those parents tuition costs down? When you have children and work outside the home childcare is not an extra, it is a part of your bills. And I know it is a huge expense....my oldest was in daycare for several years.

I have 2 kids one in high school and one in elementary. We have been there and done that with fundraising many times over. It really seems like the only ones who really profit from the selling stuff kind of fundraisers is the companies that sell things. One day at my DH soccer game last year it was a round robbin of parents buying things from each others kids. Only a small % of each dollar went to the band, football team, etc. The activities would be much better off if each parent just donated how much they spent on buying other kids stuff.

The difference in the business of child care is that its almost impossible to cut the costs of business.

You have to follow the nutritional guidelines set by your state. So that means certain food items have to be served. There is only so much room for cutting there.

Payroll is your biggest expense. If you have X number of children enrolled then you have to have X number of caregivers there. IF several children are out on a certain day, then you may can let someone go home but you can't do that too many times or you lose employees and then when the kids are there, you are not in ratio. Or if the kids come in late after you have sent someone home, you are not in ratio.

Insurance has to cover certain things, can't just cut it down.

Utilities can be watched to eliminate waste but again, you have to have heat and a/c and lights.

Childcare is a business that is heavily controlled by state regulations and those regulations can make it hard for the business to be profitable. OTOH, the regulations are needed to make for quality child care.

Personally, I like event fundraisers. Fall or Spring Festivals, Fish Fry, Spaghetti Plates--that kind of thing doesn't require selling stuff out of a catalog but it does require parents giving a day to work the event.

A huge number of centers around here have become "non-profit". They are still privately owned but do whatever is necessary through the state to become non-profit. They still do fundraising.

 

[Nickimouse]

I can only answer for the center I ran and the ones in our area---we had books and art supplies and toys and learning materials. But, those things have to be re-stocked and updated yearly. Some things last forever, something do not. Kids get bored using the same things too.

Playgrounds have to be kept up to code. This can be very expensive. I have seen centers choose to completely do away with playground equipment for that reason.

A child care center is a business, true. You pay a fee and that fee pays the utilities, payroll, food costs, insurance (which believe me is a BIGGIE), pays for teacher/employee staff training (x number of hours required each year) and all the rest that goes into the running of that business. Keep in mind that at most centers, the infant room is run at a loss because of the small child to staff ratios. Most centers do not make a huge profit each year; they cannot afford to shell out a lot of money on the things needed each year.

Usually they can make a choice, continue using the outdated old material that they have, ask parents to pay a large fee each year to help pay for things, go up on tuition or do fund raisers. Each center makes its own choice.

When it was presented to parents that we could either begin charging a material/supply fee OR do fund raisers, they chose to raise the money instead and their children benefited greatly from it.

The difference in the business of child care is that its almost impossible to cut the costs of business.

You have to follow the nutritional guidelines set by your state. So that means certain food items have to be served. There is only so much room for cutting there.

Payroll is your biggest expense. If you have X number of children enrolled then you have to have X number of caregivers there. IF several children are out on a certain day, then you may can let someone go home but you can't do that too many times or you lose employees and then when the kids are there, you are not in ratio. Or if the kids come in late after you have sent someone home, you are not in ratio.

Insurance has to cover certain things, can't just cut it down.

Utilities can be watched to eliminate waste but again, you have to have heat and a/c and lights.

Childcare is a business that is heavily controlled by state regulations and those regulations can make it hard for the business to be profitable. OTOH, the regulations are needed to make for quality child care.

Personally, I like event fundraisers. Fall or Spring Festivals, Fish Fry, Spaghetti Plates--that kind of thing doesn't require selling stuff out of a catalog but it does require parents giving a day to work the event.

A huge number of centers around here have become "non-profit". They are still privately owned but do whatever is necessary through the state to become non-profit. They still do fundraising.

I am a manager(moving into the assistant director position) of a daycare and I agree with everything luvsJack is saying. We are very affordable (we have to be to compete with area daycares) and fundraisers, like it or not, help pay for the extras. Out last fundraiser paid for cameras in the classrooms and a security key pad on the lobby door. The year before,new play structures for both of our playgrounds.
I also agree selling more wrapping paper and cheaply made items isn't ideal,that is why we are trying some new ideas this year. We understand not all parents are interested and that's OK.

 

[mefordis]

Agree with the OP. Not a dime would I raise.

 

[aprilchem]

I also agree with the OP. Our daycare gives us a supply list at the beginning of each year, has us pay an art fee, a yearly field trip fee, and and activities fee, and yet they still do two fundraisers a year. We participated at first but now I don't - they never sell anything that we'd ever use and I don't see the use of it.

My two older kids are in the public schools and they do fundraisers as well. I can see the validity of doing fundraisers there much more than at our high-priced daycare, but the stuff they sell is always total junk. I donate money directly to the teacher for supplies (Target gift cards) and make a cash donation to the PTA each year, and occasionally DH and I will make a larger donation (a computer or some iPads) to the school itself, but I never do the fundraisers. The school only gets 20% of the money you spend, so it's a waste in my opinion.

 

[burnurcomputer]

This is *NOT* a non profit daycare. It is a FOR PROFIT daycare and I spend a small fortune to send my child there. And with all the money it costs to send my child there, I am not selling crap to my coworkers. If they want to raise the tuition, that is fine, go ahead and see how many children go elsewhere. They are already overpriced. I will not be participating in this fundraiser.

Amen!!!! There is a big difference between an extra curricular activity, at any age, and a day care. At a for profit day care you are paying for a service. An extra curricular is , by definition, in excess of the set expectations.....and may carry a cost for the program and its fees and supplies. Day care is to monitor and nourish the growth of a child both in psyche and in the physical, not to provide electronic toys that replace adult attention.

Jamie, who has 4 kids 15, 13, 5 and 3.