ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

What this article states regarding securing payment of tuition or child care fees from parents is good. It is pro-active. However, you go further to discuss what may be done in the event that payments are not received within the time frame as per the school or child care policy. That's where the proactive position ends.

I never "wait and see" if parents are going to pay. Then I must REact to the lack of payment that is due. Instead, I've found, in my experience, that a simple reminder 2-3 days prior to the tuition due date, is much-appreciated by my parent clients and it surely helps them in paying on time.

Your article doesn't cover the various temperments of parents, their money habits, organizational skills, lack of experience, and self-management skills. These factors all play a big part in how, when and if parents are going to pay their tuition on time. If a parent is lax in remittance of child care or tuition for preschool, it is quite possible that they have a generalized weakness in this area. It may not be a matter of poor prioritizing at all. . . . but simply that the parent needs to develop some better skills for managing their monetary affairs and perhaps even other areas of their lives, in general.

Info and articles sent home in our weekly newsletter address issues of interest to parents of young children. There are some wonderful resources published on-line that make for great inclusions in our "Kid Chat" newsletter that goes home with the parents from our program.

In summary, play an active role in ensuring tuition and child care payments are made on time. Save the expense of an invoice with a SASE, which many of us can ill afford in these hard economic times. Instead, include a reminder on a half-sheet memo, on bright colored paper - sending it home so that each parent can have the heads up that their tuition payment is due, stating the date. This is a "Parent Ed" moment, as I like to call them.

Lastly, include articles in a weekly newsletter that will help to drive home messages that will assist in making ALL parents more aware. Many "Parent Ed" opportunities abound in this way. You preserve the parent's self-esteem and dignity by disseminating information that is valued and valuable to all. You refrain from singling out one parent who may be having difficulties with meeting their obligations, whatever the reason may be. It also is a kind way to keep this concern between the director and the parent. There should be no real need for other staff to become involved in a non-payment issue, which then becomes a possible concern because of confidentiality and privacy of family business.

Preserving parent self-esteem is every bit as important to the work we do with children. With using methods that promote healthy parent self-esteem, we are assisting parents in being better parents to their children. In the end, we are more likely to be paid on time and we preserve the cherished relationship between parent and provider, modeling healthy team support for the child!