Omg !

[crafty]

Yup so I know many of you have been down that road but I am really starting to freak out about money issues.

So I have opened back in Feb. and I have had this little P/T guys ever since and had a few temporary cares over the summer. I had filled all the spots I wanted but all of them started only this fall or winter.I found people in my area start to look for daycare very early. I had two families signed for sept. and one DROPPED me like 2 months ago. A friend of theirs opened a daycare. I was really relying on my only full time client to start...whatever I had set asside to cover me a few months is getting low and the other one starting in 2 weeks is another p/t. My other two dck only start dec. and jan. So I have still a few more months to go before getting a descent income.:(

Now I just learned that my little guy's parents split up and will move soon... I have been advertising for my last spot for the last 2 months hoping to find someone asap but no calls nothing. How on earth will I fill 2 spots in such a short time ! I am totaly freaking out right now. :ohmy:

Thanks for listenning Or should I say reading !!:)

[apples and bananas]

That sucks! I think we've all been there. When I'm desperate I advertise for drop ins, nights, mornings, everything! (temporary care of course) You might also want to consider networking with other daycares in your area. If you make a good impression they might use you as back up or pass some clients they don't have room for onto you.

[Momof4]

Oh crap crafty! If it helps, these things can happen to anybody. I had a little boy here for over a year and a relative decided to open a daycare and wanted him for her first client. So I just lost him in June.

Don't be afraid to ask family and friends to spread the word about your daycare. Do you have a website? Do you advertise with large companies and at Mom & baby groups? Get your name out there everywhere you can possibly think of and interview like a mad woman until you find the right families. You will find them.

[crafty]

That's what I try to keep telling myself ... It happens right. I'm so use to a steady income and planning eveything. If that family had not dropped me for Sept. I would have been fine. I will be pushing the advertisment as best as I can for sure. Thanks for the tips.

It's just so much stress and I think the worst part is that I am SOOOOOO looking forward into having a house full of kiddies. Right now I'm feeling like I'm failing. I"m not loosing hope or anything but it's a difficult business to manage for sure. Some days more than other and today is one of those days.

Thank godness for all of you guys ;0)

[Cocoon]

Where are you based? I have been turning away clients and I have another one left message on my phone looking for care which I need to call to let them know that I don't have available spot.

[Crayola kiddies]

Yup the first year is the hardest. My first year I had one f/t and one p/t for the whole year plus I had one after school from Jan to June and a different one b&a from sept to dec ....then in dec my p/t left .... It wasn't until dec that I started to get a ton of calls and I filled 3 ft spots for Jan and one for feb and just like that I was full. Now I have one leaving for jk and I'm advertising that spot ..... Summer isn't really a great time IME for inquiries unless it's for school age kids which I only take one at a time. ...... So you have to persevere but it will come. Can you perhaps take a part time job in the evenings or a day on the weekend to bridge the gap till you sign a few more on? Hope the calls start coming in for you

[DCP_But_Momma_1st]

this happened in my first year as well. I think it was a combo of things. Firstly I was new and I *think* that some families might have not been fully comfortable with that even if I did win them over in the interview. Secondly I now know better than to hold spots for anyone. If I do hold a spot for more that a month now (which I really wont do anymore unless the spot is full until they need it) I make the families pay for it. I lost out on thousands of dollars that first year.

Good luck. I often find that things always seem to have a way of working out, and usually for the better.

[crafty]

Thanks a lot Coccoon ! But I am way out in the est end. I don't think we are close.

@ Crayola, yeah I have definately been lookikng around for a part-time job. Thing is my husband works long hours and every other weekend as well and we don't have easy acces to a sitter. So it has been difficult to find that as well... but I"m still looking.

You are totally right Momma 1st. I sure learned my lesson. I will ask for a bigger deposit and holding fees. Thing is, out of everyone who had called me only 3 were looking for sopts righ away (that was back in april/may I think) and it did nto work out (allergies and relocation) . People call me WAY to much ahead of time. I have 2 people on a call back list for March 2013 ... they both called when the baby was one month old !

Anyway hanging in there ... Thanks everyone !!

[kidlove]

Hay Crafty: I feel for you, just know that it WILL get better. When I started the first year or two were a little tough to keep regulars and solid income. The longer you are open the better the "word" will get around and you won't even have to advertise much. I remember after my first year I actually attempted to leave daycare and work in the schools,thought I was done with it....until I left, then realized how much I loved it! stick in there, for your kid and family! it will be worth it!!!

[lainey76]

Where in the East end are you ? I've had a few calls in the past few days ... I'm in the Trim road area.

[playfelt]

Feel free to pass anyone my way - I am over off Charlemagne near St. Peter's high school. I have interviewed 4 in the last few weeks - one was for a 2 year old and mom was about 6 months pregnant but said nothing about the baby, one wanted part time but by the time she came for the interview it was down to tues and thurs mornings only for two kids, the third one was for a 9 month old and both parents were teachers and the dad got hung up on my son coming home - he works in Calgary and might come to visit at christmas or the summer after all this is his home - he is 25 years old. Their child was a boy too so didn't get the hang up issues at all. The fourth family was a possible but the mom was pretty petty about things like feeding, outside play, not very flexible it seemed and kind of got the you are now our nanny type of feeling. Needless to say non of those kids will be coming to my house. Have filled one space with a baby but she doesn't start till Oct so looking to fill two more spaces. No school age though.

[lainey76]

Yeah , I have had alot of people looking for before and after as well as 2 calls and interviews for Dec/Jan.

Playfelt if you want to pm me your info. I can pass it along :)

[Momof4]

Crafty, if you find someone going back to work in Dec. try to talk them into starting in Nov. part time before they go back from their mat leave. I like to start 1 day the first week, 2 days the next week and so on until they are full time the week the parent goes back to work. That way if I run into problems or have questions the Mom is still at home and I can call her. This is my favourite way to transition a new child and I always tell the Mom that she deserves a little time to herself before going back to work because it may be a long time until she gets a vacation.

[crafty]

Thanks everyone for the offer but I"m not in Ottawa I meant east of Ottawa. Thanks momof. I actualy have that in my contract. I ask the children to start daycare on p/t to help with the transition. There really has been absolutely nothing. On e-mail for Feb/march again and that's it !! So now I have 3 families on a call list.

[kidlove]

Hang in there!!!!!!!

[crafty]

I am I am ... :unsure: I really love having my own daycare and I do beleive I have a great program, there is no way I want to give up that easy.

[lainey76]

Crafty, How far east are you ?

I just forwarded playflets info. to 2 clients I have had to turn down as I just filled my last spot.

[Monday 2 Friday Mama]

Hi there, hang in there. I'm a caregiver out in Bridlewood (west end Ottawa) and this has been the worst summer ever for finding new clients. I don't know if parents are just not in the right headspace - it's summer, everyone is on vacation, no one is thinking about their care needs for the fall - or what, but I have had miserable responses to my ads. I've had a couple of interviews with parents, and I've got a couple of new full time clients who will start up in the fall (Sept, and Nov.) but I'm still looking for that last full time kid. Hang in there, it will get better - I think this is just a weird summer.

[crafty]

Hey Lainey, I'm closer to the Embrun area.

[lainey76]

Ahhhh ok so quite East lol

Hopefully things will pick up for you . DOn't forget to advertise in the schools close to you .

[sunnydays]

Crafty, I hope you fill up soon! I am moving to Chapel Hill South and am losing 3 of my kids...so I am advertising too and haven't had any luck so far. Maybe everyone is on vacation!

[DCP_But_Momma_1st]

I found that when I was really having a hard time finding clients that posting flyers on the big mail boxes worked very well. It is alot of work and people rip them down all the time but I did find clients. Not sure if they have those multi mail box things there or not.

[playfelt]

Crafty, I hope you fill up soon! I am moving to Chapel Hill South and am losing 3 of my kids...so I am advertising too and haven't had any luck so far. Maybe everyone is on vacation!

"Parents are just on vacation" is what I am telling myself too. A little surprised by the lack of calls in August as in past years it has never been a problem filling September spaces at the last minute. The downside is there weren't a lot of calls in May/June for the Fall either. Yes it will get better - it has to. I have two spaces to fill. Sending fill it up vibes and congratulations on the new house.

[Momof4]

Oh, bad memories for me! Last year I had two spaces in Sept. and I was getting a little nuts with interviewing, but then boom, within a week both of the spaces were filled. Keep the faith ladies and luck to all who are looking for the perfect families.