Discounts for Siblings are Available- When a family enrolls more than one child for care, the full fee will be charged for the youngest child and a 15% discount will be applied to the tuition of older siblings. The discount only applies to full time schedules.

FEES 

Before your child’s first day you will be required to provide a cheque for your first two weeks of care, a security deposit. Fees are paid a week in advance (due Friday) to allow me to buy groceries and supplies for the upcoming week.

You may pay in cash or by cheque. You have an option of paying for the whole month in advance, bi-weekly or weekly. Another option, some parents find it easiest to give me a month’s worth of post-dated cheques, as life can be a bit crazy! Please make your cheques out to “Melissa Scarrow”.

There is an additional fee for late payments; $10.00 a day (including Saturday and Sunday) until the account has been paid. If payment is late by 10 days I will not be able to accept your child into my care, and legal action may be taken.

If I receive a NSF cheque, you will be responsible for any fees assessed to my account plus an additional $20.00 inconvenience charge. You will be given one working day to provide cash or certified cheque for the full amount owed. The late payment fee policy will come into effect immediately after this time. If the bank returns two cheques, your fee will be subsequently accepted in cash only.

OVERTIME FEES 

The daycare closes at 5:30pm sharp. A late fee of $1 per minute for every minute the parent is late will be due. Overtime fees are to be paid when the parent arrives to pick up the child. If you are late once because of car trouble etc., I have no problem in working something out with you.

HOLDING FEE AND SECURITY DEPOSIT

When we agree to hold an opening we can no longer fill that position and will not receive fees from that open spot. For this reason a non-refundable holding fee is required to hold an opening when a child's start date is more than 2 weeks after enrollment. The holding fee is two week deposit for every 4 weeks of holding a spot, as well as a two week security deposit. These fees are both non-refundable, although the security deposit will be used towards your first two weeks of care at the daycare.

If you choose to go in another direction of care the holding fee and security deposit is then considered non-refundable.  If something should happen where I cannot provide the care stated in the contract, I will give you as much notice as possible and your holding fees and deposit will be returned to you.

STATUTORY HOLIDAYS

Below are the statutory holidays the daycare will not be open for. These days, however, are included in the fee and will not be deducted from that weeks fee. Part-time customers who are scheduled for care on any statutory holiday will be paying their standard rate.

Holidays: Family day, Good Friday, Victoria day, Canada day, Civic Holiday, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New years day. 

DAYCARE CLOSURE

There is no charge for any time taken off by myself for vacation, sick days, or conferences. In case of emergency or illness, I will make every attempt to provide substitute care or find a replacement. However, parents should be prepared with own backup. I will try to notify parents at least four weeks in advance of closure due to family vacation. We take two weeks off for summer Holidays (normally one in July and one in August) as well as one week at Christmas time.

ANNUAL INCREASES

Rates will be evaluated the end of December early January while I’m organizing my taxes. Rate changes, if necessary, will be effective around the first week of February. Parents will be notified in writing at least one month prior to this day of any increase in their normal rate.

PARENT CONSULTATIONS

Drop off and pick up times can be hectic, so your child will have a communication journal I will write in every day. If at any time you have concerns or any questions for me regarding your child’s day, development, program schedule, anything please contact me. Evenings are a bit crazy getting my boys fed, bathed and to bed after our friends have left, so after 9pm would be best or I always hear my email calling!

TERMINATION OF CARE

Parents are required to submit the daycare three weeks’ written notice of termination of care. Those providing less notice will still be required to pay for care for the full three-week term of notice.

In the event that after the trial period, the provision of care (as outlined in my policy statement) is not deemed to be working out, the daycare has the right, upon two weeks’ written notice to the parent, to terminate the care. All fees owing to the final date of care are to be paid on the final day on which care is provided.

HOURS OF OPERATION

Waddling Duck Daycare is open from 8:00am until 5:30pm, Monday to Friday. Holiday’s, overnight and/or weekend care is available by special arrangement only and at an additional cost. The same policy applies for steady, part-time customers.

THE FIRST DAY

Talk about daycare with your child at home. Good topics are new friends and activities.

Never “sneak off” without saying goodbye to your child. Remain calm and positive; reassure him/her that you will be back. After you have said good-bye please follow through with this. Many children have been upset by too many good-byes in one day! Crying and/or anger are usually short-lived, less than 5 minutes.

You are more than welcome to call later in the day to see how your child is doing. Don’t be alarmed if I do not answer the phone as it can get pretty busy around here. Leave a message and I will call you back at a quieter time.