Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Daycare fees versus Public Junior Kindergarten

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Daycare fees versus Public Junior Kindergarten

    Hi all,

    In March 2020, at a case conference, I agreed to pay 50% private daycare fees for my child.

    In September 2021, he will be of age to go to Junior Kindergarten at public school, so I would no longer have to pay.

    His mom is saying that because the daycare institution also offers JK and SK, she wants me to continue paying 50% for the next 2 years until he's finished JK/SK, because this private institution is "better" than Public JK. She claims because there is no "end date" in the endorsement, I am obligated to pay.

    I reviewed the endorsement and while she is correct that there is no end date, it reads, "the Respondent shall pay 50% of His daycare and He shall pay this amount directly to the daycare". It does not mention that I have to pay for JK and SK. I only agreed to it because I was thinking in September 2021 he will go to JK.

    I am already paying child support and it's difficult as it is. What are my options? Can she take me to court and win?

    Thank you all for reading and energy you spend on this forum. Really one of its kind on the entire internet.

  • #2
    This one is actually tricky. Family law has a weird thing where if you agree to do something out of the kindness of your heart, you can often be forced to continue to do it later.

    However, your story makes sense. You agreed to pay for daycare, but that does not mean that you agreed to pay for private school. There are no public daycares, so saying that you agreed to one does not mean that you agreed to the other.

    I guess to some extent it would depend on the specific wording of your agreement. Based on the quote you provided, if I was a betting man, I would say that refusing to pay for private school would be a winning position.

    Not a guaranteed win though.

    Bonus: Your position is actually correct. Private schools are one of the biggest ripoffs in our society. You get the teachers who could not land a job in the public system, and settled for the low-security nonsense. I know many people who worked in both, and they all say that they spent much of their time in private school applying for positions in the public system.

    The only real advantage to private schools is that your kids get to hang out with other rich kids, and then form those relationships that hopefully leads them to marry somebody who is wealthy.

    Comment


    • #3
      I’m with Janus. If it’s before and after school care then you pay but you don’t pay for school. Public schools are available and a judge won’t go against the government and say public school is bad.

      This one you can tell her kid will be in school and name the closest school so daily care is not required and therefore not paid. It doesn’t matter what your agreement says, kids age out into school so it’s a non starter.

      Comment


      • #4
        What Janus said... and in addition...

        No sitting judge will order a child to "private school" over the "public option". Its a statement against the government services whom they work for. The only time they will order a "private option" is if it was the status quo prior to the separation.

        As Janus pointed out... The daycare does not = private school. Easy argument to make. If you agree to the private JK/SK then, you establish status quo and pay for private school forever... Say no now and save yourself oodles of unnecessary expenses. Janus is bang-on with regards to private school too!

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Tayken View Post
          If you agree to the private JK/SK then, you establish status quo and pay for private school forever...
          Agreed. This is a major fight worth tens of thousands of dollars. Private school for a child is anywhere from 100k - 500k. There are lots of cool things you could do with that type of money besides private school.

          Comment


          • #6
            The only time I had my kids in JK private school (Montessori) was when public school JK was only 1/2 day and I worked therefor needed a full day of childcare. The cost of before and after school care if my child attended public school
            For 1/2 day was the same if not more than my child attending Montessori for a full day with extended hours to accommodate my work schedule. Today in Ontario, public school JK And SK are full days so my argument is no longer applicable in these times

            Comment


            • #7
              Hi all,

              Thanks for getting back to me. I forgot to mention a point:

              -She's saying that because his older brother went to private JK/SK, so should the younger brother.

              -The older brother right now is going to private school and she is paying for it all by herself. The older brother has been going to private school for 2 years now. So she's saying it's only fair for the younger brother to have access to the same quality education.

              Would that make a difference?

              Thanks

              Comment


              • #8
                Nope because she agreed she would pay for it. So like the others said, if she wants it she can pay for it. And truly she set the precedent that she will pay.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by helenj View Post
                  Hi all,

                  Thanks for getting back to me. I forgot to mention a point:

                  -She's saying that because his older brother went to private JK/SK, so should the younger brother.

                  -The older brother right now is going to private school and she is paying for it all by herself. The older brother has been going to private school for 2 years now. So she's saying it's only fair for the younger brother to have access to the same quality education.

                  Would that make a difference?

                  Thanks
                  Is the older child your child or from another relationship?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Hi,
                    My child.

                    Does that make a difference?

                    Thanks

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      if you took it to court- it probably would. The whole point of CS and S7 is so the child(ren) don't have to live the lesser life because of the parents' divorce.

                      To all of you pooping on private school/Montessori. There are a lot of reasons people choose private school. Some prefer the philosophy/teaching style. I fought my ex to keep my daughter in Montessori- because there's more oversight for her allergies.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by iona6656 View Post
                        To all of you pooping on private school/Montessori. There are a lot of reasons people choose private school. Some prefer the philosophy/teaching style. I fought my ex to keep my daughter in Montessori- because there's more oversight for her allergies.
                        One of my siblings has their kid in Montessori and NEVER STOPS BRAGGING about their kids progress and tends to look down on my other sibling. It grates on us. Don’t be like my sibling iona!!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by helenj View Post
                          Hi,
                          My child.

                          Does that make a difference?

                          Thanks
                          Yes. You already established the status quo of private over public option.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by rockscan View Post
                            One of my siblings has their kid in Montessori and NEVER STOPS BRAGGING about their kids progress and tends to look down on my other sibling. It grates on us. Don�t be like my sibling iona!!
                            lol. never. I don't even see it as 'prestigious'- technically all preschools are "private" - and they're really childcare; which is just stupid expensive whether you call it Daycare or Montessori.

                            I do like the philosophy of independent play. And the low teacher/student ratio helps with her allergies.

                            In general though- I agree with everyone else that it's not necessary for JK/SK- esp. if there are no special circumstances present.

                            But I do believe some private schools offer benefits. If I had stayed in the east end of the GTA- I would've considered the Trafalger school for D4. On the other hand- a few of my friends have their daughters at Havergal. Haven't heard great things.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Tayken View Post
                              Yes. You already established the status quo of private over public option.
                              The only thing is that we were still a couple when my older son went to private JK so it was more affordable.

                              Now, I am paying lawyers and separate rent.

                              So, you're saying there is a chance a Judge may look at the previous status quo and order it for the younger kid? I guess in this instance I Have to show my financial situation?

                              Comment

                              Our Divorce Forums
                              Forums dedicated to helping people all across Canada get through the separation and divorce process, with discussions about legal issues, parenting issues, financial issues and more.
                              Working...
                              X