Daycare Tuition

Updated on December 02, 2008
D.C. asks from Gresham, OR
11 answers

I have 2yr old twin boys that go to "school" two days a week. My daycare makes us pay for holidays. So unfortunately this year, I am having to pay for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day because they all land on a scheduled day that I take the boys to school. The daycare allows me 4days of vacation per year for each child. Full time kids get two weeks. The director of the school says that most of the parents use some of their vacation time for the holidays. I have never had kids in daycare before, but it seems a little weird that I am paying for a day that the daycare is NOT open. I would think that vacation days would be used for vacation and sick days. The daycare won't let me switch a day during the week either to make up for the holiday. Can you please tell me what your daycare guidelines are. Maybe I am not thinking correctly, but when I mention this to other people they feel that I should not be paying for a holiday. Let me know what you parents think. Thanks and Happy Holidays!

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L.U.

answers from Seattle on

D. - I don't know. When my son was in co-op pre-school we paid a monthly fee. It was the same ALL ten months, even in December when we didn't have school for two weeks.
My son is now in full day kindergarten. We pay $275 a month for that. We will pay that for December as well, and he doesn't go to school for the last two weeks. All the teacher in service days, conference days, 1/2 days, early release, and no school days....we pay the same no matter what.
It seems unfair, but I think it's that way just about everywhere.
L.

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M.G.

answers from Seattle on

I believe it depends on how you are charged.
If you are paying a monthly or even weekly fee, you pay for your son's spot period. It should be the same fee every month, no matter if the month has 28 or 31 days and no matter if there are any holidays. This is what we do too.

If you pay by the day or hour you should not have to pay for days that the daycare is not available - you would still have to pay for days that they are open, but your son does not attend his scheduled time.

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C.R.

answers from Portland on

For me, if you are paying for full time care you pay a set fee. That fee covers the days you are there, the days your not, holidays, etc. Part time kids, pay for just the time they are in care. Did you sign a contract? It should have been made clear before you started wether you would pay for those days or not. Good care is hard to fine, if you feel that this isn't the fit for you, then search around. Every family deserves to be comfortable with the care they receive. Good luck!

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A.M.

answers from Seattle on

My DD goes to daycare full-time. We pay for every week day of the year whether DD goes or not, whether the daycare is open or not.

I am a teacher, so have breaks and summer, but we pay regardless. I am of the opinion that when I find great care, I'll pay anything! Our daycare provider is amazing and I would pay her more if she would take it.

She does amazing things with DD and has taught her so much that she deserves her vacation days and holidays. I know after a break I am re-energized and ready to do a great job with my students.

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M.H.

answers from Seattle on

Every daycare I know of has the same policy. The only daycare I know of that doesn't charge for holidays is the one my daughter is in now. She currently goes to School's Out with is held at the elementary schools in northeast Tacoma.

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Z.A.

answers from Seattle on

At our preschool we paid for tuition for 10 months (or prorated if you started late)....but....

- Thanksgiving was a whole week off
- Xmas was a whole week off
- Spring Break had a whole week off

Aside from that...There were occasional teacher education days where there was no school. These days were handed out well in advance.

The tuition was the same for each month. So looked at one way, several months we paid for weeks where we had no class. Looked at another way some months we got a week free.

I'm actually surprised that your daycare has class on those weeks, most I know of don't. <laughing> In many cases it's to avoid such a situation as yours! I'm also surprised that since they do have class it sounds like some parents pay for daycare and get it, and some don't. Is that understanding the situation correctly?

You're quite lucky though that you get any sick/vacation days. Again, most daycare/preschools/private-schools/public-pay-for-full-day-kindergartens that I know of, it's on you if you decide not to have your child attend because you're essentially paying for guarenteed spot. Although, that makes me curious...Pay as you go (aka drop in) daycare wouldn't need to have 4day/two weeks of free vacation time...If you're paying monthly tuition, it sounds like it's a normal situation to me to be "paying" for holidays.

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

As I recall day care for my grandson has been charged by the month; therefore one is paying even tho the day care is closed for holidays. This was at 3 different day cares. Since he's in half day kindergarten my caughter pays by the hour for the hours he's present. Since my grandson is in half-day kindergarten paying by the month was more expensive than paying by the hour.

My granddaughter is in a YMCA before and after school program. They have several methods of figuring their rates. One is to pay by the month. Another is to pay for the whole year's program in monthly payments. The first year that my daughter attended her mother paid for the school year which, if I remember correctily charged less for holidays and for in-service days. Summer day care is extra as are in-service days for which the program is open.

My daughter now pays by the year with the total divided into monthly payments. Because she pays this way my granddaughter is covered for in-service days, Christmas and spring breaks. The program is not open on the holidays that school is not open but is open on the yearly plan for all other days. The program that is charged by the month also charges extra for in-service days and holidays as well as holiday breaks.

We discovered that choosing the yearly program was much less expensive. When the parent needs child care on the school days off the extra days that they pay for has a higher fee for the day.

I think that there is another plan to choose that includes all days, except for federally recognized school days but not the summer.

I'm not sure about any of these plans except for the all year one. I'm pretty sure that the YMCA has a full day program for toddlers and preschoolers. You can learn more at their website.

When my daughter was first paying for all days even those for which the day care proveder was not providing care I was resentfull until someone reminded my that even tho a large percentage of employers allow their employees holidays off the emplyee is still paid for the holiday. And....daycare workers earn very little in comparison to most ompanies who pay for holidays. The day care workers deserve this small amount of money expecially when considering that they don't get paid days off at any other time. Most of us get paid vacations or pto.

My daughter has to budget well to pay for day care. She isn't one of the high earners. But she does earn more than the day care workers earn. And her job is secure while the daycare's monthly income varies dependent on which children leave. This is true especially for private in home day care. My grandson's day care owner, who is licensed for 6 kids under the age of 6 is down to 4 this winter. If she's making it at all it's barely. She charges less than the going rate just so that low income parents can have day care.

School districts pay teachers for days the school isn't open because teaching is a professional occupation. I think day care workers deserve the same respect. I also think they should earn more money but I don't know how that can happen in today's system. Unskilled and miminally skilled workers frequently cannot afford day care at all. Day care workers are with our children a significant amount of time and do influence our children's lives. I think that the position of day care worker should be made professioanl and that employers find ways to subsidize daycare in their own or a nearby facility. Many workers today have a two year degree. Yes, they should earn more than a worker with no degree and one with a 4 year or above degree should earn more than either of them. Let's turn day care into a business recognized as a business employed professional workers, which should not only provide higher wages but insurance coverage and paid days off.
Even an in-home day care is a business. They have to provide reports to the state, keep books for taxes, etc. Hire a replacement if they're ill. Plan healthy meals and shop for food separate from her home management. She will be inspected by the state health department and the state children's and family office. They had to have certain quailifications before they were licensed. They have to provide interesting and educational experiences and can only have the TV on for an hour during the day. A worker is in site of your children at all times. This takes a lot of organizational skills. Running a day care is not like babysitting.

I don't know where you're getting day care or their circumstances but I would ask if they have a plan whereby you could pay by the hour. If not you could find one that will. My grandson's day care is willing to have his mother pay by the hour because she's not full. Once she is full my daughter will have to find someone who will charge by the hour or pay the monthly fee.

I think one can pay be the hour at a drop in day care but one doesn't have the assurance that there will be space. You could perhaps find a friend or neighbor who is not in the day care business who would be more fexible and glad to charge you less.

I do understand the frustration of having to pay for time not there. I felt the same way until someone reminded me that I recieved paid days off and earned much more than the day care worker. It sounds like you only have to pay for the hours that your twins are there plus certain holidays. I think that you're fortunate to have that.

Also epending on where you take your twins the worker may be working 10 hour days 5 days/week. My grandson's care taker starts at 7am and ends at 6pm with extended hours available. No duty free lunch or dinner.

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L.L.

answers from Seattle on

My son is in daycare full time. I pay the same monthly fee whether there are holidays during the month or not. Whether the daycare is closed or not. Also, they are closed the last Friday of every August for annual cleaning day. I normally have to take that day off of work. My particular daycare will give a partial reimbursement for vacation if you give them 2 weeks notice, I think...but as far as the holidays go, you could say that I am paying for them because I pay the same amount, holiday or not. That is pretty standard practice. You would be paying a lot more per month if they were charging hourly instead of a monthly rate, so having a holiday closed that you have to "pay for" by not getting a reduced rate for the month is still a significant savings. I really LOVE my son's daycare and won't move him for anything. That said, I think you would be very hard pressed to find a daycare that is actually open on the major holidays. The closes you MIGHT find is one that is open the day after thanksgiving, but not on thanksgiving. I don't know what you do for a living, but I would think that between you and your husband, you could talk to your employers and surely one of them would understand that you have kids at home and that no daycares are open on those holidays. I know some businesses are 24/7/365 (my guy's is one of them) and that they don't stop for anything, but normally they can work with you to some degree.

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K.F.

answers from Seattle on

My day care does the same thing. Even though they are closed by choice on certain days i still have to pay. I could see that being fair if we didnt bring him in by choice but when they are closed by choice I think it sucks we have to pay. Can I ask how much they charge you daily?

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S.C.

answers from Seattle on

I take my son to a local childcare facility for a few days a week to get socialization and go to the preschool.

My provider does not charge us for holidays. If she's closed, she's not working. Therefore, we do not need to pay her.

However, I have heard of other providers charging for holidays when they are closed. Based on your particular situation, I think it would be fair for her to work with you on switching the days around since you are only on a part-time basis anyway. Hopefully she will work with you on that.

S.
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V.D.

answers from Seattle on

I have never had a daycare do that. That does not sound right to me, it sounds like your getting ripped off. My kids have been in 3 daycares. The last two were paid monthly, so holidays really don't factor into that. But the first daycare, for a few months, I did part time care (meaning 5 hours a day, however many days I want) They charged $15 a day ONLY for the days they were actually there. I never had to pay for off days, that's ridiculous. I don't know what area you live in, but I would look around for different options.

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