Daycare holiday schedule ...

chrisncassie

Does anyone have a DCP that has a silly holiday schedule?

They are closed Thursday 12/22 - Monday 12/26.  OK, I agree with Friday 12/23 and Monday 12/26 ...but Thursday?  They are killin' me!

I asked the owner WHY they are closed on Thursday, that it is a SUPER inconvience to H and I that they are also closed Thursday.  She said last year they polled the parents, a bunch said their kids would be there - so she brought her entire staff in and only 8 kids showed up.  Well, you're getting paid anyways, so who care how many show up!

H is off Friday and I'm off Monday, so we have those days covered.  I'm just unhappy about Thursday.

jf198400

I would be pissed about the Thursday too- most people work that day.  Ours has a half-day Friday the 23rd and then is closed all next week until January.  We know the holiday schedule for the entire year so we have plenty of time to find back up (my mom will be home).

expectingnothing

Ours generally follows the school district calendar (it's a private daycare) so closed the week b/w Christmas and New Years.  I was THRILLED that this year she decided to be open on the Friday after Thanksgiving as I don't have that day off.  Not thrilled about MLK Day and Presidents day, both of which they are off and I have work.

lasa4641

It would depend on how much advance warning is given. My daycare is closed the 26th - 30th, and is hard to find backup care, but we knew this in advance so it wasn't much of an issue

ITGurl0626

I have an in-home DCP.  Her holiday schedule isn't too bad considering that she told us about it back in July when we first started with her.  She was closed the day after Thanksgiving, that wasn't a big deal since I had requested that day off already.  Mine is also closed on 12/26 & 12/27, which is also not that big of a deal since I work for the fed govt & they are observing X-mas on the 26th.  So I technically only had to take off 1 day.

sugarland726

A sign up list is posted in each classroom where you write in what days your child will be attending so they can properly staff. Our DCP is closed the Friday and Monday, but not Thursday.

chrisncassie

We had the year notification about the Friday before and Monday after ...but Thursday, that one came out of no where.

I may raise hell about it, ask her to poll the parents again this year.  Its super annoying to have to do "last minute" planning for the kids.  I say last minute because my backup's (mom and MIL) are both out of the state and Christmas plans for them are just up in the air.

QueSrah

MrsEll:

Our DC is closed the Friday before Christmas and the Monday after New Year's, and the entire week in between. 

Ditto.  I think we got a calendar of vacation days from Oct. through May partway through Oct., so we had lots of time to plan.  3+ weeks notice isn't ideal, but not exactly last-minute.  (Though I have plenty of extra vacation days this year - if I had already planned every single one I had left and just found out I would need to take another to watch DD, I'd be more pissed.)

AZ123

I would be very mad. even though other parents aren't bringing their children, there are still parents that need care that day. that's an obsure day and not connected to a holiday, in my opinion.

JLS0320

Mine is closed the entire week after xmas, luckily I will be on maternity leave!

WinesNotWhines

Ours is closed on federal holidays, so they're only closed 12/26. However, they will close early on 12/23 if the federal govt closes early that day, which often happens. But I'm probably taking a half day on 12/23 anyway, so it's ok with me.

DTNZ4Ever

Our DC is not closed during the Christmas and NY holidays this year. They typcially take a poll a week or two before the holidays to figure out staffing patterns. They are only closed the Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving, Good Friday, Memorial Day, and the 4th of July this year. I know they are normally closed on Christmas day and try to a half day on Christmas Eve if the parents can pick all the kids up. We are lucky are DC never closes and when they do I have the same days off. My company is really good about holidays off so when they are closed I am off.

trackchik6

Ours is closed the week between Christmas and New Years...

Paigeo

This is why I love how organized my daycare is. They are officially closed 2 days for Christmas 1 day for New Years. On Monday we got a handout so we could clearly mark if our child will be there or not for each day of the last 2 weeks of December. They will then staff accordingly. I thought this was a nice organized way to approach a time when they know attendance will be lower.

emberlee3

Mine is closed the 12/26-30.  I have to work 12/27-30.  Hoping DH and my mom can cover the other days.

financialdiva

I would definitely not be happy about that! Our Daycare is closed Monday only. I'm off Friday and Monday, but DH isn't off Friday, and I know a lot of people aren't off on Friday either so to be forced to take Thursday off too? Not cool!

ETA- Our daycare is polling the parents to see who will be here what days, but it's only from a staffing issue, not to close the daycare. I agree with MBandBud below about how that Thursday is definitely unreasonable and I would definitely push the center to re-poll the parents because you really need care that day.

MBandBud

mbenit4:

chrisncassie:

We had the year notification about the Friday before and Monday after ...but Thursday, that one came out of no where.

I may raise hell about it, ask her to poll the parents again this year.  Its super annoying to have to do "last minute" planning for the kids.  I say last minute because my backup's (mom and MIL) are both out of the state and Christmas plans for them are just up in the air.

If you know about it now, is it really last minute?

I would consider it last minute if it wasn't covered in the published holiday schedule.  If this is a center, then I would expect to know what days they are closed and be reasonable.  To me, the Thurs before Christmas is not reasonable.  If you sign up for a center, they you expect them to be open other than published holidays.  My center is polling when people will be there to adjust staffing, but they will not close if there will be one child that needs care.  I, too, don't have family close by and can't expect to find care on that day and would hate to use a vacation day simply because my center felt like closing.  I agree with the OP that this is inappropriate and would question it further citing hardship on work schedule. 

MBandBud

mbenit4:

 At that time the OP should have established whether or not the center abides by their published holidays or do they add or take some here and there.

What is the point of a published holiday schedule if they just take some here or there? 

mbenit4:

That is what you have PTO for.

While I use PTO for sick time and vacations, I don't plan on having to use them for unexpected closures for a day care center, except in the cases of acts of God in which case it is likely my office would be closed as well. 

chrisncassie

When I plan my schedule around when they are closed, and use their yearly annoucement as pretty much 'set', yes, even a month is last minute, especially when my two key "back ups" aren't exactly reachable right now - nor do they know their schedules since they aren't at home.  ...1 doesn't use their smart phone like a smart phone, the other doesn't even turn on their cell phone.

Its pretty annoying to have them just throw in another day off because of what happened last year. ESPECIALLY since there are WAY more kids there now then there were last year.  Oh, and we live in a blue collar area, many people will have to work.  I can't possibly be the only parent that is upset about this at the center.

The owner is going on vacation, the director is coming back 4 hrs a day in the morning starting Monday.  I will urge her to poll the parents again.  I understand their stance, bringing staff in - but we are paying the center for this day they are just throwing in the mix.  And I highly doubt their employee's will get holiday pay for them being closed Thurs.  so, I'm pretty sure the employee's are getting screwed here.

Adriamichelle83

Our DC goes by the government holiday schedule. Works out for us as I'm a gov employee and work in the same building. On days before/after holidays they have a list on each class door on who will be there. Then staff accordingly.

SPK926

Just a thought but if your center still decides to be closed on that Thursday can you ask one of the teachers/aides from the center if they would watch your kids for that day? You would pay them and I bet someone would love that since they won't be getting paid with the center closed on that Thursday.