Part time care - What would you do?

[Toregone]

Edit - Wow I posted this and then seen how long it was... sorry!

I'm a little torn about a situation and am hoping you ladies can help me with some of your expert advice :D

When I first started my dayhome a few months ago I was contacted by a family seeking part time care for 2 children starting in September. The children will be 1 year and 4 years (mom coming back from mat leave). She is working 1 day per week currently and needs care about 1 - 2 times per month if the schedule doesn't align with her husbands. We met with each other and hit it off quite well (if she wasn`t a client I could see us being friends) and her son and daughter seemed great so I agreed to drop in care at 5 per hour over the summer and we agreed to see how things went for September. During a phone call about a month ago or so I let her know that I was going to have 2 spots open in Sept and wouldnt be filling them as I wanted a lighter load for the summer to get used to running the day home. I never meant this as a confirmation I would accept her children but she asked if I would have spots and I answered honestly.

My part time rate is 450 per month (per child) up to 25 hours per week. $5 (per child) drop in is for occasional care only. She has now worked out the math and figured out with the 12-15 hours they need (spaced over 3 days per week) it would work out to 480 - 600 monthly if they paid the drop in rate rather than part time rates. I dont dispute that the math works out in her favour to do it that way but I always stated drop in was for occasional care only. I am even willing to cut her a deal of $550 per month (rather than $900) because the math really does suck.

The problem being I`m not actually sure I want these children, let alone cut them a deal. Her 4 year old had turned into a holy terror, I once had to actually pick him up and carry him to time out getting bitten, kicked and punched the whole way. He doesn`t nap nor does he respect quiet time (and his hours will be noon - 4, quiet time is 1 - 3ish). The infant is a sweet girl when she`s not screaming, which is about 90% of the time. I actually have had to break out my old baby carriers and carry her non stop for hours as this was the only way she wouldn`t scream. She won`t even let me sit down, I have to keep moving. That being said these kids are only here 1 - 2 times per month, would they get better given set days and hours on a regular basis I wonder.

This will also limit my future field trips as I am currently purchasing a mini van, however the children I currently have in care will fill the van. So field trips will be limited to mornings only or Wednesdays and Fridays when these children aren`t there. As I`m purchasing the van for the dayhome I feel it kind of silly to make a 20k+ purchase and then be limited in its use. I don`t need the income or the extra kids. I have 5 under 3 currently (including my own) I am busy enough without adding 2 more. Note: legal limit in Alberta for private care not through an agency is 6 plus your own children. I am operating legally even if I take them.

The mom thinks that everything is confirmed as she left me a voice mail wanting to figure out Christmas holidays etc. She thinks we just need to nail down payment.

First things first I am changing my part time rate to stipulate not hours per week but days per month. it will now be up to 16 days per month. This is the second conflict Ive had with hours per week vs days per month. Luckily the first conflict worked out beautifully and in my favour. :laugh: I think it would just make it less confusing though to make the switch. I`m new at this, we can call it a learning curve haha.

What do I do. I feel as if I inadvertently gave agreement to take these children but now do not want the hassle of them, and I dont want to upset the mom who I really do like. I know she stressed over finding care for the boy as he really is a handful and I dont want to add to her stress. However I dont want to add to my own.

The one shining light in this is tonight I heard from my sister dayhome (GREATEST PARTNERSHIP EVER btw haha) and she is looking for a couple kids and asked me to pass on any inquiries I had to her. But that being said do I want to pass on problem kids to a friend and partner. ARGH!

Any advice for me.

And sorry for crazy punctuation. My keyboard is doing this É for the question mark and a bunch of other wonky things I cant seem to get it fixed.

[Inspired by Reggio]

Wow that scenario sounds complicated to me ~ and I will be honest this is why I do not understand the desire of providers to start out their business offering 'occasional drop in wonky schedule care' because A) the clients who seek this kind of care rarely seem to GET that they are asking for SPECIAL and they expect the space to just 'be there for them' when they need it and hear what they want to hear with regards to availability and when they get a 'no' they get all angry with the provider and B) financially it is not best for the provider LONG TERM because you are loosing income on spaces that could be filled with more reliable consistent income?

So in the end you wind up having to deal with the fact you feel guilty and stressed 'terminating them' because you can no longer accommodate them and than dealing with the conflict of them being angry to suddenly be without childcare OR you keep them on rather than deal with that conflict and than end up resenting that you are loosing income serving them now because you have to keep their space open for the 5 days a month they might want to be using it ~ which is no good for anyone either :(

Personally I would just be telling her that there has been some sort of misunderstanding and that while you have been able to accommodate her needs NOW because your plan was for a quiet summer that come September, while you still have spots at the MOMENT, your priority is to have full time / consistent clients in those spots as it is not in your budget to have TWO drop in / casual care clients and therefore your arrangement is 'short term' until such a time that you have someone interested in those two spots and that long term you suggest she keep looking for someone who can meet her needs!

[apples and bananas]

The only way I would offer occasional or drop in is for a family that has already been with me and leaves due to job or mat leave etc. It's impossible for a child of that age to follow my rules at my house if they are only here once or twice a month.

If you're uncomfortable with the kids and you don't need them then let her know, your situation has changed and unfortunatly won't be able to take her kids. I agree... if you've purchased a vehicle for feild trips and then are limited in it's use... why buy it at all!

We own our own business and set our own rules for a reason. If we wanted this type of stress we'd work for someone else.

[Toregone]

Thanks for the replies guys. Wow I reread my own post in the morning and boy did I ramble. I'm glad you could understand it haha. That is why I should not be allowed near a forum after 8pm, my brain is just too fried.

When I was first starting I needed income badly. I was in a bad financial situation as I had been dismissed from my position because of a medical leave I had to take after an emergency surgery. Long story short my husband and I were suddenly faced with a huge problem. I had been wanting to start a dayhome and this was the "nudge" I needed but when I advertised I was very slow to pick up clients. In the short term I offered drop in, overnight, evening, weekend.. anything to bring in money. This is how the drop in care started. I no longer do overnight, evening, or weekend but have kept the drop in on my website because I have a couple of regular drop ins. As much as it was needed at that time I wish I had never started it.

I think I will just tell her that as I settled into running the daycare I figured out that I really don't wish to take as many children as I first thought and therefore I won't be able to accomodate her children.

Again very sorry for the long winded, drawn out ramble. It really isn't as confusing as I made it seem lol.

[Inspired by Reggio]

Yup ~ business plans change in EVERY business and it is your right to change your service structure!

Drop in care by definition is based on availability within the program cause we have to follow the rules and regulations of our industry ... so nothing 'personal' to them it is no longer available because your goal is to have permanent clients in those spaces so her option is to pay for a FULL TIME SPACE for two children OR find alternative drop in arrangements ;)

[Lou]

I was in somewhat of a similar situation recently. I provide before and after school care for children who attend my daughter's school (for convenience), and when I first started out I accepted my friend's daughter. She is a paramedic and only required random days of care, and random days through the summer. Well, now that i'm more established I can not accomodate such a random schedule as my business suffers for it. When she supplied her summer schedule to me, there were several days that wouldn't work number wise...and I also let her know that as of September I would only be able to provide after school care for her on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She was upset and "wanted to talk" (hate that!), and felt like I was trying to bump her out. I DO like Mom, but honestly I didn't care. I let her know that as I was starting out I had more flexibility for a sporatic schedule but now that I'm more established I need children to work around each other and so my availability has changed. She said she understood, but if it doesn't work out that they'll find alernate care...thats fine!!!

[dodge__driver11]

Yeah I only do drop in care if a regular f/t child is absent and I want to fill the space. Also I am very picky about who i do this for.

[Judy Trickett]

NEXT!

Seriously, RUN, don't walk away................ ...

This is called flex care. And, personally, flex care is a PITA. The kids are not used to your routine or your rules. They don't feel secure with you because they have not developed a feeling of trust in your or your environment.

You are running a daycare - not a drop-in centre. Just tell her that it's not gonna work and find other clients.

Here is some foresight for you..............wha t are you going to do when you get to a point of being nearly full and you can't fill your last two spots because these kids "might" come a few times a month?? If you lose income 15 times a month for two kids that is close to $1000 a month that you LOSE in income.

Are you REALLY willing to potentially lose $12,000 a year in income to care occasionally for two kids who are going to ALWAYS be difficult to care for????

[Momof4]

I wouldn't offer a drop in service - ever! I need to be full and to be organized and to have my calendar marked and know how to plan my week for food and activities.

[Toregone]

Well the kids would have a set schedule - Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 12 - 4 or 5. So it's not flex care it's part time care but she wants to pay like it's flex care. And that cuts my monthly income considerably. If I had 2 full time kids fill the spot I could make 1300 whereas she wants to pay 480 - 600. But I don't want full time kids, I don't want any more than I have lol. With 5 children under 3 every day I have enough to worry about without throwing a 4 year old PITA and an infant into the mix.

On a side note for my last 2 spots as I don't want any more children during the day I'm thinking of doing before & after school care but only if it's for a school far enough away they can bus it. Anyone else do this?

[Momof4]

Ok, that's different, sorry I misunderstood. I have a full time rate and a part time rate. My part time rate is $2 more per day and my contract states a minimum of 3 days per week. I do enjoy having a few slower days so it's not a problem for me to have one client who uses 3 days/week. In Ontario we are only allowed to have 5 children max, so it sounds like you are working hard.

[Toregone]

Ok, that's different, sorry I misunderstood. I have a full time rate and a part time rate. My part time rate is $2 more per day and my contract states a minimum of 3 days per week. I do enjoy having a few slower days so it's not a problem for me to have one client who uses 3 days/week. In Ontario we are only allowed to have 5 children max, so it sounds like you are working hard.

In Alberta for "Private Babysitting" (non agency home daycares are called that) you are allowed 6 kids plus your own regardless of how many you have. There is no stipulation on age groups.

I have a part time rate as well and I have a part time child, I don't mind part time. I do mind her wanting to pay hourly rates instead of my monthly part time rate. She only wants to pay for hours used so she as she'd do drop off at noon she wouldn't pay for a full days care. Or if her child was sick, stayed with Grandma... she wouldn't pay. But I've decided not to take them anyway as 5 kids is more than enough so in the end it really doesn't matter what she would have paid me.

Thanks for the input everyone! I was really struggling with helping out someone I know will have a hard time finding care vs. doing what is best for myself. Thankfully I decided that I need to look out for myself first and foremost. So I'm going to say "NEXT!" (haha love that btw :laugh:)

[Momof4]

Awesome, glad you figured out what you want to do. No, never let anybody try to negotiate your contracts or your rules!