The Secret To Getting Get Daycare Tuition On Time (Every Week)!
Candice Cole
Never receive a late daycare payment again! Here's my experience with Tik-Tok, late daycare payments, and the simple daycare payment rule that changed everything!
Have you ever been watching Tik-Tok as a daycare provider and felt the "ick" after watching a daycare video?
Not like the "ick" like that was disgusting.
Or, the "ick" like that was mortifying.
No, I'm talking about the "ick" you feel when you watch a daycare video on Tik-Tok like "omg that is so embarrassing" because the daycare provider you're watching through your phone screen reminds you so much of yourself.
Well, such was the case a few weeks ago when I was scrolling on Tik-Tok and stumbled across a video of a daycare provider who had gotten stiffed by a mom who was supposed to pay her son's daycare tuition on Friday but sent her sister (without daycare payment) to pick up her son instead.
During the thirty second video the daycare provider went through a roller coaster of emotions from being surprised to being mad to being surprised again that a parent didn't pay their daycare tuition for the week as promised.
And, as I watched the daycare video all I could feel was the "ick" because the daycare provider I was watching reminded me so much of myself way back in 2010 when my mom and I opened our first childcare.
Like the daycare provider, I used to be surprised then mad then surprised again when parents didn't pay daycare tuition on their assigned payment date when until I made a few adjustments to our daycare tuition payment schedule that changed everything.
In the daycare industry, it's common knowledge that some parents will miss payments, skip payments, and conveniently forget about past due payments if you let them.
Here's ONE simple way to ensure you receive daycare payments on time every week:
Start a firm "no payment, no care" policy and collect daycare tuition payments Monday morning (no exceptions).
When parents know childcare payment is due Monday morning at morning drop off in order for daycare to be provided, missed payments will be a thing of the past and daycare parents will have payment in hand.
And, the same goes for parent co-pays if they're on your state's subsidized care plan.
To get parents to pay their co-pay on time, make the co-pay due the morning of their assigned payment date by the state.
Once parents realize care is rendered when daycare payment is made, you'll rarely (if ever) have to worry about late payments again.
To notify parents of co-pay/tuition payment changes, feel free to use the following sample letter:
NEW DAYCARE TUITION & COPAY PAYMENT CHANGES
(Date)
Dear Daycare Families,
Thank you for entrusting (insert daycare name) to care for your children - it's been a pleasure watching your children growing and learning each day.
As of (insert date), all daycare tuition payments will be due on Monday morning (or the first day of care) at drop-off and $35 dollar late fee will be assessed for all late tuition payments.
All co-pays/daycare payments must be made on time as care will no longer be rendered until payment is received in full for the week.
Thanks,
(Insert name or name of daycare)
---------------------------------------------
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF DAYCARE TUITION & CO-PAY CHANGES
I've received the Daycare & Co-Pay Contract Change and understand daycare tuition is due Monday morning (or the first day of care) at drop-off.
If I have a co-pay, I understand co-pays are due on the assigned payment date.
I understand a $35 late fee will be assessed for all late co-pay/daycare tuition payments and care will not be rendered until tuition payment for the current week is paid in full.
Date ______________________
Parent Signature ____________
And, as for the daycare provider I saw on Tik-Tok?
I hope she changed her daycare tuition payment due dates (like we did).