I need some advice!

This might be a little long, so bear with me.

We recently (in the last month) moved into a different city. This of course meant finding a new daycare. We found one right away, we interviewed her, she met our kids and had a trial day with them just to see if everything would go well. Now, let me add this, in the city we live in, daycare is a serious business, there are barely ever any openings, and if there are, you jump on it, soon as you get the chance. We got really lucky with the daycare we found. The girl who does it is SO nice, loves my kids and has a really great home. Her prices are a little high, but we took that in stride and she told us after the "trial" period was over, the prices would be lowered. Awesome.

Here's my problem. We hired her as our daycare so that we could BOTH go to work, but since we moved and hired her, I've missed more work than I ever have before. It's my understanding that if something is your job, even if you don't feel 100% you still WORK unless you ABSOLUTELY cannot work. That's it's always been for me, anyhow. Anyway, in the past MONTH I have missed AT LEAST one day a week of work due to her closing daycare due to her "not feeling well"
Now, I'm VERY understanding and have a pretty long fuse when it comes to this, I understand that it's winter and people are sick and that smurf happens, overall. But what gets me is that she's ALWAYS telling me VERY last minute that she's closed daycare for the day. I have to call into work BY 7am, and she called me this morning at 7:09am and told me "she's not feeling well" so daycare is closed. I called work forcing back tears because I feel like a smurffy employee for having to miss and I ADORE my job. I LOVE what I do and I HATE missing when I'm sick, so this constantly calling them to tell them daycare is closed AGAIN is making ME look bad, I feel.
So my question is, do I ask my daycare to lower her prices and/or talk to her about the constantly closing thing or do I just inform her that I HAVE to find a new daycare because I really cannot afford to be calling into work constantly. I've already tried talking to her about being closed so often and it seems the talk did nothing. She's a GREAT person, so sweet and SO awesome with my kids but I'm at my wits end. I'm lucky I have such an amazing job with such great people.
I'm sorry this is confusing. If you have any questions or are confused you can ask me. I'm just frustrated.

She doesn't have other employees who can cover if she is out sick? It sounds like a babysitter, not a daycare. You should definitely look into another Daycare, she may be nice, but she doesn't sound very professional.

Quoting Crystal Marie S.:" She doesn't have other employees who can cover if she is out sick? It sounds like a babysitter, not a ... [snip!] ... not a daycare. You should definitely look into another Daycare, she may be nice, but she doesn't sound very professional."

This!!!!

I once had my bestfriend watching my son. Atleast once a week she was "sick" and I had to miss work. Had to fire her.

I would be looking into a different daycare. She should have someone to cover for her when she's not feeling good. Most daycares do.

I don't think I would put up with that. Calling in all the time could end up costing you your job because she's unreliable. I think I would find a new daycare.

Quoting Crystal Marie S.:" She doesn't have other employees who can cover if she is out sick? It sounds like a babysitter, not a ... [snip!] ... not a daycare. You should definitely look into another Daycare, she may be nice, but she doesn't sound very professional."

No, she is a home daycare (that's all there really is out here, and the daycare centers are all pretty disgusting. THEY did have openings, but I got some bad word of mouth from many of my friends with kids) She only takes 6 kids and right now she has 5 children. I don't know what the other mother does with her two kids when it's closed. She IS a registered daycare though. But I wouldn't pay this much for a "babysitter"
I agree about the nice thing. She really is sweet as pie, but I can't keep missing. Thanks.  


Oh, and I WILL add she HAS NOT charged us for the days she is closed. but I still can't be missing work.

The secretary at my work is calling HER son to get the daycare's number he used to use for his little girl before they moved to a different area. I am very lucky to have such great understanding people at my job, but like everyone said, that can only last so long.

Quoting CurlyDimpledLunatic!:" No, she is a home daycare (that's all there really is out here, and the daycare centers are all pretty ... [snip!] ... Thanks.   Oh, and I WILL add she HAS NOT charged us for the days she is closed. but I still can't be missing work. "

Okay, that makes a little more sense. If she's the one care provider and the children are in her home, it does make sense to close if she's sick. But, you still need someone to watch your kids if she's sick. Maybe you can find a part-time? Someone who can fill in if/when she gets sick, or just can't work for the day.

I'm glad she didn't charge for the days she was sick. I think I'd be upset if it were me and she did. You're already losing a day's pay.

Quoting That Girl.:" This!!!! I once had my bestfriend watching my son. Atleast once a week she was "sick" and I had to miss work. Had to fire her."

And let me add that I didn't even know her before my kids started with her.
But yeah, I had a friend watch my kids once and I had to fire her too, she thought because she KNEW me personally she could be just downright mean to my kids, so I reported her and ended the friendship relationship and pulled my kids out.

Quoting Crystal Marie S.:" Okay, that makes a little more sense. If she's the one care provider and the children are in her home, ... [snip!] ... she didn't charge for the days she was sick. I think I'd be upset if it were me and she did. You're already losing a day's pay."

I agree, but it seems to me like the SECOND she's not feeling great, that she cancels daycare. It's just constant. Like, I'm not a morning person so I ALWAYS feel like smurf when I wake up to get ready for work, haha. But I don't call in because of it.
I think what gets me is that it's SO last minute, so I never know if she's really actually not feeling well, or if she just doesn't want to be up and working. IDK. I understand the whole, better safe than sorry thing. But honestly? One to TWO times a week? MY kids have barely been going there a whole month. KWIM?

Quoting CurlyDimpledLunatic!:" I agree, but it seems to me like the SECOND she's not feeling great, that she cancels daycare. It's ... [snip!] ... better safe than sorry thing. But honestly? One to TWO times a week? MY kids have barely been going there a whole month. KWIM? "

Right, it does seem pretty excessive. Maybe she thinks she's just trying to be cautious with kids? IDK it does sound kind of.... hypochondriac lol

Quoting Crystal Marie S.:" Right, it does seem pretty excessive. Maybe she thinks she's just trying to be cautious with kids? IDK it does sound kind of.... hypochondriac lol"

LOL.
She just texted me and was like "Hope you figured everything out."


Well, no smurf, I didn't bring my kids to you did I? It's REALLY hard for me to be patient about the whole thing.
But I am. because I'm a pussy and hate confrontation.