Some Richmond parents have expressed their shock at having to pay daycare charges for April and May, even though their children are not attending.
They’ve since been told they will receive a partial credit, but that still doesn’t comply with government directives.
Thirty-nine parents whose children have temporarily withdrawn from Richmond Star Education, a licensed childcare centre in South Arm, have co-signed a letter urging the centre to give them either a full refund or at least full credit for April and May.
Teddy Zhou, along with seven other parents whose children attend the centre, told the Richmond News via video conference that most of the children stopped going to the daycare in mid-March, following the federal government’s announcement recommending people stay home as much as possible.
According to Zhou, the parents paid a three-month tuition fee ($1,700 to $1,800 per child/month in early March). Many have since reached out to the daycare staff in hopes of finding a solution but initially received no reply.
“We called them various times a day and multiple times in a row. We even went to the school for help, but they used excuses to turn us away,” said Zhou.
However, on March 31 at 10:30 p.m., all the parents received an email from the daycare claiming that people who submit written notice to the daycare before April 1 were eligible to get a full credit for April and May. Otherwise, they can only get 50-per-cent credit in April and a full credit in May, according to Zhou.
“It’s unfair that we were given only an hour before midnight to respond to the email. Many parents told teachers in person before April. But these ‘notices’ don’t count according to the school,” said Zhou, adding that many parents were shocked when they woke up on April 1 and saw a letter from the daycare sitting in their email boxes.
The daycare claims they “comply with” the government policy.
The daycare’s administrator told the News she had been waiting since mid-March for further guidelines from the government, because the policy wasn’t “solid and concrete” back at that time.
She also confirmed that she sent out a notice to parents on March 31 to see who planned to temporarily withdraw their children from April onwards.
“The letter said you have to email me because I don’t know who decided to temporarily withdraw. I needed to count numbers to tell the government how many spaces we can offer.”
She noted that parents who notified the school in writing before April 1 will receive full credits for both April and May. Those who did not reply before April 1 will get a 50-per-cent credit for April and a full credit for May.
However, some parents told the News they would rather get a refund than a credit, and according to the Ministry of Children and Family Development, that’s what they are entitled to.
The government website posted a document on March 26 which states families who choose to temporarily withdraw their child and notified the facility on or before the 15th of the month should receive a partial refund or a future credit at the provider’s discretion for that month, “however, the facility must not charge them any fee for the following month if they remain absent,” states the ministry document.
Meanwhile, other childcare facilities appear to not be charging parents.
A statement from the CEFA Early Learning School, another Richmond daycare operator, tells parents tuition fees will be paused for April if parents decide to keep their child at home.
“And your child’s space will be secured and guaranteed with our school for the month of May 2020,” states the notice.
“Many families face income loss due to the pandemic. The prepaid tuition means a lot for many parents in a time of crisis,” said Zhou.
