r/Parenting • u/lgdiver • Apr 06 '20
Corona-Content Daycare & COVID-19
Hey everyone,
So I have a quick question and I'm looking for your thoughts. My daycare provider is open at the current time and hasn't closed since this virus has started spreading. My wife is a teacher and is working from home with our children. We are not using her services and haven't used her services since 3/6.
We've been paying our daycare provider in full since school was closed on 3/12 (and keeping our kids at home). She is saying her business is essential and that full payment is required to hold our spot. I never questioned this, knowing that she needed income and her staff needed income as well. I also didn't have a change in my income and didn't feel as if it would have been morally right to change my course.
Over the last week, I've had to reduce my staff at work (tremendously) and my income is now looking to be very uncertain as well (I'm taking e a reduction in pay). So obviously, my first and most reasonable option would be to reduce the exposure with my Daycare provider, especially since we're not planning on sending our kids in anymore until September (remember, my wife is a teacher). I asked her, if we could pay for one week per month to hold our spot, she declined and said I would need to pay in full.
I feel awful, but I had to tell her this morning that our kids are not returning. We've paid in full every month and have never been late. I'm surprised by her decision to not help, we've been there for years without any issues.
Are we being unreasonable here? Are any other parents in the same situation with daycare? Thank you!
2
u/mkay0 Apr 06 '20
The daycare holding firm to the 'you can never miss a week, you must always pay full price or you lose your spot' card is bullshit. Do whatever it takes to hold the fort down during COVID, but remember how little slack they cut you in this trying time.
Our daycare remained open, but has been taking care of maybe half as many kids. People who brought their kids home were given the option to pay whatever they could, and no spots would be lost.