As a home daycare provider, it’s essential to take some time away from work to rest and recharge. Vacation time can be used to explore new activities and places, spend quality time with family, or relax and unwind. No matter how you choose to spend your vacation time, it’s important to remember that it’s a valuable part of self-care and can help you stay energized and motivated in your day-to-day caregiving.
Oftentimes, however, the thought of taking vacation time can suddenly land a daycare provider in a cold sweat.
What will parents think? Will they be upset? Will they demand a refund for my closure?
These thoughts can quickly leave a home daycare provider reconsidering the thought of taking any vacation time at all and can lead to dangerous burnout and caregiver exhaustion. So how can we make it easier for ourselves and our daycare families to take vacation time without guilt or worry?
Vacation Policies for Home Daycare Providers
First and foremost, have a vacation policy!
Your vacation policy is a set of guidelines you’ve outlined for taking time off from your daycare. It typically outlines the number of days you’ll take each year, how much notice you’ll give to daycare families before taking vacation time, and how fees are handled during closures.
Before a family signs your daycare contract, they should have already read your daycare handbook and vacation policy. This helps to alleviate any misunderstandings about vacation time at your daycare and how you handle fees when closed for scheduled time off. This means no surprises for daycare families when you give notice of scheduled closures and also gives parents time to consider a backup plan for when you exercise your right to time off throughout the year.
What's the Standard in the Daycare Community?
It is common practice within the daycare industry for providers to take between 2-3 weeks of scheduled time off throughout the year. Most providers give at least 90 days’ notice when possible, giving parents ample time to plan ahead and make arrangements for any closures. It’s also standard practice for providers to be paid for scheduled closures when following their vacation policies, and monthly rates are usually calculated with scheduled closures in mind.
Implementing a Vacation Policy
Don’t have a vacation policy? No sweat. It is never too late to implement new policies and procedures in your daycare. Just be sure to give at least 90 days’ notice before making any major changes to your daycare parent handbook or contract.
If you’re unsure how to draft a vacation policy, have no fear! CCR offers various resources to help you out, including an already done-for-you Daycare Parent Handbook Template, complete with a vacation policy!
Paid Vacation for Home Daycare Providers
Why should providers be paid when their daycare is closed? Taking time off to recharge and get a break from the demands of running a daycare program is incredibly important for the mental health and well-being of any daycare provider. When providers face a loss of income due to a scheduled closure, they are less likely to take time off. This can lead to caregiver burnout and impact the quality and safety of care that a daycare provider offers. For this reason, we encourage parents to embrace paid vacation time for their daycare provider.
Making It Easy on Parents When Scheduling Vacation Time
Before taking a break, be sure to communicate your plans to your families. Update them on when you’ll be away and if you’ll be hiring anyone to cover for you. Follow the vacation policy outlined in your daycare contract and give your parents proper notice before taking any vacation time. Provide notice in various ways, like verbally, through text, and in writing. You can also send reminders leading up to your vacation time to help ensure parents have not forgotten about your vacation time and so they aren’t caught off guard.
Statutory Holidays and Daycare Closures
When planning your year ahead, it’s also important to consider any other closures that parents need to be aware of, like statutory holidays. You can list these dates in your daycare handbook, clearly outlining any scheduled closures and how fees will be handled for those dates. Then, at the beginning of each year, quickly share all statutory holidays where you’ll be closed so that parents can plan accordingly as necessary.
The demands of running a daycare can certainly take their toll. Taking time off as a daycare provider is crucial to ensuring that you will be around long-term to continue providing care for your daycare families. Don’t be afraid to draft and implement a vacation policy that will help ensure you are taking your well-deserved time off each year.
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