In-home daycare question

singingirl96

Hi.  Just wondering if this is the norm.

At my son's daycare the DC provider takes 2 weeks vacation as well as 5 personal/sick days in addition to 8 paid holidays. That's a total of 23 days.  I don't get that many at work!!  

My daycare provider's grandmother died, and though I feel for her, I was left without daycare for 3 days because she took personal days. 

I feel that in a situation as such there should be a substitute in place.  And 23 days in a year are too many PAID days off.  Not to mention the fact that I still have to pay her if I don't take my child in. 

I'm paying $250 / week.

 

IgnatusDem

our daycare (which is a center so "more expensive") is half that much.  Sounds like you're being ripped off for not-so-reliable daycare.  I def. wouldn't pay that much.

chocolatechippy

We use an in home daycare.  She takes all the school holidays (we have those off as well).  And I "think" the contract says she can have 1 week paid vacation, but that being said for the past 2 years she usually only takes 3 days.  We do still have to pay if we take our kids out for the week.  We pay $345 for 2.

freezorburn

I wonder if there's an economy of scale factored into those fees?

beck8008

that sounds a little excessive... our day care lady takes paid holidays if they fall during the week (like chrstmas and what not).   other than that, the only days she takes off each year is a few days for the all city garage sale   if she is sick or needs to go to appointments, she has a trusted sub that she has come into her home to take over for a few hours. 

we also pay if we don't take LO to daycare, like if he's sick or something.  i think that's pretty normal.

Cattidrie

Very weird, my DC provider' grandmother also passed away, but she only took 1 personal day for the funeral.  But she functions similarly to yours I believe, 2 week vacation, 5 sick days, all federal/state holidays are paid. And we pay if my child goes or not.  That's normal for all DC - home or centers. 

Believe me, I know the annoyance of having to find DC when she not available due to being sick or an unfortunate event like a death in the family.  But I don't think it's completely unfair overall.  She gives all parents notice prior for planned vacations.  She doesn't take all the vacay days she's allowed, she's rarely sick (one day in the 3 month period of using her) and the holidays I'm mostly off anyway. Cause really in my job I get about 26 days of just leave per year not included the holidays and I can carry over my vacay and sick days that aren't used to the next year.  She can't/doesn't - she just starts over.  So I think of it from that perspective for me.  Overall it's fair, but still annoying when I have to find replacement DC or me or my husband have to take off.  

  

 

 

Cattidrie

And just curious, the background in the pic of your LO looks familiar - a church off of  Route 108 that has pumpkin picking every year? Perhaps we're in the same area...

singingirl96

Cattidrie - Yes, that is the church off of 108.  Weird you recognized it from this pic.  I doubt we've met since I don't know anyone with a baby my baby's age. I'm in Catonsville.

Yeah, if she wasn't so great with my son I'd be looking for someone else, that's for sure.  I don't get that many days off, and my job only offers very few vacation days.  I guess I don't want to use my few vacation days on days that are dictated by my DC.  

It is what it is.  Thanks for the input ladies. 

Cattidrie

Okay, I thought so.  I'm in Columbia.

 I completely understand where you are coming from.  Like I said, even tho I have the vacation time, I do get annoyed when I have to us those days when it's a day I' normally have him in DC - and I'm still paying for the DC day.  In a few months we're going to be placing our son in a DC center that is really nice and reasonably priced. I think this types of things well decrease since they have standard backups when someone in the center is out that day.