Day care closings due to snow

Hennessy · February 2014

Just wondering how this is handled at your day care.

Our day care facility offers plans for 5/4/3 days. We pay for 5 days, full time. You cannot switch between # of days from week to week. Meaning we are committed to paying for 5 days regardless of how many days we actually bring him... we wouldn't save any money if we only brought him 3 days one week.

This winter we have already had 3 days where they have completely closed due to snow and we've had another 3 days where they had either a delayed opening or a very early closure.

So my question is.. should I be discussing a refund with them? I feel like I've paid for a service that they were unable to provide (understandably) and they should credit me for these days. They have not mentioned anything thus far about doing anything to compensate parents who pay for full time hours.

Do you get credited days if your DC closes for inclement weather?

Starfish+77 · February 2014

No, no refund or credit for snow days. It's obviously out of their control. Good 'ol Mother Nature! Hating this winter!

fitmom82 · February 2014

I've never heard of a daycare offering this. They don't accommodate you if they close for a holiday, so they're not going to for a snow day. I'm a teacher so I don't really care, but I could see were this would annoy me if I needed to get into work and I would mention it to them. I know the response is their costs don't change, but I'm sure that's not true. Most daycare employees are hourly and probably do not get paid when they are closed. They're not running heat or electricity and if they provide food that's alot of money they're saving that day.

smileybabyboy · February 2014

We don't get a refund. Daycare closed today too. =/

twinkletoes3126 · February 2014

I used to work for a daycare and the one I worked at would not give refunds for anything. Weather closures, sick kids, vacations, etc. didn't matter, you paid the same weekly fee. The frustrating part is that employees don't get paid either.

fitmom82 · February 2014

RedheadBaker said:

Why would they give you a refund? They can't control the weather.

because they didn't provide a service. I have a facial scheduled for tomorrow, I'm sure if the salon is closed I won't be charged.

kjsmith9 · February 2014

No refunds here - I think it would be unusual to find a daycare that offered them...

singingirl96 · February 2014

My last daycare was the same way. It was an in-home daycare, yet she closed anytime the county schools were closed. This sucked since a lot of the snow days were silly snow days (an inch or two...). Here in MD, schools close at the drop of a hat! We'd have to scramble to find care because we still had to work. And we'd still have to pay her! So I totally feel your frustration.

I spoke with her about her policy. I told her that i know what her policy is and that I was aware of this when I signed our contract. But now, that I see how often she is closed and I still had to work, it is not working for our family. I asked her if she would open an exception. She said she couldn't, so we were sad, but we switched daycares.

The new daycare person is open any time it snows. If I can get my son to her, she's open. So, this is a much better arrangement for us. Bonus, she's also cheaper.

My advice to you is to mention to your daycare. If they say no, which they probably will, you have the option to continue there or switch to a different place.

Snow days suck. They're only awesome if you get the day off too

Like today... It was awesome!

shannm · February 2014

No, we don't get refunds for snow days. I also get paid on snow days and I would be really annoyed if someone took that away from me when I had budgeted for it.

Edit - I will say that my sons vacation care at his school was closed for snow once and they were kind enough to credit it towards a different day but I think that situation is a bit different.

Hennessy · February 2014

RedheadBaker said:

fitmom82 said:

RedheadBaker said:

Why would they give you a refund? They can't control the weather.

because they didn't provide a service. I have a facial scheduled for tomorrow, I'm sure if the salon is closed I won't be charged.

When your child gets into elementary school and beyond, will you expect a tuition refund for snow days?

I'm honestly not sure how a school system is the same as a private paid day care. I pay them to provide a daily service that they didn't provide. If I had hired a babysitter and she wasn't able to come due to snow should I still pay her? If I had a Dr appointment that was cancelled due to the office closing for snow, should I still be charged for the Dr's time because he's salaried and the office has overhead costs?

And, if you want to make the school argument.. I pay taxes (or tuition) for a certain # of school days. And, even with snow days, my kids would still have the same # of days of school (by either going later into the summer, or making up days during the school year).

While it's unlikely that I will get any sort of refund. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask. I know for a fact that the teachers are not salaried, they are paid hourly and don't get paid on snow days. Plus, the school doesn't have to feed my son when he's not there. And, they have a 4 day plan.. which means that anyone who only pays for 4 days can easily trade this missed day for a different day at no extra cost.... etc.. etc..

Hennessy · February 2014

RedheadBaker said:

Hennessy said:

While it's unlikely that I will get any sort of refund. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask.

Then why ask us if you should ask for a refund?

What I also inquired about was how it was handled at other day cares and if anyone else had previously been credited for snow days at other facilities. Perhaps you should go back and re-read the first and last sentences.

Hennessy · February 2014

LalaMama81 said:

But everyone has told you that you don't get a refund. And some of us have attempted to explain why. Did you check your contract?

The contract mentions nothing at all about closings or snow.

Hennessy · February 2014

Oooh, you sure got me. /:)

How do my experiences with my daycare help you, unless you use the same daycare as me?

You've never heard of gathering comparative information or researching something before taking action? Experiences from others provide me with background info on something I was unfamiliar with. If everyone had said, "yes it's general practice to be refunded for snow days", you don't think that would have been worthwhile info for me to have in advance of a conversation with my facility? Just because people's experiences didn't support what I was hoping, doesn't mean it's not valuable info..

ASmallWonder · February 2014

They still have to pay the mortgage, heat bill, taxes, etc. What you pay is an annual tuition, broken up into more convenient weekly payments. The reason schools still have to "give you what you paid for" is because it's the law that they meet a minimum. I went to private school and they have more wiggle room and I can assure that, despite what my parents paid, we missed more school that our public school counterparts because of "Saints Days" and what not.

jbatch · February 2014

I run a daycare. We do not refund for snow days. I do still pay my hourly staff for days we are closed.. Some may not but we do.. I have actually never closed due to snow. We will only close if it is a level three snow emergency. But even if we did we would not refund anyone..

MommaHen1984 · February 2014

Mine actually does credit you. They charge by how many days are in the month. So for example there are 23 work days in January but they were closed two days when it was bitter cold out, not because of snow but because they had a pipe freeze and their water wasn't working. So when I went to pay my February tuition, we took out those two days since January was already paid. Their policy is, if you call off, you pay for the day. If they call you to say they are closed, you are not charged for that day and can take it out of the next month fees.

ObLaDi · February 2014

No refunds for us.

Our daycare sent a 2-hour-delay notice out by email today 9 minutes before they were scheduled to open. My husband had already made the 20 minute drive by the time we saw it. Grrrr.

hollygb22 · February 2014

we don't get compensated..snow days are the same as sick days..if she's out, no refund.

But, I will say, ours is great about not closing during the snow. Yesterday all surrounding school districts were closed, they opened at 630am, the same for a storm last week as well. i would be mad if they were overly cautious with early dismissals, delays, and closures...especially if the school district in the area wasn't.

Daisy622 · February 2014

This winter has been tough for us in the north east - ours has closed 2x and has delayed openings/early closings about 5 times or so - yes its an inconvenience but this winter is just a rough one. I get mad at mine only because they are an onsite center at my work so they are supposed to be open when work is open but in the instances above were not. I don't think they refund, its out of their control.

bubble520 · February 2014

Our daycare offers vacation days (you get twice the amount of days a week to use over the year - my lo goes 2 days so I got 4 vacation days, if you signed up for five days a week then yous get ten over the year (... on those days you pay zero... on holidays or days you call your child in sick you get 20% off... on snow days you pay the normal rate, unless you take a vacation day... it bugs me to write the check too, but I am a teacher and get paid on snow days so cant really complain..

dande2129 · February 2014

My oldest DS has been to two daycare facilities in the past year. (He just started at the new one, in the preschool program) The first facility addressed the issue in the handbook, stating that they only close for a level 3 snow emergency and those days are not refunded. They never closed, though. The winter that he went there was mild.

This year has been insane. I've had my major university close several days due to cold and snow, but the daycare stayed open. I believe that they only close on a level 3 as well but parents who were keeping their children at home were requested to let the center know because there were a couple days where there were no children in a classroom and the teacher could have gone home.

It can't really hurt to ask, just don't be surprised if it's a big fat no. I would also recommend asking politely. I understand that you feel that they didn't deliver a service, but they are also trying to keep you and your child safe by closing.

*LrCg* · February 2014

I didn't read any responses so not sure if its still an open post. My kids do partime preschool (3 days a week) and although the school rule book we were given states that they will not reimburse for snow days (preschool closes when our school has a 2 hour delay or closure or if our county is at a Level 3- which in my state means no one unless emergency cars can be on the road or its an automatic ticket so businesses close), however, this year because literally my kids missed all but 2 days in the month of January alone (plus days this month) they informed us they would try to make up the days and at the end of the year whatever is not made up we will get a reimbursement. Honestly its one thing to over look a few snow days here and there but when its a bunch, yes I would expect a reimbursement especially since its not you who is refusing to take your child its the center that is choosing to close.

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