Um no.

[burnurcomputer]

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.

Then set a price that splits the cost across the board. Its a business, not a home day care. Use accepted business practices and budget the money accordingly. Factor in wear and tear in all facility areas and suck it up. As they say at my mechanics shop: " An emergency or failure to anticipate problems does not make it an emergency on my part, it makes it one for you. Full payment upon completion required". If your things break and you havn't predicated the cost in am emergency ot repair fund is not the parents problem, its yours, your board, and your accountants.

 

[POPCITY]

When DS was in daycare they had one fundraiser a year, but everyone enjoyed it. It was a carnival. There were pony rides, a dunking booth, face painting, games, things like that, plus hot dogs, hamburgers, snow cones, etc. Each thing cost one ticket, and tickets were $1. They had it in our local park, and everybody went, even some if the kids that had moved on to elementary school came back for it. I think they made the bulk of their money on the silent auction that went along with it. The top moneymaker was dinner and a movie for your kid with the daycare owner, who everyone loved. It would go for a couple of hundred dollars! The whole thing was a blast, no pressure to buy anything, just a day of fun.

 

[luvsJack]

Then set a price that splits the cost across the board. Its a business, not a home day care. Use accepted business practices and budget the money accordingly. Factor in wear and tear in all facility areas and suck it up. As they say at my mechanics shop: " An emergency or failure to anticipate problems does not make it an emergency on my part, it makes it one for you. Full payment upon completion required". If your things break and you havn't predicated the cost in am emergency ot repair fund is not the parents problem, its yours, your board, and your accountants.

And then you price out of what parents can afford.

Look at it this way, in this state a center is under almost every regulation a school is except they have to have more employees per child. They also have to have all tbe same supplies plus some Schools get money from the state and teachers are still buying their own classroom supplies Caregivers make a lot less than teachers

The pp bought cameras and door keypad That is something every child and parent benefits from and not something most centers can afford.

 

[Keli]

I don't think I would support a fundraising effort for a regular, for profit, daycare center either.

I feel differently about schools but I guess that's because there is no one taking the profit while I help support the costs of the center. I would feel 100% different about a non profit center.

 

[luvsJack]

I don't think I would support a fundraising effort for a regular, for profit, daycare center either.

I feel differently about schools but I guess that's because there is no one taking the profit while I help support the costs of the center. I would feel 100% different about a non profit center.

For some non profit the owner gets a paycheck in a for profit they dont always get one

 

[Nancyg56]

Then set a price that splits the cost across the board. Its a business, not a home day care. Use accepted business practices and budget the money accordingly. Factor in wear and tear in all facility areas and suck it up. As they say at my mechanics shop: " An emergency or failure to anticipate problems does not make it an emergency on my part, it makes it one for you. Full payment upon completion required". If your things break and you havn't predicated the cost in am emergency ot repair fund is not the parents problem, its yours, your board, and your accountants.

You clearly do not approve of the ipads yet you would be okay that the center raised their fees for everyone in order to finance them? It seems to me that you kind of want it both ways. In this case, you are given the opportunity to simply ignore the fundraiser, but if fees went up, you would either pay them or take your child and go.

I am not upset about fundraisers, I either participate or I do not. If you feel strongly that your fees should cover everything, you are in for a very rude awakening when your child begins to participate in anything. You pay for the activity and then you fundraise after you pay to finance the "extras". I think that is when I understand frustration because many activities are pretty darn expensive and the kids are required to raise a certain amount in order to participate in whatever they are raising money for. In any case, I prefer when I can choose to participate or not.

 

[Rafiki31]

You clearly do not approve of the ipads yet you would be okay that the center raised their fees for everyone in order to finance them? It seems to me that you kind of want it both ways. In this case, you are given the opportunity to simply ignore the fundraiser, but if fees went up, you would either pay them or take your child and go.

I am not upset about fundraisers, I either participate or I do not. If you feel strongly that your fees should cover everything, you are in for a very rude awakening when your child begins to participate in anything. You pay for the activity and then you fundraise after you pay to finance the "extras". I think that is when I understand frustration because many activities are pretty darn expensive and the kids are required to raise a certain amount in order to participate in whatever they are raising money for. In any case, I prefer when I can choose to participate or not.

This is a daycare, not an extracurricular or public school. There are plenty that run like a proper business and cover their costs without fundraisers. I am curious what they are asking people to sell.

 

[dismomofbn]

And then you price out of what parents can afford. Look at it this way, in this state a center is under almost every regulation a school is except they have to have more employees per child. They also have to have all tbe same supplies plus some Schools get money from the state and teachers are still buying their own classroom supplies Caregivers make a lot less than teachers The pp bought cameras and door keypad That is something every child and parent benefits from and not something most centers can afford.

I so agree with this. Has anyone ever heard someone say, " I want to be rich so I am going to go into ....daycare"???
Most of the tuition fees go for salaries and still barely cover payroll. Daycare workers make such low wages for doing such important work. (The first 5 years of life is the time of the most brain development!) Low wages mean high turnover which means less stability for a child.
I would much rather participate in fund raisers or pay my portion of the fundraiser fees for those extras than see the funds come from other center costs like staff.

 

[Nancyg56]

This is a daycare, not an extracurricular or public school. There are plenty that run like a proper business and cover their costs without fundraisers. I am curious what they are asking people to sell.

I understand that this is a daycare. I also understand the OP is not forced to participate nor is she paying for an item that her child either cannot or would not use. She easily could toss the thing in the trash and call it a day.

My point about paying for extracuricular activities remains in place. As her child gets older and enrolls in anything, there is a strong possibility that there will be fund raising projects that are over and above the cost of the program. The goal may be for equipment, stage sets, musical instruments or sound systems, or technology. But it will happen, and the fees paid for many of these programs (and lets leave school programs out of it, just private dance, gymnastics, hockey, tennis, music enrollments....) may or may not directly benefit her child. We can all believe that these centers, etc should cover their costs with the fees charged, but that does not change that there will be fund raisers or that they are not all voluntary.

I guess I don't understand why she is so angry. I have opted out of these things when I did not see the need or just could not justify the cost. She can do that as well, and if she feels that a reason is needed she could simply tell the director what she said here, the fees she pays are enough to cover the services her child receives and that she is not planning n imposing on friends and family to support what she has already paid for. Period.

 

[Roo2You]

I so agree with this. Has anyone ever heard someone say, " I want to be rich so I am going to go into ....daycare"???

The owner/director of our awesome daycare drove a BMW and lived in a beautiful home. I think she does very well for herself.

 

[mefordis]

I look at it like my gym membership or yoga or Cross Fit class. Or Gymboree for my child, etc. I pay them for a monthly service (gym, classes, locker rooms, etc . ). I don't have them asking me to raise money on top of the membership fees.

 

[Nancyg56]

I look at it like my gym membership or yoga or Cross Fit class. Or Gymboree for my child, etc. I pay them for a monthly service (gym, classes, locker rooms, etc . ). I don't have them asking me to raise money on top of the membership fees.

I really understand how you view this. I just think that in many instances when you take your child to preschool daycare, and activities you may run into fundraising. At that point you decide how you want to handle it, but as kids get older, the more this becomes an issue.

 

[kirstenb1]

I'm sure this has been mentioned, but some parents are really financially strapped with the expense of daycare. One way to increase $$ for the daycare is to raise the weekly rate. That affects all parents, including the strapped ones.

A fundraiser is another way, a voluntary way, and helps keep tuition rates down.

 

[mjkacmom]

I look at it like my gym membership or yoga or Cross Fit class. Or Gymboree for my child, etc. I pay them for a monthly service (gym, classes, locker rooms, etc . ). I don't have them asking me to raise money on top of the membership fees.

I would equate a daycare being more along the lines of a preschool, private school, dance school, gymnastics facility, etc. - other businesses that do have fundraisers.

 

[msjprincess]

Is tuition there lower than average?


It seems like a no-win situation. If they need money for extras the only choices are raise tuition or fund raise. Either way someone will be mad. This probably seemed like the lesser of two evils since it is optional.

 

[FlyingDumbo]

Is tuition there lower than average?


It seems like a no-win situation. If they need money for extras the only choices are raise tuition or fund raise. Either way someone will be mad. This probably seemed like the lesser of two evils since it is optional.

The tuition is much higher than average, actually. We chose this one because after interviewing several, I liked this infant staffmember I interviewed the best and because it is very close to where I work. And the owner drives a Porsche SUV and owns 3 daycare, I Don't think she is broke. And the staffmember we loved so much, well she is not the one there most days. I like the other lady, but not as much as the one they said would be in there. They made a lot of promises, they have only delivered on some.

For those that asked, it's frozen cookie dough for sale. Seems like a logistical nightmare to get to it anyone who buys it. I am not selling it.

 

[mfd25wife]

And so it begins....

Just think, you have another 18yrs of this stuff.

And make so mistake..... those buying from you will likely be passing around something to you in the future. I got where I would only sell certain things regardless of what DD was selling. Little Caesar's pizza, Home Interior candles, and the bread braids were about it. The others were the ones who didn't jack up the prices where a 5 and dime necklace or $2.5 box of candy was now $15. The school would even have "pizza parties or ice cream parties" for those who sold $x. I just called the principal and said, "I'll write a check for the amount the school. At least they would get ALL of the check and not just 20%-30%. As for daycare and preschool, no. I paid them for her to be there. Why would I sell something to make up for their own operational expenses?

 

[cari12]

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.

These are all costs of doing business and like any other business, a plan should be in place to cover these things. It does not seem right to ask the kids to pedal stuff in order for the daycare to run it's business.

 

[cari12]

The tuition is much higher than average, actually. We chose this one because after interviewing several, I liked this infant staffmember I interviewed the best and because it is very close to where I work. And the owner drives a Porsche SUV and owns 3 daycare, I Don't think she is broke. And the staffmember we loved so much, well she is not the one there most days. I like the other lady, but not as much as the one they said would be in there. They made a lot of promises, they have only delivered on some. For those that asked, it's frozen cookie dough for sale. Seems like a logistical nightmare to get to it anyone who buys it. I am not selling it.

I would not be fundraising to pay for that owner's Porsche! They need to sink the necessary dollars in their business.

 

[mefordis]

I also think fund raising at private schools would put me off. You pay so much for tuition, on top of tax dollars to support the local public school, then they want you to raise funds for the school you are shelling out 15k annually? No thanks!

I find fund raising at public schools acceptable, as well as preschools that are affiliated with a church. There is should be no profit in a church, since they are able to file non profit tax returns.