Daycare Provider Paid Time Off

[dEHmom]

I did not read every post as I just spent way too long reading the first half.

I'm not responding about ANYTHING I read but the original post.

This is my opinion........

As a provider, I do not expect you to pay for my holidays. However, I expect a monthly fee regardless of days/hours used. This is so that I know how much income I have coming in, and I can adjust my bill payments and expenses accordingly.

If... I think I'm getting 100 dollars this friday, and I go out and buy something on sale on my credit card, fully expecting to pay that back on friday, and you decide you are not bringing your child next week for the week because you are taking a last minute vacation, well, hmm......What am I going to do now?

If...you become sick tonight, and you won't be bringing your child for the rest of the week, should I have to then take a loss in my income even though I was ready, willing and capable of work today tomorrow and the next day?

If I decide to shut down for a week because of a family emergency, and I have to fly to _____ to deal with funeral arrangements or such, are you going to pay me for bereavment (no idea how to spell that) like most employees do? How about for Jury duty? This is time I was not expecting to have off, this is time where I will incur EXTRA expenses that I wasn't originally planning on. As a business owner, I can't expect myself to get paid when there is no money to pay this.

Most people on average can afford to put aside 10% of their paycheque into savings, but we are already putting aside approx 20% of our paycheques to put towards taxes (well some of us anyway) at tax time. If you are paying me 100/wk, that's 20 dollars I'm putting aside minimum. That means I have 80 dollars for the week to pay bills, buy gas, buy groceries FOR YOUR CHILD, feed myself and my family, etc etc. We also do not get group benefits, so should we choose to buy into benefits we are doing so at a much higher rate. We still need to go to the dentist, and fill prescriptions and what not. Ever consider what your prescription would be without your coverage?

Some daycare providers don't have their service maxed out, I know I don't. Currently I am trying to fill my full time spot. But I have 3 children of my own, allowed a max of 4 children INCLUDING my own, and only one of mine is in school full time. SO I only have 2 spots available, and I have to turn families down because I have one under 2 and one over 2 slots available and theirs are 3 and 5 yrs old, or something like that. So I can't just take anybody who wants to use my service.

So to sum it all up, no I don't expect you to pay me for my vacation off, but just remember when you're huffing and puffing about having to pay for days that you aren't bringing your child, that I work for WELL BELOW minimum wage. I often get a card for xmas, I feed, care for, and love your child, instill values in your child that will last a lifetime, I teach your child manners, maybe even how to use the potty, I SPEND MORE WAKING HOURS IN A DAY WITH YOUR CHILD THAN YOU, so please just respect the policies I have set out. If you signed it, you agreed to it, end of story. If you find that I charge too much, I'd like you to look around and see what other people are charging before you complain or walk away.

If everyone looked at it like some make it seem, like we chose to work from home, and watch kids for next to nothing, and yada yada, then there would be no daycare providers. Good luck finding a center with 1 opening for your child.

[Unregistered]

Well to the OP, think on the bright side. Some people have it worse. I work for a dc provider and while she charges parents a flat rate which includes paid holidays, we dc employees don't reap any of the benefits. Sick days, vacation days, holidays, snow days, funerals, doctors appts., come out of our own pockets - which means no pay. Forget about medical benefits. We work hard (changing diapers, wiping noses, cleaning toilets, feeding and teaching children from infants through K) and most of us make minimum wage. And if we don't like it, there is someone who will gladly take our job. Me... I'll take it because it pays some bills and I love the children. I have neighbors losing their homes because they can't find work....

Oh and if we DO take an unpaid vacation, no one is hired to replace us. The remaining employees usually do double duty to pick up the slack.

But I have to go with what others have said that if you sign a contract, you must abide by it. If you don't agree, just look elsewhere.

[Unregistered]

Spouse of a Childcare Provider

That's per child....if you have 5 kids in your care, that's $400-$750 per week.

How many people make that kind of money with no commute, can wear sweats and T's to work, and do their laundry/dusting/dishes/etc on the clock?

Add to that, you don't have to pay DC bills for your own kids, and that ain't cheap.

You almost sound like one of the complaining parents that can NEVER understand the costs associated with childcare. I'm not sure where you live or why your wife has no investment costs but where I live GREAT preschools (now beginning at age 2) and daycares are EVERYWHERE making it very difficult to keep the "commodity of kids" coming in. I must say that I'm suprised...you don't sound like you have any idea of what costs are associated with being a provider. Don't you guys have insurance (although ours is probably more expensive in NY), food, activities, curriculum costs, cleaning costs, STAFF? I have 5 children but pay $2,000 a month in staff alone because unfortunately the kids aren't dropped off and picked up at my door so I need other people to help. Whatever your situation is, it certainly isn't the same for everyone. People ..mostly parents...on this site seem to be really narrow minded. Seriously. - WOW you make $750 a week without even considering the costs? That's $3,000 a month, before taxes, insurance, food, curriculum, cleaning, STAFF... SERIOUSLY?!

[Unregistered]

Are you kidding me?

Here's where I think some of the childcare providers are getting confused about vacation and other paid time off:

The parents are merely customers. *They* are not business owners or anyone's employers.

The obligation of the parents is only for the service that the childcare provider provides.

Only employers may have an obligation to pay vacation and sick time (and even holidays) if that is part of the hiring parameters, and only if that is agreed to when the employee is hired (which, I'll remind you, is not always the case).

Childcare providers are in business for themselves. That, like any other home-based business, means that you have no one above you - no one to tell you what to do, and no one to bail you out when you're in a jam. That's the downside of owning your own business - any kind of business, regardless of how much money you make. When you go into business for yourself, you realize the costs and count the rewards, and if you fail to do this, then you deal with the consequences without projecting them onto someone else. It sounds harsh, but that's reality. To sit there and throw out every penny and justify your cause is childish. I don't care if you make $10 a week at the end of the week. That is not my problem. I am the customer; I am not your employer and I do not own a business where you are my employee, therefore I have no obligation whatsoever to pay for your time not worked.

It is interesting to note that many of you said you charge a low weekly rate and can barely make ends meet, therefore, you deserve a paid vacation and sick time. This is illogical. What you charge is not the fault of the parent. Plus, it sounds to me like you are charging less than you should as a way to entice parents into your service and then pull a fast one by expecting them to pay for your time off - services not rendered (even if you whip out the contract and gloss over the fine print). It would be more honest for you to charge up front what you need to charge to cover for all expenses to operate your business -including any potential time off - meaning instead of $100 weekly fee, it should be more like $120 or something to that effect. And then any vacation or sick time would be $0 - or a moot point since parents are not obliged to cover you as if you were their employee.

You are not their employee. You are their service provider.

Anything beyond that is gravy - in both directions. Since this is a home-based business that involves more intimate psychological and emotional involvement than, say, a plumber who fixes your inanimate toilet, there are certain additional rewards that a childcare provider *might hope* for. But, gifting and sharing of the familial bond takes time and you have to develop trust and agreement between the parties. It is not something to be contracted by saying you must provide me with vacation pay and sick time.

[Michael]

The best way to help you understand is for you to run your own business/daycare. That usually clears up a lot of confusion. Usually a contract spells out the services rendered and it is not hidden the small print. The fact that paid holidays are a consistent expectation amongst providers must tell you something; it's a fair business practice.

[Unregistered]

I struggle with this as well and I will tell you that it makes me downright ANGRY!!! I know for a fact that if I were working PART-TIME just as my child is going to daycare part-time {she is school aged and only attends 2 hours per day} I would not get paid vacation or paid sick time working only 2 hours a day!!!

[permanentvacation]

Kgravino,

My answer to your original questions are...

Neither of you are the employee or employer. It's a sole proprietor (childcare provider/business owner) and a client (child's parent(s)). I assume that the childcare provider showed you a contract that listed the paid holidays/vacations that she takes. If so, when you read that contract, you had the option to either agree to them or not. If you did not agree to them, you did not have to hire her. You could have continued to look for a childcare provider who does not take paid days off. However, since you did choose to hire her, you really have no right to fuss about what you have already agreed to.

[Crystal]

I'm so glad I have such appreciative parents. They GLADLY paid me for the four days I have off for the holidays, AND gave me nice bonuses to boot happyface

[kayla]

That's per child....if you have 5 kids in your care, that's $400-$750 per week.

How many people make that kind of money with no commute, can wear sweats and T's to work, and do their laundry/dusting/dishes/etc on the clock?

Add to that, you don't have to pay DC bills for your own kids, and that ain't cheap.

Sounds like you are jelous and would like a job in our field. I dare you!! And its not that easy we are watching multiple children and i find myself with no time for those things. hilarious::

[Blackcat31]

Sounds like you are jelous and would like a job in our field. I dare you!! And its not that easy we are watching multiple children and i find myself with no time for those things. hilarious::

Kayla~ Chickenhauler (the person you quoted) is/was a Senior Member of this forum and his wife DOES run a daycare.

I am pretty sure he is familiar with the ins and outs of this business.....and that it isn't easy. (His post was in support of childcare.)

[Daycaremomof2]

When I worked outside the home, I got 2 weeks of paid vacation, 5 paid sick days, and 5 personal days- all paid. I worked 8 hour days, 40 hours a week, and got a consistent 1 hour lunch break, with two 15 minute breaks a day. (I was also paid 3x's more than what I make as a provider- but that's the sacrafice that I made for my kids so I don't mind). I now run an in-home daycare, working 10 hour days, 50 hours a week. I don't get a lunch "break" at all. If my daycare kids are all asleep at the same time (IF), then I usually spend that time cleaning up from their messes. And IF everything happens to be clean, I still do not get a real "break," because I am still responsible for your child, and cannot fully relax with the weight of that responsibility on my shoulders. I work very hard wiping noses, kissing boo boo's, giving lots of hugs, teaching manners, and busting my tail everyday, all day, to provide the most caring environment for YOUR child while you are away at the office. I teach preschoolers how to read and write, babies how to crawl, walk, and sign, and most importantly, give each and every child a loving, safe, consistent environment while you are away trying to provide for your family too.

Are you seriously complaining about some paid holidays?

PS: A family vacation and break will reinvigorate your provider, and she will come back 100% better (better for your kids) when she gets back. You get what you pay for- do you really want to send your kids to a daycare where the provider doesn't get to take a real break or vacation? Would you want a surgeon operating on you after a 24 hour shift? Come on!

[Ariana]

The best way to help you understand is for you to run your own business/daycare. That usually clears up a lot of confusion. Usually a contract spells out the services rendered and it is not hidden the small print. The fact that paid holidays are a consistent expectation amongst providers must tell you something; it's a fair business practice.

Exactly! I personally do not charge for my vacation but I give myself 20 days worth of vacay (or 4 weeks). I DO get paid for all stat holidays as well as 10 personal/sick days and if YOU the parent goes on vacation.

If YOU don't like it, find another provider. Pretty simple! Don't sign my contract and then tell me you think it's unfair. Don't compare me to other businesses either. I provide a service and with that service a contract is signed so essentially I can set the terms I want.

[Christian Mother]

It is very very important to make sure that when you read your parent hand book you understand everything that is written in it. If there is ANY thing you do not understand or agree with you need to communicate that to your provider. It's your responsibility ask the questions bc they are already outlined for you. The provider has already put them forth for your consideration. Never sign something you do not agree with. By signing you are agree 100% to what is written and can not dispute it. They may seem unreasonable or unethical to you or other parents but there not unheard of. Ever provider has the right to ask for his or her own wants and each and ever parent has the right to disagree. You are entering into a contract that is binding so make sure you understand what you are agreeing to. Let me point out that taking care of children is one of the most thankless jobs ever provided yet many many do it because they LOVE it. Not because they have to. Many are not in it to make money. I would have to say that providers go above and beyond to care for their daycare families. If they are truly recognized by what they do for their child/ren they will pay vacation time bc those children are coming back to them safe and well loved. They do what they can to show appreciation in that they follow rules and guidelines set forth. Even sending cards and gifts. We deserve to have our families respect us. We really do love our families and try to be fair.

[blessedmess8]

Here's my 2 cents: I don't charge for my personal days off, but do charge for holidays. I just recently added the holidays and my daycare parents expressed no regret in paying me for such. In fact, most said they were happy to. I try to be reasonable about the holidays and if the majority of my parents have to work a holiday (say... columbus day? ), I'm not going to close. But, when everyone else is off with their paid holiday (because all my parents get paid holidays), I think they are A-ok with paying me for that day. Now, on my personal days off, I feel differently. I don't feel ok charging for that - especially when they may have to hire someone else for that day.

[Unregistered]

As a daycare provider, why can't we take paid vacation? You do.

Don't assume everyone gets paid vacation! That is so not the case. Plenty of people don't get paid vacations or sick time or any benefits at all.