One aspect of American culture that is not getting public attention right now is the effect of this economy on daycares because we are wrapped up on who is bailing who out. It is unfortunate that this is going under the radar because many of the daycares that are being affected are moms who run their own daycares out of their homes. With the increase in lay-offs nationwide, many daycares are also feeling the pain. When a person is laid off and they will be moving from a double income with daycare to a single income, then the daycare also goes with the second income. Whether moms or dads are staying home, many families are now pulling kids from daycare centers and home daycares.
If you suspect that there might be lay offs at work, make sure that you review the agreement that you have with your daycare provider. Typically when you sign up for daycare there is a handbook where times, schedules, vacation and also separation or termination of contract is listed. From what I have experienced, most daycares request 2 weeks notice before severing the arrangement. If you are laid off on a Friday and give notice that day there are still two more weeks according to the contract. In many cases, you may not be working for those two weeks but you are still responsible to pay for it.
Try to give them as much advance warning as possible. In some circumstances, if you suspect it then you might want to mention it in passing one day. This gives that some indication that it could be a possibility, without having any contractual obligations at the time to deal with. In many situations, the provider has become a friend because of the common interest of your child and giving them an inkling of a heads up is the courteous thing to do.
Remember that daycares are businesses; it is not a babysitter who comes to your house occasionally. It is a full fledged business and their livelihood is affected when they are down a kid or several kids. So remember when discussing this with them, it is normal for them to be emotional or concerned for not only you but for the child. They spend a lot of time with the child and many of the feelings that you make feel with your separation from work, they will also feel with separation from your child.
It is a tough conversation to have but needs to be done immediately to be respectful of the business relationship that you have with the daycare. I know that we have left two daycares and both times as I was telling them that we were leaving, I was crying and overcome with emotion. The next step is telling your child that they will also be leaving their friends and daycare provider. Your child may be sad but it is different because they know the silver lining is that they get to spend more time with you.
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