Daycare Opening Late Today

I certainly would! And if all you get is "sorry for the inconvenience" then I'd let them know that you are now due 30 minutes so when you are late dropping her off you will tell them the same thing and NOT pay them any late fees. They can also owe you a free 30 minutes!

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

I would find out what happened and if this is something that occurs on a regular basis. Was it an emergency? Did they tell you? Is it an in-home daycare? Center?

I would not be happy, but sometimes it happens. My old sitter had to close early some days or open a little late some days, VERY rarely, but it is what it is. She was amazing to my kids and would do anything for them...so I would never had said anything to her. My job is also very lax with start and fiinish times, so that helps!

N.,

That would be a pain. If that happened to me, everyone would have had to scramble to make sure my classes were covered, etc. So it IS inconvenient for MANY people.

I understand the lateness policy for pick-up. I'm late at school constantly bc parents are late picking their kids up. It becomes too easy for people to take advantage of you, so, like the daycare, I've had to take a hard line on that too.

So yes, the consideration should be reciprocal. I would definitely ask why they were late in opening today. If they don't answer or the answer is due to irresponsibility and/or lack of planning on their part, I may request a credit. Emergencies happen, so I would give a pass for that.

That's really tough. If you just started there you are probably still working on the morning routine and everything is still new for your daughter. That must be tough for you.

I really think it would be a mistake to do anything other than nicely ask what happened and if this likely to happen again.

Healthy, positive relationships with everyone at the daycare center are priceless! I'm sure that even if you do inquire about a credit for them opening late, they will be professional and courteous, but I really don't think it's worth the money.

I understand your frustration. Why did they open late? Did they notify people in advance or was it a last minute emergency? We have had in home care and use of a center. We prefer using a daycare center for the reliability factor - someone is always there, etc. So, since you are paying for that reliability factor your irritation is very understandable. I would find out what happened and, if it wasn't posted in advance, ask about how often this happens. You are right - if you were late picking up they'd expect you to abide by the contract. However, as your family is just starting there try to find out everything about the hows and whys of this event and think about how to approach the situation then.

_____________
after readying your SWH I would advise finding out why this happened and if it's happened before. You need to have reliable care - if you lose your job due to situations such as these happening over and over they won't get your money anyway because you won't need them. If it appears this is a regular occurrence find another place. However if it's never happened and this is an odd occurrence try to let it go.

You just started two days ago? Um... find out what happened first. I highly doubt they are going to give you a credit, but you have every right to ask why they opened late today. If this was without notice, then they should do something for everyone. If you had notice, then you should have made other arrangements.

It is entirely possible that they sent out a notice last week and because you just started you did not receive it- meaning that it was an honest oversight.

Don't make waves this early because once you are "that parent", you will always be "that parent" and they will not be flexible with you. I promise you that there will be a day in the not-so-distant future that you will need something from them and if you aren't a difficult parent, they WILL bend the rules for you! If you give them a hard time over every little thing, the director/owner/teacher will hold you to the letter of the contract as well.

I would ask if this is going to happen again. IF this is something that happens often I would find another place. I would always chose a child care setting that was open before I needed them. That way if they were running late it would not effect me.

I opened at 5:30am for a while and my employer who did that shirt was hardly ever late. She was usually there by 5:15am every day.

If this is a center setting I would assume you need child care fairly early. This is definitely be something that would be an issue if it were to ever happen again.

Tell them that you got a warning at work and if they cause you to lose your job you are going to seek compensation.

I guess it depends on why they opened late. It sounds like a center of some kind and not a home daycare. This could have been the only time that this has ever happened and due to some unforeseen traffic accident or it could just be that the person opening that day is irresponsible and it happens all the time. I'd get more information and base your decision from there.

Good luck~

I would ask them what happened today and go from there. If I was 30 mins late for work, my boss would be mad and as much as they are doing a service, you ARE paying them. If they have a good reason (like there was an accident and nobody could get to the facility), then I'd let it go. If not, I'd be asking about compensations and assurances that it won't happen again. If they are not apologetic, then I would be more upset than if they said sorry. That's a long time to wait, especially if you did not know when someone would arrive. In the winter or in inclement weather, it would be an even bigger deal.

When I had DD in daycare, I had to leave within a very specific timeframe or I'd be late for work myself. I chose a center because it was expected that someone - even if it wasn't "her" teacher - would be there to take the children and care for them during their posted hours. Had they regularly not been open on time, I would have looked for other care because otherwise I would have been fired myself. People who drop their kids off at 6:30AM probably chose that center for the early hours. If they can't do the early hours, then they need to change their hours. And as you said, every place I have ever had a kid (aftercare or daycare) charged you if you were late, and if you were late often, you got kicked out.

SO....short version - ask at pickup what the deal was and decide what their answer means to you. You just started, but you still deserve to know what kind of service you are getting.

And while you are new, don't let that stop you from asking legit questions about your child's care. I'd rather be "that parent" than accept something I don't agree with or stay with a bad center. There's a difference in being assertive and being craptastic.

I've never had a daycare open late, as there was always way more than one person there in the morning. However, if it was an isolated incident, I would probably let it go.

I know it's hard not to wig out, but just ask nicely what happened, and if they'll be putting a procedure together in case it happens again. Also ask if you can deduct the 1/2 hour off of your next payment. Although, most centers are pay per week, and not hour. Their response will say a lot.

Why did they open late?
Did you know about it or did you showed up and there was a sign on the door?
How often does this happen?
Is this a private sitter or actual daycare?

Oh no...I don't. do. late. I would find out what happened first of all. If they have a policy of a dollar a minute for me being late, you can bet that I would say something about 30 minutes when it made me late for work.

I've never done daycare, so I don't know what most people would do, but the fact that they're making you late for work, that they'd charge you if you were late, reminds me of waiting in a dr's office -- it always makes me mad and frustrated and I always want to charge them! Again, not ever being in your shoes, what I would probably do is write a letter outlining those points and stating that you expect a credit (you could choose the $1/minute fine, the amount of money you're out for missing work, or some other charge you feel your inconvenience is worth).

Did they let you know in advance that this was a special day they'd be opening late? If yes, then no - you don't ask for credit. If they were unexpectedly closed when you showed up and you had to sit in the parking lot - then yes, ask for credit. Either way, find out how many other days they'll be opening late and you can determine whether this day care will work for you.

I would find out what happened and then let them know that as far as you are concerned, they owe you 30 minutes so if you are a few minutes late, you will not be paying late fees until you've used up that 30 minutes! People do daycare as opposed to home care because they need the daycare to be available every day on time!