I Forgot My Check...

[Dsquared]

If payment for the week of care is due Monday morning and parents show up without their payment with the old "I forgot the check at home..." what type of fee do you guys charge? The parents will usually will bring the check at pickup (if you have a conversation with them about where's the money at drop off) later that day BUT it has started to became a habit with some of them. I also feel that if they weren't reminded that they "forgot their check" at drop off they probably would not bring it to pickup on Monday afternoon/evening.

My thought is you didn't forget to bring your kid today so don't forget your payment.

[wdmmom]

What is your late fee? I charge $10 per day. If it's not received in the morning when it's due, I would charge the fee. Bet they won't forget it next time.

[Blackcat31]

This sounds tough but seriously if they forget their check and it is REQUIRED to be in on Monday mornings then I would NOT take their child. I try to NEVER provide services without payment.....even for just a few hours.

I would have the parent run to the bank (with child) or I would maybe allow them to bring the check at pick up but ONLY if:

• they were a long standing family with a great payment history and
• they pay a late fee since the check was due in the morning but not paid til the afternoon, I would consider this to be a late payment.

[laundrymom]

First time I charge inconvenience fee of $10 per day. Second or more time fees raise $5 per week. After each 6 months of on time pymt fee is reduced by $5 until original fee is reached.

[Lilbutterflie]

I think I'm the odd woman out here; but I usually give them the benefit of the doubt the first couple of times and allow them to bring it at pickup without any additional fees. If they don't bring it at pickup, the late fee applies. If the check is not brought the next morning, I don't accept the child until they pay.

However, if this is occurring EVERY week (more than twice in a row); I would have a talk with the parents. Let them know you have tried to be flexible with them, but since it is becoming a habit you are going to start enforcing your late fee if the check isn't brought in the AM during drop off. Hopefully this policy is already in your handbook, but if it isn't, add it and make them sign a new one.

[momma2girls]

I have this in my contract- Payment is due Mon. of the week of daycare am at drop off or pm at pick up. If payment is not made, I will not watch your children, til payment is made, and there will be $10.00 a day late fee, inc. Sat. and Sun.

[daycare]

What works for me is having payments paid on Friday in advance. Most people get paid on Friday, so they don't have time to spend it over the weekend and etc.

I also have a one time $40.00 late fee if not paid by friday at closing plus a $10.00 fee per day that it is not paid. I don't accept payments on weekends either. If they show up on Monday morning and don't have the full fee for me including late fees, No pay no stay.

Of course, this is on a case by case basis and I have only ever had to do it once.

[renodeb]

Just think of it tis way: What if there boss said " OOps forgot the check book today, but will you still work. I think its a lame excuse. I have even had parents say that the check was in the car do I want them to go get it. Now come on! I charge 10 dollars a day. Its a great deterent.
Debbie

[Crazy8]

This is why I require payment on Fridays for the following week. You will often get the "I forgot my check" excuse Friday morning. If its not in by 5pm Friday evening they get slapped with a late fee, and more late fees if its not dropped off over the weekend (I do allow them to do this) and then by Monday morning there is no "I forgot my check" - its now "turn around, take your child and visit the ATM down the street".

[Jewels]

I trust all my parents to pay me, so I don't charge a fee for being late, It is easy to forget a check, I honestly used to do it all the time when I had my son in daycare, I never carried my checkbook on me, and I never remembered until I got there and looked at the payment box, lucklily I lived a few houses down and would run back home, but I really sometimes(not often) did not remember on monday morning, my thoughts in the morning were on getting myself ready, and making sure I had enough time to snuggle and watch a cartoon with my little boy and then get out the door by 6:30... people do innocently forget, I never think its a ploy not to pay me, I have a family that would alwayas forget, never bothered me, I knew they were good for it, most of my families are set up on the childcarepay.com, so everything is done automatically, and theres no way to forget......but I also never go to the bank until the end of the week, sometimes I don't make it for 2 weeks. I'm just lenient I guess, I've had my current families for so long, and they are all so great to me, and maybe its because I've never been screwed over yet.

[CheekyChick]

Payment is due on Friday, but I give a 5 day grace period before charging a late fee. In almost five years I have never charged a late fee, even if they surpass the five days. Thankfully, 95% of my parents pay on time or early.

[MrsB]

Mine is $10 a day late fee too but I just switched this week to no longer accepting checks which has cut down on my "oh I forgot my check books"

My biggest excuse was "my wife/husband has the ck, she'll give it to you at drop off" Oh brother, you couldnt spend 3 minutes last night getting a check from your wife/husband?

I have the little credit card scanner that hooks to my smart phone for running payments or they can use auto pay on minute menu.

I do have one young mom that doesnt have a cking account and the grandmother pays the bill. So the 3rd week of every month. The grandma gives me 4-5 post dated checks for the upcoming month.

[jojosmommy]

Tell them pmts are due Friday now. Then when they pay Monday it will be on time. Or tell them you are requiring online pmts through childcarepay.com. I love it! Never had an issue since starting that.

And really, if I forgot the checkbook ONCE I would rip out two blanks leave them in my glove box or somewhere interest car for emergencies and never look like a no mind again. Come on people.

[Lilbutterflie]

Mine is $10 a day late fee too but I just switched this week to no longer accepting checks which has cut down on my "oh I forgot my check books"

My biggest excuse was "my wife/husband has the ck, she'll give it to you at drop off" Oh brother, you couldnt spend 3 minutes last night getting a check from your wife/husband?

I have the little credit card scanner that hooks to my smart phone for running payments or they can use auto pay on minute menu.

I do have one young mom that doesnt have a cking account and the grandmother pays the bill. So the 3rd week of every month. The grandma gives me 4-5 post dated checks for the upcoming month.

Mrs. B, I have a couple questions for you!

1- I have thought about signing up for the auto pay on Minute Menu; but how long does it take from the time the parents make payment to when it actually hits your account? I thought I read that it could take 5-7 business days, yikes! For the parents that use it, what is their deadline for making payment, and do you get notified (email or otherwise) when the payment has been made?

2-How much does the credit card scanner run? Do you have to pay per transaction?

[daycare]

Mrs. B, I have a couple questions for you!

1- I have thought about signing up for the auto pay on Minute Menu; but how long does it take from the time the parents make payment to when it actually hits your account? I thought I read that it could take 5-7 business days, yikes! For the parents that use it, what is their deadline for making payment, and do you get notified (email or otherwise) when the payment has been made?

2-How much does the credit card scanner run? Do you have to pay per transaction?

I used to use the childcare pay but it takes 5-7 business days to post to the account. AND still then you won't know if the payment bounces or not until then. None of my payments were ever paid on time using that program and a few times checks did not clear the bank and I did not find out for about 7 days. So I stopped using it.