daycare/preschool absences - ?

[Aura_Kitten]

i am currently a full-time college student and mother to a 3 year old, who attends the campus daycare. i am also pregnant and having a lot of health problems w/ this pregnancy (lots of pain due to my endometriosis, still having morning sickness, digestive issues, and so on) which cause me to miss class, in addition to the extra doctor's appointments i have to attend as well because this pregnancy is a little higher risk than my son's.

his day care allows up to 10 "family emergencies" and something like 7 excused absences (due to illness or the child's dr's appt's).

i let them know that on the days when i am not coming to school, that i would simply be keeping him home with me, but obviously if this goes over his allowed # of absences it could be a problem. in april -- the end of the spring semester -- i plan to take him out anyway and homeschool him + sibling/s from that point on (the new baby is due in early july).

(why not just keep him in school when i'm not there? it's an hour long bus ride to the college from our home, then another hour back home from the college. why do that when i can just keep him home w/ me? that's why i'm keeping him out~)

so..... how do i reconcile their requirements with my needs/wishes?

if this becomes a problem and they decide to remove him from the program, i'll have to drop all my classes to stay home with him as there are no other options for day care -- which means i'll lose all my financial aid money, which means i won't be able to pay bills and rent.

advice please?

[LiamnEmma]

I'm not sure I understand why this is their requirement? My kids attend daycare/preschool (private) and there is no requirement...is it a pay as you play program? If so, could you pay for the days he is not there as well? Or is it that they have attendance and are not being subsidized when he isn't there? If that's the case, then that's really too bad. If you can solve it by paying regardless of his attendance and are able/willing to do so, I'd offer that first. If it's a subsidy issue, then I don't know what advice to give. I hope everything works out.

[Greaseball]

I would check with your school's legal aid office or student advocates. It's possible your Title IX rights as a pregnant and parenting student are being violated. Since your pregnancy is high risk, you could claim it as a disability, which they would have to accomodate.

[Aura_Kitten]

thanks.

it is a subsidy-type program, so the attendance/pay thing may be the issue. however i would still imagine that as a mother i would have the right to keep my son out any time i'm not there.

anyway i rearranged some of my classes so now he doesn't have to be there m-f full time, only tuesdays and thursdays. so that takes a strain off of all of us and lets him be home with us more.

[LiamnEmma]

I'm so glad you were able to work out something that's better for all of you! That's great!