Guest Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 Would be so grateful for your views on this ......... Summer outing next week to our local park - soft play activity centre and 2 train rides round the park!Total cost to parent £3.50 - no admission charge for adults (no contribution reqd. from Pre-school) Approx no. of children = 40 so will need lots of parent helpers. And now the question ....!!!!!!!! Supposing a fee paying child (as opposed to a funded child ) goes on the trip, and their parent offers to come as a parent helper. So they are effectively looking after their own child and probably another one too, they are paying the full cost of the trip - do I re-imburse them the fees for that day ?????? I just know someone is going to ask me why they should pay when they are looking after their own child. (And even if they don't ask me directly, they'll be thinking it!!!!!) Oh dear ... another prob! Your views would be VERY welcome ! Thanks Janice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 On our recent farm trip parents were not reimbursed for fees, we still had to pay hire of the hall and staff wages, even though we were off site. Fees cover insurance and other extras too. You will always get some who are difficlut about it, but you may find they are just happy to go with what you say. We had a parent last week asking for a refund because we sent her son home sick!!! What do others think on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 hi when we run trips we expect all parents to attend...so if a child who has paid fees to be in on that day comes we take the fee off the payment of the trip...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 We would not give a refund afterall they are volunteering to come. Staff/rent still needs to be paid. Plus i guarantee if we did that we would have the parents of funded children complaining and asking for some money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 Fortunately we have never been asked the question, but we do not refund for the session they would normally attend. I have often thought it was a tricky situation-but as the others have said we still have wages to pay, rent etc. I think this time we had a cushion because pre-school paid for the coach so parents felt they were getting a small bonus. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 I had a similar problem a few weeks ago i am in a church hall and i was asked to close for a funeral. I still had to pay staff wages but not for the hire of the hall. Several parents have asked if they will be having a refund. What do other members think as finances are very tight at the moment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 Thanks for the replies! Ummmmm still not sure what I am going to do yet! After reading Jo's reply I though - 'ok won't refund', then I saw Hali's, and that sort of put a spanner in the works! And Vanden...... I would refund the parents in your situation - you can't ask parents to pay for when they're not there ..... which actually takes me back to my little problem!!!!!!!!!! I think I am leaning towards ......... if they are a fee paying child, and they accompany their child on the trip ( + look after another one as well!) then I will re-imburse them.I did the same trip last year and this query never even entered my head then!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh please ..... would someone like to make the decison for me !!!!!!??????? Janice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 If an incident occurs where it is us that have to close, such as when we had a flood once or if there was an electricity breakdown I would refund the fees. But when parents take children out because of holidays or when they are ill then we wouldn't refund. Even though some things are beyond our control I feel that it warrants a refund. I would still have to pay wages but not rent. Even if money was tight I feel it would be unfair to charge parents if it was not their fault. This is a hard one, I suppose if it didn't happen often you could get away with it. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 NO answers for you but schools don't usually refund trip money if a child is sick on the day. At least mine didn't although we did once refund the admission fee as we hadn't paid that out up front. Coach costs though are split between number on role. I think there may be regulations that say children on free meals shouldn't be asked to pay for trips but in practise I don't know of any school that does this and I cant remember where I read it!! Janice why not wait until you get asked and then refer it your committee? You can always refund later, can't you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted June 17, 2004 Share Posted June 17, 2004 Can I just say Hi to vanden84 who slipped their 1st post in somewhere just back there!! Welcome and thanks for that post! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted June 17, 2004 Share Posted June 17, 2004 Well spotted Sue. Welcome Vanden, I can see you've been lurking in the shadows for a while so hope this will be the first post of many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted June 17, 2004 Share Posted June 17, 2004 Hi, I was'nt sure how I would of responded to this until I realised that on party days or when visitors come in we ask all children even funded to make a contribution. I know it's looking at things from a different angle but it makes me think that if we were out of the setting I would still ask for fees to be paid to cover rent and staff wages and insurance. No real easy way of dealing with this but personaly, I'd let the committee the decide, they dont have as much contact with the parents as I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 27, 2004 Share Posted June 27, 2004 Hi, I am a manager of a day nursery and we are going on our first outing to a farm park. I have asked each child attending on the day to pay an outing fee of £13 which will cover entrance fee,coach hire, staff wages and insurance. Each parent has paid without any hesitation!! There are 35 children going plus all the staff and 12 parent helpers who have also paid for just their entrance fee. I feel this is fair as back in January i did a questionaire to all the parents asking their oppinions on a trip and also if they would be interested in helping. we had a great response and they were all thrilled that their children were being given the opportunity. We are providing the packed lunches as we think that is only fair. The parents are still paying the fees as normal and as they paid two months ago this wont affect their finance. Hope this helps you even though the trip has already taken place. hannahb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 27, 2004 Share Posted June 27, 2004 I forgot to mention that for every five children attending one adult gets in free so 7 of our staff go free and we are paying for one extra member! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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