Pay for field trip.

I work at a NPO daycare. We are going on a field trip. Staff has to pay for there own field trip I was told cause we are NPO. I have worked at other for profit daycare centers and never have or heard of staff/teachers paying for a field trip. Thoughts on this?

 

You mean you just have to pay for yourselves to go? Or students too? Where is the field trip too?

 

I find it odd but if that's the rule then pay your way. As someone in a leadership position like you are, you probably shouldn't blow the issue up and upset the rest of the staff.

 

Agreed, especially being fairly new to the position.

 

I've never had to pay for myself on a field trip. Now, kids who can't pay...that's another story.

Many places allow chaperones free, in my experience.

How much will this cost?

 

For nearly all field trips, chaperones/bus drivers get in free. To be honest, I would be upset if I was told that I was required to go on a trip and pay for it. By doing so, my hourly "income" would not be at a minimum. Of course, you do have to be careful about "rocking the boat" but I would ask about the center paying for the chaperones or if the destination would admit the teachers free.

 

It's very strange that school is asking for fee from teachers, if thats the case it should be optional..

 

I wouldn't be pleased with having to pay for a fieldtrip. Maybe you could look into fundraisers - bake sales, lemonade stand, muffins and coffee in the morning, etc...

 

You have to PAY to WORK????

Ummmm.... nope.


How much money are we talking?

 

I once worked for a church who made me pay for trips when I was supervising youth. It took a long time for the change to be made, but I paid for a lot of things in the meantime.
No, it is most definitely NOT the way it should be.

 

As the mgr, do you have any say in this? How much is the trip? Perhaps you could call the destination and ask if they could admit chaperones for free. My class recently went on a field trip where the destination only charged for the students.

 

I think most places routinely do admit one chaperone for every x number of students.

As manager, I would say this is absolutely somthing you should look into today. Your employees should not be paying out of their own pockets to work under your management.

Please take care of it this morning.

 

I've worked at both for-profit & non-profit daycares, both as a staff person & a director. I've neverhad to pay for my trip.

Most places allow 1 chaperone/x number of students. Depending on the center, the amount that the student paid depended upon the cost of the bus, the actual ticket & how many staff needed to be paid for.

 

I question if that is in alignment with Head Start goals. As a manager, you will soon get involved in the budget and have access to contracts, etc. Take a look. Maybe the budget can't afford to pay for you, but you can have a say in next year's budget.

 

On almost all field trips we have gone on we have just provided a number of students and they told us what we had to pay. Last year was the first time we collected money from chaperones, but that was someone elses decision.

 

I have only paid to chaperone once:

The year of the Achille Lauro, I was supposed to be the 3rd chaperone on a trip to Greece. After it happened, a number of the parents were antsy about going there, so for those 14 kid, an alternate trip was offered. (You guessed it A 3 day cruise and 4 days in Disney. (This was before there was a Disney Cruise LIne.) I could have taken the whole group by myself.

Instead, a friend came along, and we split the cost of the 2nd chaperone.

Other than a case like that, though, I would not pay to work.

 

Same here - NEVER have paid in my many years of working, including non-profits. If you can't change it for this trip, put it on the agenda of the next board meeting. I doubt it is even legal.

 

Has the op been back?

 

It wasn't a lot of money, however for what the place pays you it is a lot of money. I asked and they said because we are an NPO. I have worked at other centers and never paid for a field trip. The rules were if a child was under 3 they need a chaperon The parent/chaperon had to pay for themselves and for there child(ren). I hope this clarifies it.

 

Who said it was because you were a NPO?? You're the manager of the center, I'm not sure I would accept that answer for this.

Of course the kids need a chaperone, but there's no reason why your teachers should have to pay to work.

When you called the site, and asked about admitting one adult for every ___ kids, what did they say? Your NPO shouldn't have any bearing on their ticket prices.

If I were manager, that particular field trip would be changed to a place that had a more reasonable ticket policy.

 

Staff should not have to pay. Any time I arrange a field trip I always include any chaperone costs, bus costs, etc. into the student costs. They may have to pay $1 or two extra, but if it weren't for chaperones and buses they wouldn't be going at all.

 

Tgpii...you haven't clarified:
WHO said the chaperones must pay?
Are the parents being chaperones for their own children or are you using a combination of parents and staff?

In any case, as manager, you should call your destination and ask about chaperone cost policies and make sure your daycare's field trip policies are clarified before planning any additional trips.

The parent chaperones, teachers, paras have NEVER had to pay on any of the trips my classes have taken over the years....as I think about it, my sons worked at town rec summer day camps for years...they never had to pay for trips either.

 

At my school, parents have had to pay if the business won't allow free chaperones. Just not teachers.

 

I'm confused. Are you saying parent chaperones have to attend of the child is under 3 and then they have to pay for themselves? Parent chaperones have to pay for their tickets to some things I've been to as a teacher, but never the teachers.

 

Parent chaperones almost always have to pay. But not staff.

 

With my daughter's schools over the years, I have heard of parent chaperones get in for free, and having to pay. (for example, for a trip to Disneyland the parent would have to pay, but local, less expensive places, it was free).
But teachers? That doesn't make sense, because parent chaperones are on the voluntary bases, but as a teacher, you have no choice, therefore you're forced to pay.
How much is it? How often are there field trips? Twice / year? Monthly? More often?

But as a director or manager, I think you should look into it and make some changes. That's what leadership is about. I'm sure you can find suitable places where they allow certain number of chaperones / number of students.

 

It was the owners call.

 

If it is a NPO how is there an owner?

As a former Directer/Founder of a NPO preschool/daycare it is the board of director's decision on something like this. And that is bad policy for staff members to pay.In fact it might be a labor issue and illegal. (Ex staff must be reimbursed for continuing education courses that are required by the position in child care settings. I might fall under the same criteria)

Now I have seen the cost of staff covered in what the parents pay. (ex. the $10 for staff entrance divided into the # of students attending so each student pays a portion of the $10).

Plus I have seen additional parents having to pay their way. Or parents who have a child that "must" have a parent because of behavior issues.

 

Aren't you in a Head Start?

 

Maybe he means the owner of the trip destination? That's the only thing I can think of.

 

When is this field trip? What have you worked out?

Amd what will you do if none of your employees have the spare cash that day?? I wouldn't be at all surprised if at least one of them is short of cash or forgets his/her wallet. What happens then?? Do they and the kids they're responsible for wait out at the curb????