Question for Parents re Child Care fees

Hi Mums & Dads (and others who may know the answer!),

Just wondering something as i've spoken to 3 different people at both Family Assistance and DECS (Children SErvices).

Our 2 girls attend child care centres and 1 of them also attends a family day care (where carer looks after 4-5 kids in their home). We're going on holidays next month and gave our child care centres about 6 weeks notice and both of them were happy to either halve or not charge for the time we're away however the Family Day Care provider said we still need to pay full fee.

Family Assistance said she shouldn't be charging full fee but DECS are saying she can....typical, can't get an accurate answer out of anyone!

So does anyone know what the deal is???
 
they SHOULDN'T be, morally, but they CAN because they probably have a wait list as long as their arm.

it's not a nice attitude at $70+ a day.....
 
I thought it depends on the age of the child as well. Our three year old goes to family day care, we book himin for the year, and pay regardless of whether or not he attends, except for the allowable days of sickness. Family day care tend not to take short term people so if you are not there for a few weeks they cannot readily replace you (whereas a centre will get short term bookings). So I would expect you have to pay.
And I think as well that older children are booked in hours per day, younger are per day regardless of hours, younger children seem tobe booked in for the year, older ones maybe by schoolterm?
 
Yep, They see you coming a mile away.
We've got our 2 year at a childcare centre 2 days a week to give my wife a little break and have some one on one time with my 6 month old.
Ours charges as along as your enrolled there regardless of whether you turn up.

The only way around it is to pull your kids out of day care and re enrol them when you get. If your lucky there will still be a spot for them and they may accept you back. mind you they still get there ~$300 'bond' and will want another if accepted on return.
 
Most CCC wouldn't have a problem filling most spots with casual attendance children which is why they would not be demanding you continue paying full fees.

In a different climate or less busy center they may well do otherwise.

Btw the casuals attending a CCC are still regulars on their books whereas the FDC does not have this to be able to recoup lost fees.

The FDC worker obviously wants to maintain her income just as most parents working set days want (and are entitled to) paid holiday leave.

The only way to guarantee not having to pay for leave or public holidays is to use a CCC and go casual.
 
it all makes sense that they would charge full rate because we're not casual attendees......

given they only require 2 weeks notice i might even just take her out of child care and if they don't have a spot for her when we get back thats ok, coz we work from home she can jsut stay home with us till there's a spot for her but i don't think they're full so i'll take my chances i reckon!

thanks all for the replies!
 
take you chances - but i know when we moved i tried to register junior for the only two childcare centres in the area and they wouldn't take her name because they both already had waiting lists of over 100 each. i ended up keeping her at her old preschool and we'd just do the long trip.

the preschool also charged full fee whether child was there or not so, at $60/day, unless she was vomiting or had a fever she went!
 
yep..our child cares also charge full rate whether our girls rock up or not but they both had separate policies for holidays if parents give enough notice so it was more wishful thinking that the family day care also had a similar deal going :D
 
One thing you have to remember about family daycare is that they are limited to a maximum of 5 kids and that is their source of income. Also as others have said family daycare tend to have long term enrollments and tend not to deal with casual placements.

So by your child not being there for an extended holiday you would be depriving them of 20% of their income if they stopped charging you and they have very little chance of being able to replace that with another child.
 
I've just increased my daughters days from 3 to 5 days and was informed I had to pay an extra $260 bond! This is on top of the bond I already paid 3 years ago when she started. Oh, and the fees are paid 2 weeks in advance.

I was told that that is because some families skip town without giving the required 2 weeks notice.

I rang up yesterday to complain and they graciously are going to let me pay it off!

If my child doesn't attend, I dont get any money back ...AND.... they also have a board up with spare casual places on there from children who have informed them they will be on holidays. Double dipping?

So s****** off with them. Last year I accidently put an extra zero on my direct deposit payment to them and paid them $1600 instead of $160. At the time I had alot of bills coming in and needed that money so I rang up and asked for the over payment to be given back and was told yes we will. Well I waited and waited and waited and asked again and again until there wasn't any point because the fees had caught up with the overpayment.:mad:

Child care centres are a law unto themselves and they know that they have you over a barrel. I have no choice but to play by their rules and they know it. Unfortunatley, my daughter loves it there and has lots of little friends who she has known since she started at 5 months old so changing centres would only upset her.
Anyway, rant over. My spleen has been vented.
 
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