Remember ... A happy child is one whose family childcare arrangement is stable and secure. Avoid common mistakes to keep it that way.

�When Joan first brought her children to my house, she agreed to pick them up at 5:30pm each evening� says Sue who cared for 4 other children in her home. All went well for about the first 3 weeks, but then Joan started coming late. She always had an excuse. She stopped at the grocery store or she had to drop off clothes at the cleaner before it closed. Soon she stopped offering any apologies altogether and began coming late regularly. One evening when I reminded Joan of the agreed pick-up time of 5:30, she simply brushed me off. � I can understand being late once in a while�, Sue, continues, �but she didn�t seem to care that her lateness was disrupting my life�. After 2 more weeks of her disregarding our agreement, I told her she needed to find another provider. Divorce, childcare-style can mean not only loss of income to both the provider and the working parent, but also a loss of security to your child. If he/she is under 3, an abrupt change in the childcare situation can affect his emotional and intellectual development. These are the most common problems between parents and providers:

Not picking up your child on time or dropping earlier than contracted time. Usually your fee is based on the specific hours in your Contract/Financial Agreement. If you change these hours without your provider�s consent, you take advantage of her and you inconvenience her family as well thus putting her in an awkward position.

Failure to pay.
Parents not only deserve the money owed to them but they depend on it to pay bills on time just as you do. If you want to keep your child�s provider, pay her on time all the time.

Not paying fees in your child�s absence.
Your fee pays for your child�s spot in the childcare not his/her attendance, therefore your fees are required whether your child attends or not. Please make sure you understand this in the beginning before you sign your Contract/Financial Agreement. It makes for a very awkward situation when a provider has to ask for her pay.

Dropping off a sick child.
Most providers, as I, want to run a healthy home childcare. If your child is unable to participate in regular activities, he/she is too ill to attend! That is why it is imperative to have a back-up person, (Grandma, Auntie, friend) or a sick day you can use.

Avoiding these problems will help maintain a friendly relationship with your provider. You can work more productively, if you have complete confidence in your provider. She can concentrate on providing the best quality care if she trusts you to respect her and her childcare business. And best of all, your child will be able to thrive in an emotionally supportive environment.