Daycare Questions

[AIT]

I have about a month off around Christmas. I wanted to save money by keeping the kids home with me for the month instead of sending them sending them off to their daycare. Oh, and I'm sure we'll all enjoy the quality family time. I was hoping to drop down to a part-time rate or something to hold their spot. The daycare absolutely refuses to work with us, though. We have to keep paying for their regular time whether they're there or not. All we can do is cancel for the month and hope they still have a spot available when they need to return.

Is this how all daycares work? I'm a little ticked off at them for not cutting us a break. I almost want to cancel and take my chances that their spots will still be available, but I'm pretty sure that's short-sighted.

What am I supposed to do with a month's worth of daycare that I don't need?

 

[keepngoal]

most day care CENTERS work that way.

your solution IS short sighted. Most give you a two week off period (vacation if you will). find another day care provider before you ditch your current one.

-keep

 

[BigBake]

I can't really blame them. That's income they are missing out on if they let you go 1/2 time.

 

[Clonehomer]

They've got to still pay their employees. What if your work said that we're going to temporarily lay you off with no unemployment benefits but we want a guarantee that you'll be back after a month. Would you be up for that.

 

[kingcy]

You still have to pay. You have a contract with them. After about 3 days of the kids at home with you, you will be ready to send them back to daycare. Heck we pay full rate for our kids being there part-time. We have to do that to keep that spot open.

 

[CRcyclone6]

every daycare that i know works this way. the only problem i have is when they go on vaca then we are screwed. they need rest to tho.

 

[AIT]

They've got to still pay their employees. What if your work said that we're going to temporarily lay you off with no unemployment benefits but we want a guarantee that you'll be back after a month. Would you be up for that.

Isn't that exactly what companies do when they lay off employees? (minus the guarantee that the company will want the employees back) My dad's employer just cut him back to part-time. That's life.

 

[kingcy]

Isn't that exactly what companies do when they lay off employees? (minus the guarantee that the company will want the employees back) My dad's employer just cut him back to part-time. That's life.

Not when there is a demand for good daycare.

 

[AIT]

You still have to pay. You have a contract with them. After about 3 days of the kids at home with you, you will be ready to send them back to daycare. Heck we pay full rate for our kids being there part-time. We have to do that to keep that spot open.

I'm sure you're right, that it's just the way daycares work. It's just frustrating because daycare is so expensive, and I was hoping to get a little break.

 

[wartknight]

We were fortunate our in-home daycare lady gave us our spot back and didn't charge us for the 3 months my wife was home on maternity leave.

 

[Wesley]

Just pretend the daycare is the auto union and you are paying their jobs bank when you keep your kids home.

 

[HOTDON]

I'm sure you're right, that it's just the way daycares work. It's just frustrating because daycare is so expensive, and I was hoping to get a little break.

I strongly disagree with several of the policies at our daycare, but I can't even raise a stink and threaten to walk away because there are 10 other kids waiting to get my son's spot. We're pretty much over a barrel with the big daycares.

In-homes are a real mixed bag. The one we had in Ames was amazing. We have a standing offer to drop our son off at her place any time were in town. On the other hand I've heard some really bad stories, and known several people who have started their own that I would never leave my kid with.

 

[BigBake]

Maybe the daycare should apply for a bailout from the govt??

Okay...poor attempt at a joke.

 

[cyco2000]

If daycares were so awesome and people made tons of money doing it, all of you would be opening daycares.

Daycares suck to run. You don't want vacation at your job? Would you like to work from 7:30-5:30 with no time to yourself? Without the guarantee that you can log onto CF?

Like someone else said, if you don't like it, try somewhere else. Or, risk it and maybe you'll be lucky. Or, if you think running a daycare is awesome and they are just making easy money, open one up for yourself and try to make a living doing it for what they charge (with or without vacation).

 

[milrtym]

The crappy thing about the child care centers (they take care of children not days) is when they budget, they project the maximum children they can take paying the full tuition. The number 1 expense is wages and they are required to maintain a very strict teacher to child ratio by DHS (Department of Human Services). If you don't pay your monthly fees then, they can't pay your child's teacher, and if they can't the teacher they could have 4-15 children looking for different child care. They won't cut the job of their business manager, supervisor and the other support staff.

In-home child cares usually have 1 person that is the supervisor, business manager, cook, and teacher. So pretty much all the profit goes to them or split with 1 or 2 helpers they might have. Thus they will be more likely to work with you on such situations.

Simple economics really.

 

[cloneluke80]

Welcome to my world.

I pay 52 weeks per year, period.

No ifs/ands or buts.

52 weeks or I can find a new daycare (that does exactly the same thing).

 

[GeronimusClone]

$200 a day I'll watch your kids.

 

[GeronimusClone]

Welcome to my world.

I pay 52 weeks per year, period.

No ifs/ands or buts.

52 weeks or I can find a new daycare (that does exactly the same thing).

Condoms are sooooo much cheaper

 

[CarolinaCy]

Welcome to my world.

I pay 52 weeks per year, period.

No ifs/ands or buts.

52 weeks or I can find a new daycare (that does exactly the same thing).

Our daycare gives us 2 weeks for vacation - after we've been with them for 1 year.

 

[Wesley]

Some fallout from this always policy is the kids are left to get their moneys worth in a few cases....