Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable?

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:16:01 GMT

foreverj — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:16:01 GMT

maisy:

Yes i believe the CC brought them only for the \"ordinary\" segment cos my sister is pretty close to the VP of the centre as this is her 3rd kid at the CC and the VP told her entrance is free.

Anyway the teacher told me they departed around 9.10am ... and by 11 am they were back in the centre , preparing to \"unwind\" after the trip and for their lunch .... the younger kids have their lunch at 11.20am usually. So given the distance, they presumably were there for effectively 1 hr at most..... don't think they did much....but i appreciate the outing....i just wanted my kid to have some fun....
i think my 2.5yr old son only njoys the bus ride (hahaha) cos when i asked him, all he could tell me was the bus ride...and nothing abt the museum ! hahahaha ... my husband joked that he had an expensive bus ride

haha, then its really an expensive one. anyways, kids are like that. everyday when my dd comes home in the school bus n i pick her up n ask her what did she do in school today? she would tell me \"i eat chicken, i eat porridge, i eat apple etc\" her meals so expensive, every months few hundred bucks :lol:

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 03:20:59 GMT

schellen — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 03:20:59 GMT

maisy:
i think my 2.5yr old son only njoys the bus ride (hahaha) cos when i asked him, all he could tell me was the bus ride...and nothing abt the museum ! hahahaha ... my husband joked that he had an expensive bus ride

It's not one of those expensive buses, is it? The ones that are double-decked and have an open-air upper deck.

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:51:41 GMT

maisy — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:51:41 GMT

schellen:
YingYing:
Pardon me....i didn't know field trips cost $15.... few months back my son went for a field trip to the National Musem (i was told entrance was free by my sister -her kid same cc as mine ) and i paid $25 for the trip ! ! ! They came back to the centre for their usual lunch. i must be a suaku....i thought $25 sounded reasonable !!! my sis didn't send her kidr to the field trip as she felt $25 was too much ...i thought it was ok until i read here that most field trip seems to cost $12-15... ok now i know...hahaha

Since we are on this topic, can people here share how much they have to pay for their kids' annual concert and... photo-taking session ?
Like what foreverj posted, I think your sister's child went for a \"normal\" tour of the museum. Children under the age of 7 enter free but only for permanent and \"ordinary\" exhibitions. For special exhibitions/tours, adults have to pay more than usual and children who normally enter free will also have to pay.

About the annual concert, there is an existing discussion here: http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5088

Yes i believe the CC brought them only for the \"ordinary\" segment cos my sister is pretty close to the VP of the centre as this is her 3rd kid at the CC and the VP told her entrance is free.

Anyway the teacher told me they departed around 9.10am ... and by 11 am they were back in the centre , preparing to \"unwind\" after the trip and for their lunch .... the younger kids have their lunch at 11.20am usually. So given the distance, they presumably were there for effectively 1 hr at most..... don't think they did much....but i appreciate the outing....i just wanted my kid to have some fun....
i think my 2.5yr old son only njoys the bus ride (hahaha) cos when i asked him, all he could tell me was the bus ride...and nothing abt the museum ! hahahaha ... my husband joked that he had an expensive bus ride

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:16:50 GMT

schellen — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:16:50 GMT

YingYing:
Pardon me....i didn't know field trips cost $15.... few months back my son went for a field trip to the National Musem (i was told entrance was free by my sister -her kid same cc as mine ) and i paid $25 for the trip ! ! ! They came back to the centre for their usual lunch. i must be a suaku....i thought $25 sounded reasonable !!! my sis didn't send her kidr to the field trip as she felt $25 was too much ...i thought it was ok until i read here that most field trip seems to cost $12-15... ok now i know...hahaha

Since we are on this topic, can people here share how much they have to pay for their kids' annual concert and... photo-taking session ?

Like what foreverj posted, I think your sister's child went for a \"normal\" tour of the museum. Children under the age of 7 enter free but only for permanent and \"ordinary\" exhibitions. For special exhibitions/tours, adults have to pay more than usual and children who normally enter free will also have to pay.

About the annual concert, there is an existing discussion here: http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5088

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:26:38 GMT

foreverj — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:26:38 GMT

hi yingying, are you sure the entrance fee is free for the national museum visit? i believe cc usually bring the kids to the museum for specific guided tours eg. the mozart one at the museum last year. there is a fee to pay and need to add the transport etc so i think the $25 is ok. i paid $25 for a play at SRT auditorium and i tot that was ok since if i bring my dd myself, i have to pay for my ticket and her ticket too.

n my earlier point was that to me paying the extras is ok to me since i understand the inconvenience and trouble the teachers have to go thru. i dun mind the schools going for less field trips is mainly becos i understand the stress and "potential dangers" the teachers and kids go thru everytime they go for field trips.

anyway, my dd’s cc recently changed style of field trips to only go in batches. eg. n1 and playgroup together. mainly becos to reduce group activities to avoid spread of h1n1 and hfmd. but thankful also becos i believe the kids are more manageable in smaller groups.

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:53:28 GMT

YingYing — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:53:28 GMT

shopzz:
Anyone has more experience or sharing?

Hi Shopzzz
thanks for starting this thread.

as a parent, of course i tend to agree w IJJ, mrswongtuition, foreverj although it might make it seem like we are overly-cost conscious and \"every cent count\" parent... i guess the point is that a childcare centre must not \"lose sight\" of its primary objective & focus...ie to provide childcare or child-minding services while parents can work with peace of mind...

Yet at the same time i also understand where INSIDER is coming from...esp if it is a once a year event which everyone including the teachers, children have been working hard to put together.... i think the annual concert is fine so long as it is not exhorbitant in charges... and i also agree that it provides a \"closure\" for the year's event , esp for graduating K2 kids.... and to make a staff miss out a \"ONCE-a-year\" event just bcos of 1 kid, i must agree that this parent a bit unco-operative

I guess the \"contention\" here is the frequency of field trips ...once a month seems too frequent .... and if parents have to arange for alternative child-minding arrangements once a month...it actually inconveniences the working parents a greal deal and hence defeat the primary purpose of childcare. And i understand that most parents who send their kids to CCC might not have a maid, so what type of alternative arrangement can they come up with except to take leave...and to take leave once a month is not something every working adult can afford to do due to various reasons. i think 2-3 times field trips in a year is acceptable.

Pardon me....i didn't know field trips cost $15.... few months back my son went for a field trip to the National Musem (i was told entrance was free by my sister -her kid same cc as mine ) and i paid $25 for the trip ! ! ! They came back to the centre for their usual lunch. i must be a suaku....i thought $25 sounded reasonable !!! my sis didn't send her kidr to the field trip as she felt $25 was too much ...i thought it was ok until i read here that most field trip seems to cost $12-15... ok now i know...hahaha

i guess the other thing abt field trip is that you don't want to make your kid feel left out.... for example, i understand that after each field trip, they come back discussing abt the events...etc etc... if i didn't give consent, i was worried my kid might feel \"left out\" (u know as in don't understand what the class is talking about)

Since we are on this topic, can people here share how much they have to pay for their kids' annual concert and... photo-taking session ?

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:04:13 GMT

shopzz — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:04:13 GMT

Anyone has more experience or sharing?

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:44:20 GMT

shopzz — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:44:20 GMT

Thanks everyone for the sharing.

It's really eye opening to hear from both sides.

I guess there are bad and good parents, there are also bad and good CC. It's reasonable for CC to charge to recover cost. To charge slightly more to reward/compensate the staff for their effort is still reasonable. Beyond that, it is questionable.

I believe if CC can show a simple breakdown of these expenses/cost, parents will be more than happy to support these activities, even if this breakdown include component to reward/compensate staff. Every parent has experience bringing kids out for activities, they know the hassle.
[quote]PS: I consent all my kids' field trips when they were younger in their preschool years. A movie may cost $18/pax but if I were to bring them to watch myself, the money will be in the multiples of $18...[/quote]I believe I would spend multiples of $18 too, we will go shopping, eating, etc. :lol: But I guess that is 2 different points.

BTW, I found from MCYS Child Care Link website, \"Child
care centres are required to arrange for programme staff
to look after children who are unable to participate in field
trips.\" I guess I'm ignorance all this while
Though I'm not trying to claim my rights, I believe CC should have the courtesy of asking if I can make alternative arrangement for my kid if he/she is the only not joining.

I agreed fully that parent will not want/dare to make things too difficult for CC since their precious prince/princess is there most time of the day. And they are likely to be there for at least 2yrs or more. And likely they may have more than 1 kid with the CC too.

Regarding annual concert, I know some CC use auditorium/stage in school, poly and community center. Do these auditorium also charge so much per hour? Since this is not commercial activity that generate profit, is CC able to negotiate for complimentary usage?

I'm not asking CC to help save cost. But from some parent point of view, they may think it is not worth to spend so much for a ticket if their PG or N1 kid just go on stage for a few minutes not knowing exactly what they are doing.

Even if parent wants to get extra ticket for grandparents, they will have to give a second or third thoughts. Imagine $30/pax x 6 tickets will cost you $180. Then there is cost of costume of at least $30 and $20-30 for DVD/VCD or photo.

I guess most parent are still willing to spend or unwilling but still spend since this is for their kid anyway. But I think it is reasonable for parent to ask or complaint a bit.

Please continue to share your views and experience

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:38:30 GMT

green1706 — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:38:30 GMT

I don't use any Childcare centr because is too expensive. I have a teenage babysitter that I pay with 5$ per hour. She takes care of two children of my, 3 and 5 years :torchme:, and she’s satisfied and do the job very well. So, I think this is the right price ant the best solution. Good luck! :lovesite:

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:52:59 GMT

foreverj — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:52:59 GMT

hi insider

quite surprised to read abt the parent who is so difficult. for myself, at first i was also a bit taken back when the cc charges like $10/$15 for trips which are to places that r free. for concerts, can be like $20/$25. and if opt out of the trip have to take care of my dd myself. but becos i m quite close to the owner, also try to see from the centre’s pt of view.

i have tried following them on one outing before. i was the only parent. it was quite an eye-opening experience. :!: kids running all over the place, the teachers have to make sure they dun go lost, if someone need to go toilet, one teacher must bring etc. i truly worry abt the safety of the children and at same time pity the teachers becos its very stressful! and all the teachers, including the cleaning auntie follow to help take care of the children so can u imagine the extra effort the cc has to take to organise field trips? so how to make sure leave other teachers behind in the centre to take care of children whose parents dun let them go for the field trip?

if i were the teachers, also try to avoid organising field trips! thats y when i advise my frens looking for cc, i wil tell them dun be enticed by cc who says wil bring kids to how many field trips a year. frankly, for me, i dun even care if they dun bring. juz that for the fun and learning of the children, occasionally once a term or once every half a year is fine.

as for the fee, i believe mostly wil be to cover transport. then partly to cover the effort/stress the teachers have to go thru to go for the field trip. so y bother to count until "5 cents, 10 cents". i believe for cc industry, or any industry for that matter, need to reward staff accordingly to keep them happy (and the teachers in this industry already not that highly paid in the first place). happy teachers mean happy students. and for the school to be able to reward staff, need to earn the extras from enrichment, field trips etc if the centre does not charge exhorbitantly for school fees in the first place.

just my viewpoint as a parent.

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 08:21:39 GMT

IJJ — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 08:21:39 GMT

insider:

Actually, this kind of nasty parents better leave my centre and joins others as a relationship can only be cordial and meaningful only when there is give and take instead of keep harping on \"my rights\", \"my left\"...

PS: I will go all out to help if parents really have difficulties to find alternative arrangement but cannot accept when this parent drives and still has a maid at home and yet can't accommodate. This year may have the same issue again and I pray he will transfer his son out from my centre before the year end concert so that all my staff can go attend the concert. After pouring their heart and soul in preparing the concert, all staff deserve to be onsite to watch the performance as a final closure after their months of hardwork. Between my staff and this type of parent, think the choice is obvious.

I don't understand. This incident happened last year and the same/similiar unhappy incident is anticipated to reoccur this year? There is nothing that can be done, in advance, i.e. now? :?

I am thinking, if your cc voices this out much earlier to all parents that it is mandatory for all kids to attend concert or whatever your conditions are, give them rooms to consider, discuss with cc and make arrangements (both parents and cc), then this type of lose-lose situation can be avoided. Instead of hoping for the parent to withdraw the child, there should be a better way to solve this issue to make both parties happy.

Like JHJC said, parents want their children to be loved and have a peace of mind when the tender-aged children are placed with cc, noone actually like to be nasty. At times, parents simply are caught in situations too. If having a car or a maid make alternative arrangement easy, then perhaps in the very first place, the child may not be placed in a cc, JMO.

Sorry shopzz, we went out of topic here.

Anyway, thanks shopzz to raise this topic. I am thankful that dd's current cc is very reasonable in its field trip charges and for kids whose parents chose to opt out for whatever reasons, the cc always have regular teachers who gladly stay back to take care of them. I also notice that for all field trips, they engage extra help from secondary school kids to have a better caregivers ratio to the no. of kids. Dd and her 3 yo friends are always happy and well taken care of during and after trips. The kids were sprayed mosquito repellent, prompted to drink water, made sure that they get regular toilet trips and specially for my dd, who has ezema (itchy skin), she was constantly applied skin lotion. So touched.

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Sat, 08 Aug 2009 05:58:53 GMT

JHJC — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 05:58:53 GMT

actually, its not very wise to be nasty… the kids are there, you want them to be very love and you want peace of mind when you are not there…

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Sat, 08 Aug 2009 00:53:41 GMT

schellen — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 00:53:41 GMT

xris:
[Moderator's note: Topics merged.]

Hi parents

I'm new here and could like to find out why the rates for different childcare centres can vary so much. Eg. 2 Childcare centres, same area, just a few blocks away from each another, one charges $350 and the other charges $180.

Also, some centres are heavily subsidised by government or religious organisations while others are private setups.

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:55:17 GMT

IJJ — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:55:17 GMT

xris:
[Moderator's note: Topics merged.]

Hi parents

I'm new here and could like to find out why the rates for different childcare centres can vary so much. Eg. 2 Childcare centres, same area, just a few blocks away from each another, one charges $350 and the other charges $180.

Does any parent here got any reviews for the following Childcare centres:

- Eager Beaver Schoolhouse (Mt Faber SAFRA)
- Wesley Child Development Centre (Telok Blangah)
- Appleland (Depot Road)
- Cherie Heart Merryland (Bt. Purmei)
- SASCO Child Center (Bt. Purmei)

Thanks in advance for all replies.

Regards,
Xris

I cannot comment on those centres you mentioned as I do not reside within/nearby the areas.

Ccs have wide range of fees, mainly due to its

1. brand name (Famous one like Learning Vision, Kinderland, Eton House, MMI, Columbia etc)
2. cirriculum (music/dance courses, phonics/reader programs etc) - here, I am not talking about optional enrichment classes, but compulsory classes inclusive in its fees.
3. teacher-to-kids ratio
4. environment (pte vs public playground/field, aircon vs fan, void deck vs pte house, spacious vs cosy classroom)

I came across some charges as high as 1000+ per month and some as low as 200+ per month.

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:35:40 GMT

IJJ — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:35:40 GMT

mrswongtuition:
I'm sorry to say but in this case, the parent is right. They paid the fees because they need someone to care for their son & not all parents can take leave as & when they like (like my job, I can't take leave as & when I like). Some families also do not have the resources for alternative care (tt's why they placed the child in a CC in the first place). Although the concert venue may be nearby, it's an unfamiliar place and the parent may not know how to get there too.

When I registered my son at his current CC, it was stated clearly which days the centre has activities (staff training, school concert, etc) in which parents need to make alternative childcare arrangements. The dates were made known to us even before we paid any fees/during Nov of the previous year & the dates were also pinned up at the entrance of the school so parents can be reminded easily. As it was stated before we even registered him, I'm alright with having to find alternative arrangements.

What's more important is keeping parents informed even before they registered their child at the CC. Let the parents know what to expect when you have such events.

Agree with above said.

Field trips and concerts are not compulsory for most, if not, all of the ccs. Unless like Mrswong says, the dates and conditions are stated right before the academic year for parents to make plan ahead, agree upon before deciding whether to send their kids to the respective ccs. Some ccs that I came across really charge extorbitant fees for concerts (even for costumes) and field trips. Its fair for parents who opt out for such activities and prefer to have their kids taken care throughout the normal cc hours in the usual cc venue. I do not see what is wrong with that as the regular cc fees are still being paid. If the 'poor' teacher/staff has to stay back to take care of these 'opt out' kids, then its very unfair to put the blame on the 'nasty' parents. Hence ccs should not take it for granted that parents have to make such decision in the expense of themselves (either pay or make alternative child-sit arrangement).

Putting myself in that nasty/special(whatever you put it) parent's shoe, I also will not like my 3yo to run around in the concert hall/location like a roaming/left out child.

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:39:44 GMT

mrswongtuition — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:39:44 GMT

insider:
This issue brought to my mind of one special parent during one of my concerts.

The concert performance time was from 5 pm to 7 pm and kids need to arrive at the hall at around 3.30 pm. I have one particular parent who somehow refused to let his 3 years old participate in the concert (say parents should not be paying for concert tickets).

My principal sought his co-operation to bring the child back by 3 pm. He refused, claiming his right for his son to be in the centre till 7 pm.

Then, my principal re-sought him to pick his son up from the concert hall (which was not such a far away place from my centre), he said no, he didn't want to let his son feel left out there.

So, my principal said then please co-operate by trying to come earlier so that the staff can at least join the concert mid way. He said, 'I try.'

I had to let a staff stay back and engage a part-timer to jaga this particular child and daddy came at around 6.45 pm and my poor staff missed the performance and could only join in for the dinner (btw, whenever there is a child in a centre, there must be at least 1 first aid trained staff around, meaning those teacher assistant who maybe untrained in first aid cannot...)

Really have all sorts of nice or nasty parents...

I'm sorry to say but in this case, the parent is right. They paid the fees because they need someone to care for their son & not all parents can take leave as & when they like (like my job, I can't take leave as & when I like). Some families also do not have the resources for alternative care (tt's why they placed the child in a CC in the first place). Although the concert venue may be nearby, it's an unfamiliar place and the parent may not know how to get there too.

When I registered my son at his current CC, it was stated clearly which days the centre has activities (staff training, school concert, etc) in which parents need to make alternative childcare arrangements. The dates were made known to us even before we paid any fees/during Nov of the previous year & the dates were also pinned up at the entrance of the school so parents can be reminded easily. As it was stated before we even registered him, I'm alright with having to find alternative arrangements.

What's more important is keeping parents informed even before they registered their child at the CC. Let the parents know what to expect when you have such events.

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:24:03 GMT

xris — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:24:03 GMT

[Moderator's note: Topics merged.]

Hi parents

I'm new here and could like to find out why the rates for different childcare centres can vary so much. Eg. 2 Childcare centres, same area, just a few blocks away from each another, one charges $350 and the other charges $180.

Does any parent here got any reviews for the following Childcare centres:

- Eager Beaver Schoolhouse (Mt Faber SAFRA)
- Wesley Child Development Centre (Telok Blangah)
- Appleland (Depot Road)
- Cherie Heart Merryland (Bt. Purmei)
- SASCO Child Center (Bt. Purmei)

Thanks in advance for all replies.

Regards,
Xris

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:27:09 GMT

IJJ — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:27:09 GMT

shopzz:
Agreed it is not fair. All along I thought it is the standard practice in CC. Thanks for pointing out.

Recently the field trip is once per month.

I like they organize field trip. I don't mind they charge to cover their cost and even make some profit. But I don't feel right if they try to exploit us.

When my child was with a 'branded' cc, they charged like $12.50 for a library trip for story telling. No food or drink provided, just bring along their own water bottles and return back to cc for meals. I thot that was way too expensive and I opted out.

For ex cc and current cc, both do not force us to go for field trips. They will have teachers/aunties staying behind to take care of those who choose not to go.

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:49:56 GMT

qms — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:49:56 GMT

shopzz:
Yes, this trip can be opt out but parent has to make alternative childcare arrangement.

Is the childcare centre allowed to do that? This is like forcing parents to allow their kids to go for the field trip. :?

For parents who opt out, it is the centre's duty to ensure somebody is in the centre to look after the kid, rather than expect the parents to make alternative childcare arrangement.

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:09:53 GMT

jogwyn — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:09:53 GMT

The cost usually includes entrance fee, bus fee, tour guide(if any), feeds(if any). Food wise, it’s provided by school. Most of the time, the kids won’t be back on time to eat lunch in school so the school will cancel their lunch for the day then pack some light snacks but balanced diet for them to bring along. It’s optional for kids to bring their own snacks, but if parents want to let their kids bring to share with friends, by all means.

Ever since the petrol costs soared high, school bus rental also increases. Also, the teacher-student ratio is taken into consideration. They will not compromise safety just for saving money. If big bus is needed, then they will hire, all come with seat belts too.
Also, depending on the theme of the outing, sometimes the cost will include the materials needed for the trip.
All trips are planned based on lessons usually, and they are optional but the school will encourage every kid to go because of teambuilding, togetherness and learning independence etc.
Whatever money that is leftover will be used for the next trip, so far haven’t heard of any that goes to a teacher’s celeration. A receipt is issued to all kids who signed up. A detailed letter with consent form is sent to each parent, explaining the purpose of the trip and it’s cost.

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:26:05 GMT

shopzz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:26:05 GMT

Agreed it is not fair. All along I thought it is the standard practice in CC. Thanks for pointing out.

Recently the field trip is once per month.

I like they organize field trip. I don’t mind they charge to cover their cost and even make some profit. But I don’t feel right if they try to exploit us.

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:53:34 GMT

mrswongtuition — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:53:34 GMT

shopzz:
mrswongtuition:

Then do they refund you for the days that you opt out for the excursion & need to make your own arrangements? Was it stated when you register that you need to make your own arrangements when whole school goes on excursions?

Cos for my boy's CC the excursions are optional. They still have staff at the CC to look after those who do not want to go.
In the consent form, we have to either sign on the participating portion or not participating portion.

In the not participating portion, it says \"My child will not be participating in this field trip. We will make alternative childcare arrangement\"

From experience they never do any refund. I also don't recall they mention anything related to field trip during registration.

If you were not informed during registration, I don't think it's fair of them to not refund you for the day that they are not in the centre due to excursion.

How often are their excursions?

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:14:42 GMT

shopzz — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:14:42 GMT

mrswongtuition:

Then do they refund you for the days that you opt out for the excursion & need to make your own arrangements? Was it stated when you register that you need to make your own arrangements when whole school goes on excursions?

Cos for my boy's CC the excursions are optional. They still have staff at the CC to look after those who do not want to go.

In the consent form, we have to either sign on the participating portion or not participating portion.

In the not participating portion, it says \"My child will not be participating in this field trip. We will make alternative childcare arrangement\"

From experience they never do any refund. I also don't recall they mention anything related to field trip during registration.

Reply to Child care charges, reasonable or unreasonable? on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:02:35 GMT

mrswongtuition — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:02:35 GMT

shopzz:
Thanks for sharing.

Yes, this trip can be opt out but parent has to make alternative childcare arrangement.

Normally the whole CC will go for the field trip. So there is at least 60 kids minus a few opt out. All teacher will go, some time include the cooking and cleaning aunties.

So far never heard or saw any external vendor involved in their trip.

They also went to goat farm few months back $12/pax include transport, snack, a bottle of goat milk and goat feeding.

Then do they refund you for the days that you opt out for the excursion & need to make your own arrangements? Was it stated when you register that you need to make your own arrangements when whole school goes on excursions?

Cos for my boy's CC the excursions are optional. They still have staff at the CC to look after those who do not want to go.