Thinking About Switching Day Cares.

my mom does daycare, and she is very loving. She has a back up in case that ever happened, BUT my mom is very reliable! I think out of her 2 years shes taken her two weeks off for vactaion and thats all!!! She ahrdly gets sick.

Her daycare consist of a preschool program, healthy meals. CRP and First Aid certified. ECE Credits! her name is dollie!

I run my own family daycare and in my contract it states specifically, for example..... 2 weeks paid vacation and 2 weeks notice will be given. I note all my paid holidays and I note that I can have 3 paid sick/personal days without notice. Now as for me I take one week in the summer and one week in the winter. Some daycare providers do not take weeks and just use their vacation here and there during the year. At the beginning of every month I put a note/calendar on my door reminding all families of the closed days or vacation days. Although my contract already states this, I make sure they do not forget because they do forget. Please take a look at he contract you signed. If there is no note of notice you are basically out of luck and should find another daycare. If her contract states that she has to give notice, bring it to her attention and tell her that you are not paying for anymore days off, especially if she is not giving notice per her contract. That way if you do need to find care you are not double paying. Now if she gives you notice to leave, you have every right to advise the State of California of her actions and they will come and do a visit. It will be up to the state whether or not to put a complaint under her license for breech of contract. Now worse case scenerio she may rewrite her contract and it will be up to you to sign it and stay. Just make sure next time you are aware of the providers vacations and make sure you get in writing the notice. When you decide to talk to your provider make sure you are clear and serious. do not let her go beyond the contract. A lot of daycare providers do this, take advantage of not clear contracts. It really gives us good providers a bad name. Good luck and let me know what happens.

Hi,
I am a daycare provider and yours is clearly taking advantage of your good nature. You are paying her for an important service and she is not coming through.
Here are a few suggestions;

1. Find another one. When interviewing,ask the provider if there is someone available in her absense. If not, move on. Any good daycare should have someone available in case of emergency, because anything can happen.

2. Find a back up daycare that accepts drop-ins. Tell your provider that in the future you will be deducting the amount that you have to pay any other person to care for your daughter during her normal daycare hours. I would be willing to be that she will change her tune.

I hope these suggestions help

D.

Switch day cares. 12 days? That's an awful lot of "vacation" days since the beginning of the year! How are you supposed to cover for that with no advanced notice? You have a job that you are supposed to be reliable for and by cancelling on you, she is creating a hardship on your employment. There are plenty of day care providers out there that will give you advance notice of time off, with NO PAY. It is reprehensible that she thinks she can call you at 6:30 AM and tell you she is taking the day off, and by the way, you'll still be paying her. CHANGE! There is no question about it, she isn't taking her job seriously, so you need to question how seriously she takes it when your children are with her. I hope this helps!

I would talk to her first. Explain to her that you have a job which you depend on her to be there for you. While you understand that things come up, 12 days off without notice is to much. Also explain to her that picking up her daughter is creating a hardship on you and if things don't change you will have to find more reliable childcare, but you are reluctant because your daughter loves her so much.

I am an in-home daycare provider as well. I have only missed 2 days since the beginning of the year, because my daughter was extremely sick. I did not charge for those days. I give advance notice for any vacation I take. I have a contract which I state my vacation and sickday policies. If you change providers, make sure they have a contract so you know what there policies are on taking vacations and sick days.

Good Luck

Your daycare provider sounds like my sitter. It can become VERY manipulative. My advice is to have a meeting and tell her honestly whats bothering you and that you feel you have to compromise your schedule for hers. Its important that you are clear. You giving her a little room and she takes advantage of you.

My husband and I just fired my sitter for the same reason. My son loves her girls and he will miss her so much BUT it was not financially logical. Now that its over she's attacking our parenting styles and saying that our rules are too strict. Its really childish. I would not wish it on anyone. The job comes first. Dont be too understanding of her personal life. She may take advantage of you. Just my opinion

I think if you do not like your current situation with your provider then you should talk with her. When you speak with your provider let her know all of your concerns, after doing this if you still feel that nothing was accomplished then you should find another provider, one that can offer you what you want.

Finding a quality preschool can be stressful. However, once you know what you want for your child and you visit a few schools, your goals become very clear.
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I look forward to meeting you!

It sounds like she's a really nice person who hasn't quite gotten the picture that she is running a business and not just doing you a favor. How do you feel about your kids going "along for the ride" when she takes her daughter to softball? Then you could pick them up from the softball field. If that's not an option, you will have to explain to her that while your children love her and you appreciate the care she has provided them, your work schedule doesn't permit you to pick the kids up early and you'll have to find an alternative. If possible, try scheduling it aroung a big event, like a scheduled vacation or at the time of the child's birthday.... to get them excited about the "new school."

CHANGE! I babysit a couple of kids for my mom's friend, and I haven't EVER canceled on her. Not even when I had a MASSIVE migrain. I would recommend a regular preschool if she's 3 or older. Even preschool centers that have nursery programs are worth looking into. I know that they charge more than "in home" day cares, but are worth it in the long run. I'm a SAHM, and even I plan to enroll our son in preschool when he's old enough. (The one we want to send him to requires that he be 3 years and FULLY potty trained.) At a real preschool, even if the teacher "calls in sick", class will continue.

I also recommend telling her that if she doesn't provide you with AT LEAST 3 weeks notice of a vacation day, you WILL NOT pay her for that day! I don't get paid on the days they don't need me. I don't ask for it, even when THEY call in sick!

Hope it helped~ J.

I'm not sure who you went though to find her but i was in the same situation with a provider and looked into it and found out if they take days off then you don't have to pay. In our instance they only had a week of vacation and they had to give a 30 day notice of it and they had all federal holidays off.
But it happend a few time where she called and told us that non of her kids were coming that day and that she didn't see why she should open if she would only have our son. Thats when i found out that i didn't have to pay her and that she had to remburse me every day she did that, because you have to pay someone else to watch your son.

It seems to be that her hours aren't going to work for you. Do you have a contract with her? It should say the house that she agreed to watch to daughter. If she wants to change her hours then she has to make a new contract. Thats the point of a contract.

I would think until you find another place i would tell her that your agreement was to watch your daughter till 6 and untill you can find a new place thats what it has to stay at.

But really your contract will be your best thing. If you don't have one, make sure the next person give you one.

Hope this helps

I think you should start looking for another provider. It seems as if your day care provider is taking advantage of you. 12 days off by June is more than most get in one year's time.
I think it will get out of hand if you dont nip it in the bud. Look at other places, talk to other moms and see what is out there.
Good luck