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Do you still get charged full fees for public holidays?
Until last week when VIC had a PH i swear i never had to pay when Chelsea couldnt go....But i had to pay feel fees! :doh:
Of course most PH's fall on a Monday or Friday and thats when Chelsea goes....
I think its a rip off that you should have to pay for care when your child cant go...(well they can if you wanna pay double the fee...NO thanks!)
Family day Care dont charge on PH as a rule, unless you still send your child. BUT each carer gets to make her own rules. I'd say its in your contract to pay for PH. But if you are paying, your carer MUST be available to work. I'd tell your carer since your paying, your sending your child!!! She prob wont charge you then cause she'll be expecting the day off....
Not sure about VIC but in NSW family day carers can charge for a public holiday even when they don't provide care but only if they are available to provide care the day before and the day after a public holiday. If they do provide care they have the right to charge a higher rate for the child/ren using care. Remembering that no fees are charged if care is unavailable (ie, sickness or holidays) so that bonus day can be very worthwhile for a carer financially. After all most working parents are paid for public holidays {if you aren't working, can you change your care day (the only public holiday you might then get is christmas/boxing day)} if paying is a problem. It is also a personal decision if the carer charges this day or not.
New changes are coming in, with each child receiving 42 days absences each financial year, this will now include public holidays, absences days and if you use your 42 days prior to all the public holidays, you will be paying full fees (without subsidy) on any other absences - including public holidays - ask your carer about these changes.
Thanks.....ive never paid for PH before. The first time was last week. Of course this Friday and next Monday are PH and i have to pay for them too. If i send DD to FDC my fee for the day is doubled ($134 for a day...as if im going to send her!)
The only time i DONT get charged is if carer is sick or on holidays. If the carer needs me to pick Chelsea up early then i only get charged to what ever time it is i pick her up.
I think doing the right thing and not sending your kids when they are sick AND have a dr cert to say they cant go, you shouldnt get charged but i do.
I have so many days i get, bit like AL but theres never *free* days....every day costs me!
Kim - DS goes on Mondays and Wed, and of course, next monday is public holiday. I asked if they were open, and they said nope, they actually get the day off. And I said ok, but I still have to pay for the day don't i? and they told me that i did. So even though they aren't open, I still have to pay for the day. They said I could swap to another day in lieu of that one, but since they are fully booked, i could be waiting weeks for it. :rolleyes:
This is actually true of all day care. And that's because like all other employment that's not casual work, you're supposed to get paid for PHs. I get paid for PHs even though I don't turn up for work, and if I were to need to work on a PH, I'd get paid double time. So the same priciple works for daycare and FDC.
It feels wrong because it's a direct transaction between you and your FDCarer, and you feel like you're paying for a service you're not getting, but they're actually as entitled to paid PHs as the next person.
I agree with Sushee - they offer you a full time service and are entitled to the days pay - just like any other day care service.
For this very reason i put my daughter in FDC on a Tues. I wanted Mondays originally but when i thought about all the holidays i changed my mind. I guess if you work etc then you have to fit in with that but for me my DD1 only goes 1 day a week to give me some respite and time alone with DD2.
We pay FDC on PH and in school holidays when I am off (I am a teacher) I often still send Riley for some of the time in the hols to give me more time with the girls since i am paying anyway (Its not every day) The only time I don't pay for FDC is when the carer goes on holidays.
In SA the carers can charge you for any PH your child is booked in for. In reality, my FDC lady had a policy of charging those parents who themselves earned a wage on the PHs and not charging those who didn't. Which I thought was very sweet at the time!
Last Monday in Vic was a public holiday and this monday is one too so that is two days that I have been charged for full care and not attend. It is the evil of booking Mondays and Fridays. The nasty part of this is that I work casual and dont get paid yet pay for the pleasure of having DD all day:p
Bec