Charge For Your Stress
Setting fees for child care
services is difficult. You have to consider things like what parents
can afford, what other programs in the area are charging, the local
economy, other potential funding sources, hard and soft expenses,
wages, and other factors. In my experience there is a lot of head
scratching and yelling at the computer screen involved in the fee
setting process.
I’ve been thinking a lot about
this lately and have decided we all need to take a different
approach. All caregivers know that some children (and some parents)
require more effort, more attention, and more hard work than others.
There are also some that are simply more stressful with which to
work.
My idea is to charge for that
extra work and stress. I propose that each family be given a base
rate as a starting point for their weekly fee. Then hand them the
options menu. This will be a check list outlining the things that
drive you crazy and the additional fees associated with each item.
Inform them they will be required to pay extra based on their weekly
selections from this menu.
Here are some menu items you
may want to consider:
Excessive Dirty
Diapers--$5.00 each
Charged after 2 dirty diapers
in one day.
Excessive Nose
Wiping--$2.00 per wipe
Charged after the 5th tissue of
the day.
Eye
Rolling--$10.00 per day
This fee is charged if they
want you to not roll your eyes when they give in to their child,
drag out transition times, make unreasonable requests, or otherwise
annoy you.
Early Drop
Off/Late Pick Up--$50 each
Charged when they do not arrive
as scheduled. This could result in an extra $500 per week from some
families.
Lack of
Sleep--$25 per day
Children who arrive for care
without receiving adequate sleep the night before will incur this
fee.
Cell Phone
Use--$15 per time
Parents who do not remove their
phone from their ear when they are picking up and dropping off their
children will be charged this fee.
Movie
Character--Play $30 per day
Children who engage in violent
or annoying play related to characters from movies, video games, or
TV will be assessed this daily fee.
Annoying Cry
Charge--$25 per day
Assessed for children with
cries or whines that pick and scratch at your last bit of sanity.
Difficult
Clothing Charge--$50 per day
Assessed for things like
excessive crotch snaps, pants that are too long, shoes that can’t go
in the
Drama--$60
per day
Parents who bring too much of
their daily drama into your program will be charged accordingly. If
you find this stuff entertaining you can always give them a discount
for drama so they will bring more into your life.
Picky
Eating--$25 per day
Children who make faces at
everything but chicken nuggets and bananas can make meal time tough.
Lack of
Respect--$80 per day
Parent who do not show proper
respect for you as a professional on a daily basis will be charged
for their error. Now, the menu should also rewarded parents for
doing things you like:
Quick Pick
Up--$25 each
When a parent is called to pick
up an ill child and they show up within 30 minutes they will receive
this discount.
Discipline--$25
per day
Parents who expect their
children to behave and help them learn to do so are eligible for
this daily discount.
Thanks--$15 each
Every time a parent gives you a
heartfelt thank you or other sign of gratitude and appreciation they
will receive this discount.
Of course, you will have to
customize your programs menu to meet your needs; everyone has their
own pet peeves and hot buttons. I think it is a great option to
consider if you want to be paid for the extra effort and stress
associated with some clients. Why make all the easy families
pay for the hard work you do with a few difficult families? You have
to always remember that you have choices and can make changes to
make your program fit your needs. It cuts down on stress and will
help you stay in the profession for the long haul.
