Need Teacher Advice

[Alwaysgreener]

I am trying to fill a couple of spots, currently getting calls from teachers. I have toured teachers before and they tend to get an attitude about not attending in the summer. Which the way they say it irritates me and I feel like they say it to see my reaction. I have only had one teacher but it was temporary and we went in knowing it was temporary.

Basically, I do not want to start a teacher family and have them pull to avoid paying for the summer. If they want it temporary, great but I want to know now and not in May. How do you handle teacher schedules and contracts? Do your teacher families attend in the summer, do they pay if they don't?




Also, the one teacher family would spring on me that the teacher had a meeting and pick up late. (The DCD announced it at drop-off and left, I would not get a chance to reply) It was not in their contract that they could do that. How often does your teacher have a meeting?

[Gemma]

I would lay out the rules and expect no less than what I expect from other parents!
My issue with teachers, has been their attitude of them being more educated than I am. It is very annoying, but not enough to not enroll. As long as they honor the contract they sign, parents are parents no matter what they do for a living, or how much smarted than me they think they are

[Alwaysgreener]

yes, the one teacher family was like that, I got a daily note on what time to feed dcb. They had him on a strict schedule and if he got off schedule, she wanted me to go off schedule to get him back on before pick up. (it would always work out in the end but it was annoying to get the note)

[Cat Herder]

1. I do not want to start a teacher family and have them pull to avoid paying for the summer. 2. How do you handle teacher schedules and contracts? 3. Do your teacher families attend in the summer, do they pay if they don't?

4. the teacher had a meeting and pick up late. (The DCD announced it at drop-off and left 5. How often does your teacher have a meeting?

1. Unfortunately, I have not figured out a way to stop that. If they do pull out at the end of the school year, I fill their slot from the waitlist and do not allow them to return. I also let my friends know. My friends consists of other local daycare providers and teachers, we all know each other and are trying to limit our risks. The other teachers don't like when they do it, either. They get paid all 12 months and it makes it harder for the others to get care when daycare see them all as too risky and go with other families. Teachers also view it as tacky to try to screw your child care out of a living when you are still being paid an annual salary.

2. They follow the same contract as everyone else. 3. Most attend a part time schedule that varies (older siblings at home), but still have to follow the drop-off cut-off time and pay full tuition, year round.

4. If he meant late, as in after closing, I would have told him that he needed to pick up before close, then. Dad's are parents, too. Or he had the responsibility of arranging someone from the pick-up list to come before closing. If he meant later than usual, but before closing, I would have told him to drive safe and have a great day.

5. Often, but mine works junior high and the drama is never ending. Usually it happens unexpectedly as she is walking out the door and is caught in the parking lot. When a parent shows up in the principals office, or something ridiculous happens and all teachers are called to the auditorium, she has no choice. That said, in over 8 years here she has never once been late. She calls her tree. Husband, Grandparents, Siblings and Best Friend.

**The one teacher I know who was constantly late, per her provider/my friend, was just arrested for an inappropriate relationship with a student, it is all over our local papers. It simply is not the norm.

[Alwaysgreener]

Yes dcd meant dcm would be late as in after pick up time and he literally said it and walked out the door, it didn't hit me until after he was gone. Then the next week it happened again. They are short term until I delivered ds, so I let it go and ds took their sons spot when he was born.

[Rockgirl]

My late pickup fee is $2/minute, so it never happens here. It’s meant to be a deterrent, not a money maker.

I would have a BIG problem with a parent stating that they were going to be picking up after closing time. I would’ve answered, “Nope, that won’t work. Child must be picked up by closing time.”

[e.j.]

I understand not wanting to pay for a day care slot in the summer if you're not going to be around to use it so I let teachers know that they can leave for the summer but I won't hold a spot for them unless they pay for it. They're welcome to call me in the fall to see if I have an opening but I will fill the spot if I can. If they want to take the chance that a spot will be open when they have to go back to work, that's ok with me but I won't guarantee one. I think I may have had one parent in the 20+ years I've been doing day care who decided to take a chance. Unfortunately for her, it didn't go her way. I'm usually full. Most do pay to hold the spot and they bring their kids for care because they're either working at a summer job or have things to do and it's easier to do them without the kids. They also don't want to disrupt their kids' schedule too much so they bring them a day or so to keep them used to coming.

As far as meetings go, I have had teachers who have had to attend weekly meetings. I've adjusted my hours to accommodate them but only because they're respectful of me and my family and I close earlier than many day cares (4:00) so it means I'm only staying open until about 4:30. Not sure I'd be willing to accommodate if I closed later and they wanted me to work even later. If a parent tried to spring a late pick up on me, they'd be getting a text saying I could not accommodate and that they would need to figure out something so their child could be picked up on time. It's just rude to tell you something like that on the way out the door.

[Alwaysgreener]

I was so pregnant and so tired that I questioned whether or not they had told me during the tour that she was going to have meetings. She commented at a pick up that she had talked her way out of the meetings the previous weeks/months because of just having a baby but they made her stay this time. -- the late meeting only happened during the last 3 weeks before I gave birth. I honestly couldn't tell you whether or not I charged them for being late. All I really remember is being irritated once I realized that he meant late as in after pick up time versus late as in later than she normally gets there.

[Snowmom]

With every inquiry I get, there are 4 main questions I ask before giving them a quote:
1. How old is your child?
2. Are you looking for school year only or year round care?
3. What days and hours are you looking for? Please include your desired drop off and pick up time as your rate will be based solely on this information**.
4. Why are you looking for a change? (This one can spark A LOT of conversation and insight on if they will be a good client)

**I base my rates off the timeframe they want to contract for. Each family could potentially have a different rate as each contract is tailored to their specific needs.

I have an enrollment fee that is equal to two weeks of care plus $35 for supplies.
For teachers wanting a school year contract, I charge a slightly higher weekly rate. If they start with me in the Fall, it will only be about $12-$15/week more (depending on what their contracted timeframe is). If it is mid-year, it would be higher ($20-$30).
At the end of the school year, their enrollment fee is forfeited (not applied to any care) if they want the summer saved for another Fall spot. In the Fall, they re-pay the enrollment fee. If they don't want the summer held, the deposit will be applied to the last two weeks of care, with the understanding that I never re-enroll families. If they leave, they leave for good.

In the end, I come out pretty even to the full year/year round contracts (a little ahead considering no overhead costs like supplies & food consumed for 10 weeks).

In regards to lateness: not happening. If they had asked ahead of time and I still had kids for that period of time, I would consider it for an added fee.
If not, they would have gotten a BIG NO. I value my time too much to work OT for anyone. Ever. I don't do after hours.


I've had plenty of teachers in the past. For the most part, they've been pretty respectful. But my boundaries are very black and white and I have no qualms about saying no. In fact, I rather enjoy it.