S'pore parent gets reminder letter from preschool for being late to pick up kid, says it's fair & apologises - Mothership

The parent said he was expecting to pay a late fee, but received a reminder letter instead.

Images via @jimmyj_jin/Instagram, Google Maps.

A parent who was late to pick-up his child from a PCF Sparkletots childcare centre received a "Letter of First Reminder" informing him of the penalties for repeats.

While it was his first time receiving such a letter, the parent acknowledged that the policy was "fair" and said he was thankful as he was expecting to pay the late fee that day.

Going by @JimmyJ_Jin (Jimmy) on Instagram, the father uploaded an image of the letter to social media platform on Sep. 23.

Signed off by the centre's principal, the letter explained to parents that children who are picked up late "can get anxious", while teachers count on punctual pick-ups to "get home to their families and other obligations".

"Being on time significantly contributes to our teachers' job satisfaction and our children's happiness," the letter read.

It informed parents of a late pick-up fee of S$5 per child for every 15-minute block after the programme or centre's operating hours.

The fee, the letter further stated, is chargeable for "repeated occurrences" after the first reminder has been issued.

The parent, a 31-year-old who identifies as content creator, shared with Mothership that he was aware of the late pick-up fee policy.

It was his first time receiving the letter since his son started at the school 1.5 years ago.

That day on Sep. 22, Jimmy encountered "super bad" traffic, which led to him being late.

He had informed the centre that he would be behind time, and was prepared to pay the late fee.

Instead, the parent was issued the Letter of First Reminder.

"The staff didn't tell me anything, as it was late and everybody [was] rushing, including the teachers," Jimmy said, adding that the letter had everything explained.

He described the policy as "fair" and "reasonable", and said it was "good system".

"I apologise to them for being late as well," he added.

Regarding his social media post, the parent explained that he was simply sharing about his experience.

He captioned his post with, "This is what you get if late to pick your kids."

The crying emoji he included was his reaction to being late, he explained.

Responding to Mothership's queries, a PCF Sparkletots Preschool spokesperson said that they were aware of the matter.

"Our late pick up policy is intended to support the continued care and supervision of children who remain at the centre after operating hours," the spokesperson said.

"We recognise that unforeseen circumstances may arise, and parents are encouraged to contact the centre as soon as possible."

Each situation will be reviewed based on its circumstances and discussed directly with the family, the spokesperson added.

Jimmy's Instagram post has since received 180 comments, with most users opining that it is a fair policy to teachers.