Collecting Fees

[Guest]

Hi

I was just curious how other people go about collecting fees, parents buying sweatshirts, etc......

 

I seem to spend most of my morning writing receipts for parents which means we are an adult down and childrens care does suffer (45 mins this morning). I've been to the committee to ask for a committee member to be available to collect money/ write receipts at the start and end of a session but this never seems to happen. We do have an administrator but she says she isn't available, what do other settings do?

[Guest]

Hi simcity

 

Yes collecting money can be a problem. We ask that any monies are placed in an envelope with the child's name on, and what the money is for - we then deal with it at a more appropriate time. Our staff will not take money without it being in a labelled envelope. Hope this helps. Good luck

 

Sue

[Guest]

Hi Simcity.

 

We too used to have an administrator who was responosble for collecting monies and dealing with receipts. However, she was more interested in planning and carrying out activities with the children. This would have been fine had she had any childcare experience!

 

I ended up taking monies and writing receipts as parents were coming and going which unfortunately meant little time to actually discuss their child's day.

[Guest]

We have introduced a locked post-box on the wall, which parents put money into with their child's name clearly written on it. I am then able to empty it daily - at a time to suit, and write out receipts then.

 

The parents prefer this, as they don't have to wait around, and the staff are much more comfortable with this, as parents used to hand them money.

[Guest]

I know what you mean I would like a solution too, and you get some parents that want to talk and talk and talk which is nice to cement parent-setting relationships but yesterday I was being told about things I really didn't need to know from a parent (her bedroom antics!!)

I found it hard to look her in the eye when she collected the child,

[nicki-k]

We do the same as Sue. We then fill out a receipt when it suits us during a session. All the staff can do this so its not one person taken out for a few minutes. We were finding that the new children were being unsettled by their parents waiting around for a receipt rather than just saying goodbye and going.

[Guest]

I used to be at my setting everyday ( as the owner) then I put in a manager. I didn't think it was right for staff to handle money ( plus it had to get from setting to me) so I introduced payment by standing order, any fees queries were also directed to me and not left to staff to deal with.

their concern is the children and their relationship with the parents is about their child, not admin.

 

All parents were happy to use standing order and it certainly reduced banking charges and late payments.

 

If parents attended any extra sessions, this was noted in the register and they were billed seperately each half term.

 

peggy

[Guest MaryEMac]

years ago we were told by our adviser that it was not our job to handle money and that the treasurer should be there to collect it. We tried to implement this but the treasurers never seemed to arrive with their children until most people had left or their child only came for 1 or 2 sessions. Luckily with the funding we don't have quite as many families paying fees and yes I'm still taking in the money

 

Mary

[hali]

hi as the manager i just put it into a locked box and hand it over to the treasurer when she comes in

[Guest JPH]

As an Administrator, it is part of my role to collect fees. What`s in the job description of your administrator?

[Inge]

we use sealed envelope with name on front and what money is for, given to mamber of staff...any available and reciepts written when we have time.

 

also refuse money unless it is in envelope.

 

Inge

[Guest]

Hi

Thanks for all your replies.

 

Our administrator is never on the premises, i have never seen a job description for her, i have asked the chair, who promises to look into it, but it never happens!!!!!!!!!!

 

Our administrator issues invoices which she drops of at the pre-school, she then doesn't come back in till end of term when she collects the money that has been collected. She expects receipts to be written for everything, even lunch club payments which they are paying on the day, she has supplied blank envelopes for us, which we have to write reciept number, what payment was for, date, etc.... on the envelope. we then place these in a post box, ready to be collected, it just seems very time consuming!!!!!!! I have asked for a committee member to be available for the first 2 weeks of term to collect payments at the start of a session but can't seem to get anybody.

 

Parents all hand me their money at the start of the session and i'm suppose to have their receipts ready when they collect, but it taking so long as i have so many, and don't seem t have time during the session. I do feel quality of care is suffering but cannot afford to have another member of staff during the session. This afternoon i had 12 receipts to write just for this afternoon session, these included receipts for book bags, t shirts, sessions, lunch club!!!!!!! I'll be having nightmares about receipts at this rate!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest]

How frustrating for you, I can understand why you are so mad. Not to mention the security issue of having all that money on the premises.

 

Stick to your guns and refuse to do it, or demand a payment for extra staff to cover you. Quote standard ?? 'Organisation and deployment of staff'.

 

Good luck.

 

Peggy

[hali]

sound advice from peggy.

[Deb]

I am a deputy supervisor and administrator (if that's the right word). There is no easy answer. Quite like the locked mail box idea though. I have a two week deadline for most fees, apart from the weekly fees, and so pay the bulk of fees in within two weeks so not too much left on the premises (insurance etc). Would have thought the money should be in your account ASAP. Also as a registered charity, monies received should be recorded straightaway and witnessed by two people but we only get a colleague to check as we count if its cash. That's in an ideal world of course. Payment is recorded on a copy of the invoice.

 

I have also put a tear off remitance advice on the bottom of the invoice (originally from this site) which accompanies the cheque or cash in most cases so I know who has paid what, and goes into the tin. This also has a break down of what the payment is for ie snack, session fee (funded or non funded), lunch club so I can record exactly what the income is for. Some fees are just recorded on post it notes however!

 

Am interested in seeing what others do to see if we can make it simpler!

 

Deb