Member Articles

Sharon I am so lucky I am not your daycare provider and the truth if you come to an interview I would not give you the spot unlike you I work 10 hours a day not 8 and yes the kids get a 1:30 hour nap but at that time we clean we prepare arts and crafts for next day activities and we are lucky if we have 30 minute break, once the kids leave I clean againa and cook for them for the next day . I work hard. And yes I am self employed and this is my business so in my contract I stated that I have paid vacations and Holidays so if parents do not like it they do not need to bring their kids to my daycare. I have a waiting list so I do need need the business of people that do not agree with my contract and my rules. I am not a nanny. I have two degrees so I think that maybe I am as educated as you or more. I am a graphic designer and have a bachelor degree in education. I speak 4 languages. and I read a lot, so I really get offennded that you assume that a daycare provider does not have an education. I would like to know how many languages do you know and if you teach any of those to your kids. Because we are daycare providers that doesn't mean that we do not have to pay mortages, electricity, water etc....... Maybe I am a lucky person, but all the Parents in my daycare are happy with my service and my rules. I am sad for your daycare provider since you have such a high concept of her and are very, very greatful with her for helping you care for your child with love and respect.

Tammy..Yes I am speaking from my current situation..my child sleeps approx. 4-5 hrs while in the care of a provider, I never stated that daycare providers do not work, but again as a response to the article, it's comparing apples to oranges..Also let me point out that my vacation is based off time served(as with many). This like your family physician billing you for his or her vacation time. Also, remember your children act different w/ you. In a daycare setting they are surrounded by their peers, and often more occupied with playmates. I'm no psychologist, but as an experienced parent children tend to preoccupy each other, as this is how they learn.

It's my opinion as a consumer and parent, that in home daycare providers should not get paid time off.
They are self employed, and very well paid. Most in home providers in my area charge between 3 & 5 dollars an hour. Multiply that by 6 children at 45 hrs a week. They prefer you don't pack food, as they receive a monthly pay out from the federal gov. for nutritional meal programs, as i said before they do not work every hour they are paid ( as I am expected or I risk being sent home or even terminated), compared to many other business owners they have little expense: rental space, advertising, or even employing other people. And if they want paid vacation, then maybe they to should have have to wait 3 yrs before getting 2 weeks, and maybe they should be put through a 90 day probation or period before qualifying for paid holidays.

Bottom line my provider makes more money than a lot people with degrees. She's not nearly as educated, and while some days may be more demanding than others, she is not working every hour she is paid. She is self employed, and if she chooses to vacation, I shouldn't pay for it.

So where I get the idea? My idea is based off my experience as a mother. And here's a tip, When your over whelmed try taking your kids to the park, outside, or even the library. Children need physical and social stimulation. It's part of their development.

Paid time off, provided by the parent? Really as a parent with a child currently in daycare, let me analyze.
I'm an hourly employee. I must work every hour. This is expected. My wadges are based off an hourly rate, and the amount of hours I work.
In home daycare provider's are payed an hourly rate for EVERY child in their care. My child arrives @ 5am. She sleeps until 7am. She then naps from 2pm - 4pm.
The at home child care provider is self employed. She is not an in home nanny(that would be different).
The daycare profits off many children.
I'm not so lucky.
I'm forced to vacation when my provider decides.
Should our vacations not coincide , I must seek temporary daycare, and pay double fees?
So clearly "If your child is in a daycare center, you pay when you take holidays. Why should home care be different? " is like comparing apples to oranges. Daycare providers make money off multiple children, and are not working every hour that they are payed. They are self employed, and have the luxury of taking as many breaks as desired. They can converse with friends, pay bills, watch t.v., and any other activity that is prohibited for the average hourly employee. They do not have to bear the cost of renting a business space, or even hiring employees. Why do you feel such entitlement for unrendered services? As a consumer, this is absurd.

My clients pay for the childcare space I reserve exclusively for them, NOT for the days in which their children are in attendance. This is standard industry practice for commercial childcare centers and professional, home-based providers such as myself (who have to follow the same regulations and are subject to the same oversight as commercial centers).
I am a state-licensed provider who is required to adhere to strict capacity limits, and therefore my availability is limited. It is not financially feasible for me to hold a spot for a family that does not consistently pay for that spot. Most providers who offer "pay as you go" services are stay-at-home moms, not professional caregivers. And most providers who offer "pay as you go" quickly find that their clients take every opportunity NOT to send their children to daycare, because they don't have to pay unless the child attends.
This is my JOB - and like anyone else in the workforce, I have the right to expect continuity of income.
I'm holding a space in care for each of my clients - and it is the RESERVED SPACE they are paying for, not the day-to-day utilization of that space.

I am a mother of four watching (full time 5 days a week, 9 hours day), two little girls. In the summer I had them the entire day, now, one of them is in 3rd grade, the other in half day kindergarten. I stay very close to home, because I am the first person contacted by the school for any problems, etc. I am like the "parent" on the week days. I feed the little one breakfast and lunch (they do not send food) and both children snacks after school and an occasional dinner when they are late picking them up (pick up is 5 or 6). Last week the mother called me off unexpectantly.....the Grandmother was in town. I was not paid at all and they call me off for reasons like this quite often. Problem is, the mother is also a friend. I am paid $350/week. I do not get paid for any holidays or holiday days, or vacation, etc. If I don't have the girls, I am not paid. Please help me figure out if this is how it should be, or should I get paid some for the time they call me off? I would never charge them for my own vacations or sick days.....but, if I am called on a Sunday night and told I will not be working that week due to a family member visiting, that is tough, I am counting on that money in my monthly budget. Thank you!!!

If you want the benefits of a corporate world, join it. That's one perspective. Another is, if you want the benefits of self-employment, put up your shingle -- and have a good contract. This is, as I commented earlier, one of the examples of the free market: you charge what the market will bear. If your requested perks are too generous, you won't find clients. If, however, a self-employed person can manage to keep themselves in business and get paid holidays, whyever wouldn't she?

Is two weeks really the average? For everyone? Regardless of experience and career? My clients all get 5 to 6 weeks, plus sick days. Is this perhaps a Canadian-American difference? (Two weeks? Really? Ugh.)