Have the strict clauses reviewed
‘Fees are not refundable under any circumstance’, forfeited deposits and sending accounts to collections may not be enforceable everywhere. Ask a lawyer or your association before you adopt them.
Free templateAdministration
Fee Policies Template
A two-page sample fee policy for a daycare, covering the payment schedule and late fees, part-time care, pre-authorized debit, notice for withdrawal and fee increases, vacation, failed payments, late pick-up and summer out-of-school care. Dollar amounts are left as placeholders for you to set.
- Format
- Printable PDF · US Letter
- Pages
- 2
- Best for
- Owners · directors · administrators
- Updated
- Oct 2026
No sign-up required. Print it and share it with your team — it’s free for any child care program to use.
What’s inside
Eight fee policies written out in full
- Fee Payment ScheduleFees due by the 1st of each month, a late fee of $[amount] per child per day from the 5th business day, possible termination of care if unpaid by the 10th, fees based on the child’s age on the first of the month, and the guardian’s responsibility for unpaid third-party (subsidy) balances.
- Part-Time Care and Fee Payment OptionTwo or three recurring days a week, with one calendar month’s notice for schedule changes. Payment by Pre-Authorized Debit (PAD), with the PAD agreement submitted before registration is final.
- Required Notice – Termination of Care & Fee IncreasesOne calendar month’s written notice from parents via a Notice of Withdrawal Form, no prorating of monthly fees, two months’ written notice of fee increases, and a month’s notice to cancel a start date.
- Vacation or Leave and Failed Payment Penalty FeesFull monthly fees regardless of days missed, a $[amount] fee for NSF or stopped payments, and possible termination after three consecutive failed payments.
- Late Pick-Up and Summer OOSC ProgramA $[amount] charge for the first 10 minutes and per minute after, the steps taken when a parent is more than 15 minutes late, and notice requirements for the July and August Out of School Care program.
How to use it
Four steps to put it to work this week
- 1Read it against how you actually billThe sample assumes monthly fees paid by pre-authorized debit through a parent portal. Mark every clause that does not match your practice.
- 2Fill the placeholdersSet each $[amount] — daily late fee, failed-payment fee, late pick-up charges — and the [specified time] in the late pick-up section.
- 3Check it against your rulesCompare the notice periods, late fees, termination clauses and the late pick-up procedure with your licensing, subsidy or funding agreement and consumer law, then retype it into your own document.
- 4Put it in the handbook and get it signedThe PDF has no signature line, so add an acknowledgement to your registration package and keep the signed copy on the family’s file.
Tips from operators
What centers that use this well do differently
Learned the hard way across 3,000 child care spaces — and from the directors and educators who join our Lunch & Learns and Learning Labs.
Name the right agency for late pick-up
The sample says the daycare will call Family Services if no one arrives. Replace that with the agency and procedure your jurisdiction requires.
Delete what does not apply
If you do not run part-time spaces or a summer out-of-school care program, remove those sections rather than leaving rules families will ask about.
Do it digitally in ChildFriendly Pro
Let the invoice do the talking
Automated fee reminders, late fees and NSF recovery mean the money conversation happens in the app, politely and on time — so your in-person conversations can be about the child.
- Automatic reminders and late-fee rules
- Subsidy split-billing per province
- PAD, card and e-transfer with fee preview
FAQ
Questions about the Fee Policies
Can’t find your answer? Chat with a real person who has run a child care center.
Read more FAQsCan I use this policy as it is?
No. It is sample wording with blank dollar amounts and a blank cut-off time, and it is not fillable. Treat it as a starting draft: retype it, set your own figures and adapt it to your local regulations and funding agreements.
Does it include a fee schedule or rate table?
No. It sets out the rules around fees — due dates, notice, penalties — but not the fees themselves. Publish your rates separately.
What does OOSC mean?
Out of School Care. The last section covers higher July and August fees for that program and the notice needed if a family does not want summer care.
We do not use pre-authorized debit. Does that matter?
The Fee Payment Option section names PAD as the accepted method and refers to a parent portal. Rewrite that section for the payment methods you accept. Billing software such as ChildFriendly Pro can handle invoicing and payments if you want to move away from manual collection.
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Related resources from the Academy
Directors & Admin Workshops · Recording
Alberta’s 2025 Funding Changes, Supplemental Fees & Reporting Rules
Watch the Lunch & Learn replay on Alberta’s 2025 child care funding changes, including supplemental fee policies, reporting expectations and compliance.
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