Question for parents about drop-off service

[Emma H]

As a daycare provider, I am curious about parent's thoughts on a pick-up or drop-off service. It has been an option to employ a female driver but I am unsure as to how successful this would be! What are your thoughts? :)

Is this something that you would be interested in?
Would you accept the service for an additional fee?(if so, what fee?)
What requirements would you have from the driver?

[momofnerds]

No, it's about insurance and liability. Parents can do their own pick up and drop off, at some point the parents need to raise their kids,if you start doing special services you will start to be taken advantage of. I just tell the parents that they don't have to worry about feeding, because I found that if I feed them the kids are less hungry than if their parents feed them

[AmandaKDT]

Only situation I could see that being really practical is if you took school age kids and used a driver to take them to and from school. But I wouldn't consider it in order to pick up the kids at their own house and bring them to daycare. After the expense of paying the driver and for gas, I couldn't see you making much money in the end.

[Emma H]

For all those points mentioned is exactly why I was hesitant lol. I have a family from another city (about 10-15mins away) begging me to do this service but I was just not sure and definitely not now considering liability (didn't even think of that)
Thanks to you both!

[3rdtimesacharm]

I could never see me offering this service. The parents have to leave the house to go to work so why they can't drop off is just confusing. All of my daycare families live outside the city, 20-45 mins away but work in the city so they drop off kiddos then off to work they go.
You have a family begging to pick their kid up at their house??? That sounds so odd to me! Did they not think of this when they first signed on with you?

[Suzie_Homemaker]

Stupid idea.

Liability, time, insurance, practicalities.

You work home but if you do this, you must always have good operational car.
Big insurance to transport client like taxi service. Not same as using own car to drive to own office job and back. Transport to/from work very different than business use of vehicle.
So this client is 15 mins away and if you agree to pick up, then what if they move 30 mins away? Still do it?
What if two client need pick up service? They live in apartments. In Winter get first client, no problem. Get second client home, get all kid out of car, go to apartment, get second lot kids. Walk back to car with group kids in snow?
What if you have puncture/get held up? You then late for regular client and get unreliable name?
Will one or two client wanting pick up be enough to cover your cost of bigger insurance? Unlikely - but if you do for all, then you need bigger vehicle which is bigger cost which mean bigger fee. Not cost effective at all.
What if you get there for pick up and they all over sleep? You wait? Be late back? Or you text/call before leaving? So now you give wake up service and pick up service too?

This foolish idea. Parent being lazy. Don't enable

[Emma H]

You have a family begging to pick their kid up at their house??? That sounds so odd to me! Did they not think of this when they first signed on with you?

At first they didn't even mention anything like that(of course) but as winter crept they kept hinting at it more and more because they have a hard time pushing their stroller through the snow and onto the bus as they don't have a vehicle.

[Emma H]

What if you get there for pick up and they all over sleep? You wait? Be late back? Or you text/call before leaving? So now you give wake up service and pick up service too?

Didn't even think of this, you are right! many families tend to come at different times every day I can never start my morning on my own schedule I cant even imagine waiting for them outside lol

[bright sparks]

I had a mother who had a C-section and her family were very few and out of town...an hour away at least. We made an arrangement that for the first 6 weeks after her C-section that I would pick up and drop off but only because I was already driving my son to and from school. She paid me an extra $20 a day!! I already had adequate business auto insurance, car seats from new and in date and was already using the vehicle with all the daycare children loaded in twice a day and it was on my way so there really didn't seem to be a good reason to say no. She signed a temporary agreement for 6 weeks and paid me the $600 up front...prior to 2nd child's birth. This was one thing, but to drive to multiple locations for either pick up or drop off or both would also be very disruptive to my routine taking valuable time away from my program. I know some families are in need but I can't see this being a "needed" service at large except like others mentioned it was for a school run.

[5 Little Monkeys]

That's awesome bright!!

I wouldn't want to commit to this. Part of the perks from working from home is not having to drive! Lol. I wouldn't want to drive in bad weather either.

I did have one child who I would very occasionally (like less than 5x) drive home if mom wasn't able to pick up due to working late as it saved dad a trip to exchange cars (only had one carseat) and he was my last child of the day. I'm not sure if I'd offer to do that again. I really didn't mind it but like others have said, it's their responsibility to figure this out....but I don't mind helping out either! Lol. I just wouldn't want to commit to it every day.

[Emma H]

Thanks everyone :)

[sandylynn]

I wouldn't TOUCH this....