Changing Hours of Operation?

[Daycare123]

Hey Everyone,

I am seriously considering changing my hours. Right now I am 7:30am-5pm and I am thinking of changing my hours by shortening my day by half hour either in the AM or PM.

How would you address this? Should I ask families what works for them first? Discuss the potential change? What would you guys do?

Thanks

[Crayola kiddies]

I shortened my day about four months ago because my latest pickup was leaving and therefore everybody would now be gone by 4:20 so I could make my new closing time 4:30 instead of 5. But I couldn't change the morning one because I have families arriving right at opening. Does changing your hours mean someone is going to have to change their hours in order to accommodate ? Are you ok with losing them?

[gramma]

Just a question crayolo, if you change your hours to suit the families in your care, what happens if you need to fill a spot? do you stick to the 4:30 pick up? I'm just curious because unless you have teachers as clients, how do most people manage to pick their kids up by 4:30

[Crayola kiddies]

Generally one parent drops off and the other picks up .... I actually have mostly government workers.


Funny though the family that was my latest pick up that left was a teacher family .... She was very disorganized and could never get out in a reasonable time .... School finished at 3:15 teachers had to stay for 20 mins after bell and her travel time was 25 mins and she could barely get here by 5.

[Momof4]

I started out with clients who needed a 7am dropoff but as soon as they graduated I changed my hours to 7:30. Now when I get a request for a start time earlier than 7:45 I pretty much tell them no thanks. Right now all my dckids arrive at 8 and I love it. So my advice is to work around your current clients and eventually accept only new families that fit into your plan.

[Daycare123]

So my advice is to work around your current clients and eventually accept only new families that fit into your plan.

Momof4- I have realized this is not an appropriate time to change my hours due to the needs of the families in my daycare-but I plan to do exactly what you have recommended! :)