Please HELP!!! What do people do about fees when children are sick?

[Agape Childcare]

Evening all

This should be relatively simple, I have a policy and the parent in question has had a copy but I'm still getting problems.
I state in the policy and on contracts that when parents have sick children (i.e. vomiting) they should be off for 48 hours, well the parent took my advice and has called me 24 hours before bringing the child in the hope that she will not have to pay. But i didn't take the lead and say anything.

She then texts later in the day to ask if I 'understand' that she will not be paying for her child 'if he does not come in'
Well slightly too cross to text back and I was kind of caught off guard as I don't want to be rude but just upfront.

I hate it when these things happen as I have gone to the effort of policies and contract to avoid this. Please advise me.....
Thanks
Ang

[mrs robbie williams]

i would refer parent to my sickness policy with states along with governement/hpa guidelines children with d&v must not attend for 48 hours after the last bout, and then my fee policy which states childs sickness/holidays/occasional days off - full fee my sickness/holiday/occasional days off no fee

[Genesis]

So do you have any time when with the notice if the parent says the children are not coming that you dont charge. Otherwise notice or not they do not come if you state you exclude for 48 hours but they should still pay as the place is available and illness prevent s them from using it. It might be a little more complicated if you have stated anywhere that with so much notice of a child not attending then they do not pay. In our setting we charge whatever the reason a parent doesnt bring a child if it is a contract day where we haven't given notice of our holiday.

[LittleLegsCM]

I'm having nightmares with sickness & a certain set of parents at the moment (why do they feel they 'own/employ' us & give orders as to what we do/don't accept?! ) but luckily not in regards to fees.

Does your sickness policy advise fees still payable?

Mine advises after all the rest of the spiel that fees are still payable for the duration of the sickness. Its not your fault the child is sick so why should it affect your income?! Could you imagine if we all had 2/3 off at the same time and all the parents refused to pay, we'd never be earning!!

I'm sure theres some sort of policy that employers have to give a certain amount of days for parental leave or something so theres a likely chance mums still getting paid if shes had to take the day off so its not like shes losing out by paying but not earning.

[Agape Childcare]

Thank you all for the comments all of which have just confirmed with me that we are doing the right thing in sticking to what we have written down.

I don't really have any time when parents can ask for occasional time off to be honest, They are entitled to set holidays as am I and other than that I am available to work.

I totally agree LittleLegsCM this is a sometimes thankless profession, and a reletively cheap/affordable one. But that's no excuses for taking liberty, I sometimes wonder why they do it. Just reviewed my policy which states 'In accordance with the contract agreed with parents I expect to be paid for the child’s place even if they are excluded from my setting due to an illness or infectious disease.' So I will inform the parent who undoubtedly will be cross as she would have brought him (despite the illness) for the day. I agree I'm sure she is still entitled to sick pay so she will not lose out.

Hmmm here we go. Thanks again

[gegele]

parents know that if child is not in my setting i get pay UNLESS it's because I'AM ill.

the only time I let them choose not to come and and not pay it's if 1 of my kid is really ill and at home, if parent would rather not bring child just in case then I don't charge. I can't charge them to refuse to bring their child somewhere where he/she may get ill.