For those who do home childcare

[mrsdash]

OK, I keep children during the day. I take checks and it's not been a problem until recently. There is one person who has begun bouncing checks almost every week. This past month she has bounced every check I have recieved from her. Each check is handed with a promise that it will be good. Of course this is the person with the most well behaved children which I've watched the longest. She is very young and becomes very teary every Friday with pleas to not stop watching her children and a promise to "catch up". As of today, she owes me a full months worth of childcare. She already had a balance forward, I haven't cashed last weeks check, the check from Nov.4th was just returned and now she owes me for this week.

I've tried to be understanding but I'm afraid she may make a mess out of my account eventually and I'm watching her 2 dc for free here! I can't afford to do that. Tell me what you would do in this situation...I am torn. If I stop watching them right now, I may never get paid, if I continue to watch her kids, She may just continue this. WWYD??

[SonshineLearner]

Maybe tell her that you don't want to have any mis-understandings, but you'd like money orders from now on? Also, maybe relieve her if you can afford to, and take the amount she owes you, divide it by whatever number you can afford to...and add on a small amount each week until she catches up? In other words, if she pays you $100 a week, charge her $115 until the account is paid up? Write it all down..."for tax purposes" or some other "reason" ...if you need an reason to make her feel better about writing it out....

[TraceyS/FL]

I'd ask for cash. Money Orders can actually have stop payments applied to them - if you do money orders i'd only take USPS ones.

 

Can you go to her bank to cash it in person? We had a customer at work i'd have to do that with, we'd call and have the merchant banker tell us if today was a good day to bring it in. We also had an account at that bank just really for this customer.

 

IF you go with Sherry's plan - be sure to add on any fees that you have incurred too.

[FO4UR]

I would come up with an agreement for her to pay you in CASH every week one week's worth plus 1/4 of a weeks' $ to catch up.

 

I would give her a week to start paying (and catching up) before you start looking for other dc to watch.

 

Is there a good reason for her to be in such a tight spot? I feel badly for her, but lettung her take advantage of you doesn't help.

[Quiver0f10]

When I did day care I got paid in advance. They paid me Friday for the coming week. If I didn't get paid by Monday at pick up time, I added on a $5/day late fee. It sounds like you don't want to lose them so I would probably do as the above poster said and let her pay extra each week to catch up, but I would ask to get paid in cash and paid ahead of time. If she can't do the cash or catch up, then"d just let her go.

Edited November 14, 2008 by Quiver0f10

[mrsdash]

Looking at that, if I even divided this amount by 8 weeks, she'd still have to pay me about $85.extra every week. She has been struggling to (within the last few months) pay me the regular amount and so I'm afraid to confuse it anymore than it is becoming. She said she's having dr.bill trouble and the man she lives with (the father of one of her children that I watch) will not help her pay for childcare. Her children are 14 mos. and 4 yrs. old. I've been watching them since her oldest was 14 mos.

I don't want to leave her in a bad place but I do this to make a living and I've been working with her for a while. She's young (early 20's) and not exactly doing great with her $ in any area. I suggested she use the envelope system and her response was "Im afraid I'll spend it". :banghead:

[MicheleinMN]

I would have her pay cash for the next week (payment iin advance), and have her make small cash payments on what is owed. I wouldn't accept another check or even a money order from her again.

 

Could you accept a cash payment in advance and divide what is owed by 5 or even 10 weeks to help her catch up?

 

HTH,

Michele

[Quiver0f10]

You can divide it longer if you really want to keep her, say 16 weeks or even longer. As long as she is paying you cash and keeping current and then that little extra you decide on. Maybe see if she could do even $10 a week extra, but she has got to start paying you cash on time, which would be the deal breaker for me.

[mrsdash]

The pay a week ahead is a good idea. I would do so many things differently if I could turn back my agreements. I am waaaay "too nice" with the parents and I am walked on almost daily because of it. One of the mothers left her boys here for 11 hours yesterday. When these children leave for school next year and I need to replace them, I will have all new rules...and I'll look to you guys for LOTS OF INPUT!!

[mrsdash]

I would have her pay cash for the next week (payment iin advance), and have her make small cash payments on what is owed. I wouldn't accept another check or even a money order from her again.

 

Could you accept a cash payment in advance and divide what is owed by 5 or even 10 weeks to help her catch up?

 

HTH,

Michele

 

yeah, I will not be taking anymore checks from her at all. That's done. She will show up here tonight crying and who knows what else. I don't mean to sound annoyed but ...I am.

Some of her problem is money management and some of it is her relationship with her boyfriend.

In any case, I guess I need to figure out a way to make this manageable with her and be prepared to cut my losses if she can't live up to whatever agreement we come up with.

It does help to read what others would do so that I don't feel like I'm way off here. Thanks all.

[Annabel Lee]

I know I'm late to the party here, but when dd was young, dh and I both had to work and dd went to daycare. It was an in-home daycare and the lady who ran it requested payment ahead of time, otherwise the child's spot might be filled by someone else. She gave parents a print-out of her "rules", and there were fees for late pickups. My MIL also ran an inhome daycare for decades, and when I ran this by her she said it wouldn't be wrong for you to hand out a "New Guidelines" sort of info packet to all the parents outlining new rules you are implementing effective ??? (immediately, in a week, in a month). That way you don't have to wait for a whole new rotation of children to come in to run your daycare how you want to. I would include a clause about the amount your state allows you to charge for bad checks. :) Hope it gets better for you!

[Pamela H in Texas]

Sherry,

 

I would simply not accept any checks from her. THEN I would make an agreement with her that would be a zero-tolerance issue. I would either decide to eat what she owes, eat half of what she owes, or say she must pay Xamt additionally each week to catch up. However, regardless of how nice I was on dealing with the back pay, I would have to put my foot down for all future payments.

 

And it would be EXTREMELY hard for me. However, one consideration is that you really aren't doing her any favors by letting her continue along this course. She will not learn to do better if she never has a reason to. Enabling her would hurt her. Giving her one chance (even to the extent of forgiving her debt) is one thing. But don't continue giving her chances.

 

ETA: If you don't have a parent manual and agreement, make one ASAP and then follow through. People like guidelines and do better with them. Willy nilly makes things tough on everyone.

Edited November 22, 2008 by 2J5M9K

[Joanne]

The pay a week ahead is a good idea. I would do so many things differently if I could turn back my agreements. I am waaaay "too nice" with the parents and I am walked on almost daily because of it. One of the mothers left her boys here for 11 hours yesterday. When these children leave for school next year and I need to replace them, I will have all new rules...and I'll look to you guys for LOTS OF INPUT!!

 

I'm going to be very firm (kind, but firm) with you.

 

You need to start thinking of yourself as a professional offering a service. Professionals have contracts, policies and expect to be paid on time. Your current client might as well be paying you in Monopoly money.

 

 

Do not wait until next year. Start developing and using that backbone - today! Have policies around hours spent in care, payment, late pick ups, food, holidays, illness, etc. Childfun used to have a great forum for providers. There are dozens of home daycare manuals you can find on the net you can customize.

 

The reality is that it is *already* a profession where most people devalue and talk down to you, even as they engage you to care for their children. You really have to over compensate to gain ground in terms of authority and professionalism. Your care and nurture of the children must be warm and kind, but your dealing with the parents should never be informal.

 

There are "lifestyle" red flags included with this client you posted about. Someone bouncing that many checks can not afford the fees, and are often spending unwisely. That her guy isn't a real partner is another flag. She really needs a Life Coach!

 

In the meantime, are are working for free. You can not save this family by being "nice" and "nice" will kill you in this business you've chosen.

 

Tell her "Pay in cash "X" amount a week to cover current and past or find another provider". As a person/grown up, she needs the reality.

[RJH]

I have a contract that states I get paid on Monday (in advance). I have parents that forget once in a while, but they still bring it by Tuesday. I can completely understand why you want to be helpful to this girl, but she is taking advantage of you. I would have zero tolerance for it at this point. Make her pay you in cash and in advance from now on.