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  • After School Care Costs?

    Both kids are attending elementary school full-time. Ex was very inisistent on having children attend school she works at part-time, even though not in the catchment of either her household or mine. I wanted the kids in school a block from my home as there is after school care and the added chance to make friends in at least one neighbourhood the kids live in. One child was already there, so I agreed, figuring the battle wasn't going to be with it financially, or for the kids (I'm sure they'd be hearing about it from ex). She agreed to provide after school care for both kids even if it meant coming from another site. I'd made it clear that I didn't intend to subsidize a part-time working choice on her part. She quickly withdrew one day of after school care because she found it a challenge to move from one worksite to another, so they were enrolled at an after school care program at the kids' school and we agreed to share the cost. When we were discussing school choice, I had informed her that this type of situation could pose problems for her offering after school care, but she assured me that wouldn't be a problem. Well....I'm not too surprised.

    A couple of weeks into the school year, she gave me two days' notice that she would not be providing any after school care during my weeks--not even on days when she was on site at the school. Furthermore, she indicated that she would only be paying for the one Tuesday every two weeks that she was using. She then offered to provide the after school care if I'd pay her. Luckily , there was space in the kids' school's after school program, so I enrolled them. They enjoy it, and there is the added advantage of not having transitions that involve the ex. Kids are doing well with the situation.

    Now the financial part: It is my understanding that the after school costs should be shared proportional to income even if she elects not to use them. It's not really a choice for me--I need after school care. And there's no way I'd pay ex to do it--especially given how well she lived up to her original agreement to provide all after school care (she had wanted to save money by providing it). So, does she have a reasonable case to insist that she only contribute to one day of care out of every ten? The kids (5 and 7) reside equally in both households week on, week off.

    Thanks.

  • #2
    You are right, s7 is paid as a shared expense, proportionate to the parent's income.

    So one person can make the claim on their taxes, it is the "net" expense that is shared. Or you can both pay your share of the gross and claim your expense on your own income tax return.

    Good to read this over:

    Step 7: dealing with special expenses - The Federal Child Support Guidelines: Step-by-Step

    Are you saying she "offered" to babysit her own children for money???? I just keep hoping I read that wrong.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by snowbound View Post
      She then offered to provide the after school care if I'd pay her.
      what?????? she wanted to bill you for S7 to take care of her own kids? If i were a judge i would sanction her to a greed treatment program

      Comment


      • #4
        So if I understand correctly she takes care of the kids 4 days a week after school?

        She is unwilling to take care of the kids the other 5 days they are with you? Then yes, she would likely be responsible for that cost of after school care for 5+1 days proportional to income.

        Now, if you insisted they go to after school care and she was willing to care for the kids 10 days a week, would she have to pay for the week you send them? That I am not sure of.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Unevenplayingground View Post
          You are right, s7 is paid as a shared expense, proportionate to the parent's income.

          So one person can make the claim on their taxes, it is the "net" expense that is shared. Or you can both pay your share of the gross and claim your expense on your own income tax return.

          Good to read this over:

          Step 7: dealing with special expenses - The Federal Child Support Guidelines: Step-by-Step

          Are you saying she "offered" to babysit her own children for money???? I just keep hoping I read that wrong.
          I just lost a shared parenting battle. Now her lawyer has sent me a letter asking me to agree to the financial's.

          My ex G/F was making around $53,000.00 a year for the last few years at a large insurance company.
          She was let go in mid 2011 because she said her job was endated but the truth (which she denied but the OCL determined nonetheless) was that she was let go because of anxiety issues.

          Anyway my point is that she got a great severance package and I am sure she was collecting unemployment along with my CS. So she just got a job with her very rich uncle as receptionist at his Commercial real estate company and now claims she is making around $25,500.00 /year part time.

          I make around $72,000.00 /yr.

          Now her lawyer and her want me to pay 75% of the S7 expenses and her 25% dues to her current income for the last 3 months as an average.

          I remember reading that if a persons salary drops significantly one year (or the same can hold true.... goes up a lot one year maybe due to a large bonus or something like that) that the other party (me who is asked to pay 75%) that I can ask to have her last three years average pay used as the table calculation being used.
          In other words can I request that we use her last three years pay at around $53,000.00/yr which would make it more a 42% that she pays and 58% that I pay split.

          Can anyone confirm that I am on the right track or did I mis-read something wherever I saw this?

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Canadaguy View Post
            So if I understand correctly she takes care of the kids 4 days a week after school?

            She is unwilling to take care of the kids the other 5 days they are with you? Then yes, she would likely be responsible for that cost of after school care for 5+1 days proportional to income.

            Now, if you insisted they go to after school care and she was willing to care for the kids 10 days a week, would she have to pay for the week you send them? That I am not sure of.
            The after school care provider isn't going to allow that level of flexibility. You pay for the number of days you need in a week; they won't bill based on alternating weeks (well, maybe if you had another family that needed the other days on alternating weeks). So, we need to pay for 5 days/wk for every week.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by snowbound View Post
              The after school care provider isn't going to allow that level of flexibility. You pay for the number of days you need in a week; they won't bill based on alternating weeks (well, maybe if you had another family that needed the other days on alternating weeks). So, we need to pay for 5 days/wk for every week.
              If that is the case then the only options are to find alternate daycare that does allow the flexiblity, change the schedule around, or she has to pay propotional to income for the full 10 days.

              Comment


              • #8
                So the 'after school care provider' is effectively double-price. There should be lots of options that are cheaper than that. For both of your sakes (assuming she is coerced into paying her share) the onus is on you to find a reasonably priced option.

                Comment

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