Should Teachers Get a Reduced Summer Rate?
Many family child care providers care for families that don't need full-time care during the summer months.
This happens for a number of reasons: parent teachers don't work during the summer, parents take vacations, children attend summer camps, and so on.
What should you do about charging parents for these summer months when they are not in attendance?
The most important thing to keep in mind is: You are free to set your rules!
Here are some options:
You can charge a non-refundable holding fee to hold the child's spot until the fall. If the parent won't pay the holding fee you are not obligated to enroll the child in the fall if you find a replacement.
You can charge the parent your full rate for the summer. Or half your rate. Or any amount you want.
You can charge the parent a higher rate for the other nine months of the year and not charge them for the summer months.
You can allow parents to bring their child in the mornings only and charge half your regular rate.
Any other option you want!
Some providers don't worry about getting the same amount of money during the summer.
They are happy to have fewer children in the summer. They prefer to be able to spend more time with their own children and find it easier to take field trips with a smaller group.
Some providers don't charge parents who leave for the summer because they enroll other school age children and don't mind earning a little less for a few months.
Some providers close for the summer. Other providers work year-round and expect payment year round.
All of these options are reasonable. Whatever you do should fit with your needs and make you happy.
Here's one piece of advice: Let's say the parent is not bringing her child for the summer and will return in the fall. Let's say you are open in the summer and are caring for children full time. In this situation I would recommend that you do charge the parent to hold their slot for the fall. This is because you are giving up the ability to fill the spot and are otherwise making a promise while getting nothing in return.
What you charge as a non-refundable holding fee is up to you. (Don't call it a deposit because the parent may expect to be able to get it back.) Don't apply this holding fee to care that starts up in the fall. It's a payment for your promise to hold the spot.
Here's a nice discussion about this at daycare.com.
What do you do about summer hours and payment?
Tom Copeland - www.tomcopelandblog.com
Image credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/children-game-childhood-summer-1145607/
