Managing spots for kinders

[Goldilocks]

Is there anyone that takes kinders who go to school for full days, every other day? I was wondering how you work it out. Because I'm licensed in Manitoba I have three spots for kinders. I could get parents to share a spot, kinders that go opposite days from each other. Only problem is if my other two spots are filled and there is no school at all then one kinder can come here but the other kinder can't when they share a spot. A parent can decide to pay for the spot for full time so they are guaranteed a full time spot regardless if there is school or not. But of course parents of kinders don't want to pay for a full time spot and want the shared spot, but at the same time they expect their child to be able to come here on the no school days. In other words, they want a full time spot but only pay for the part time spot. I was wondering if I should just say pay for a full time spot and not even mention sharing a spot. First time taking kinders for this fall and it's already becoming an issue with a couple of parents whose children will be going into kindergarten this fall.

[Lee-Bee]

I would offer 2 contracted spots.

One spot is for the off days in the regular off kinder days in the school year. This spot does NOT provide any care on school holidays. A family with grandparents nearby can fill this.

The other spot is for the regular off kinder days in the school year (the opposite days of the above spot) PLUS the school holiday days. This spot MUST pay for very school holiday whether or not care is used.

The 2 spots will fill one full time position with no overlap. Just make sure your contracted terms are very very clear and each family knows at signing what they get and what they pay.

[mickyc]

I only take full-time kids. It's way too complicated to share a spot. What happens if one family leaves and you can't fill the other half? Just keep it simple - full-time only!!

[Goldilocks]

I only do full time as well. In my area though, kinders go for full day every other day. I was just wondering what other daycare providers do in this situation. My co-ordinator told me that other DCP usually get the kinders to share a spot. It does seem like a pain though

[mickyc]

Just stick to full time. Why take 2 kids for one spot when you can take 1 and they will pay for all days? No hassle and space is then open for child no matter what!

[superfun]

I like the idea of 2 different spots, one with school in service days, and the other without. The other way I can think of is offering those days to each of them on an alternating schedule. Parent A gets the first school closure day, parent b gets the next one. If they want to switch, they arrange it themselves. I've also let 2 families share a spot, and let them do all the figuring, and have their schedule and payment ready at the beginning of the month. That worked pretty well for me. They were lucky to be able to split daycare costs, so they should do the extra work associated with sharing a spot. :D

[Suzie_Homemaker]

I only take full-time children because part-time mean lost income if unable to find family wanting opposite day. Yes it mean sometimes a full place empty for longer but still less loss that endlessly have half space unused indefinitely. I bent own rule about 2 year ago and took 4 day a week child who go grandparent on Wednesday and it took 18 months to find someone wanting that empty Wednesday - 52 week plus 26 week = 78 week of lost Wednesday money which equate to 15.5 full weeks. It would not likely have taken me 15 week to find a Monday to Friday child had I declined.

In your situation I think first option is that parent have pay full week. That would be preference. If that not being taken up in your area, then maybe contact for fixed days when child not in school and no contact for care on opposite days when they are in school. If school closed on their day when no care contacted, that not your problem.

So child who go school Mon, Wed, and Fri would have contract with you for child care on Tue and Thu only. If school is out on Monday, then that parent issue as that not contracted day with you. They can reach out and see if you have availability but if not, you not obligated to fix their school schedule issues.

[mickyc]

Suzie- problem with the kinder program in Manitoba is that it is all day every 2nd day on a 6 day cycle. So usually one week school Monday, Wednesday and Friday, next week school Tuesday and Thursday. Throw in a day off and it messes the whole system up as days off get bumped a day. It's way too complicated IMO.

Some months the kinder only go to school minimal days (8 to 10 days), it's really not worth the hassle taking 2 kids for the one spot

[Suzie_Homemaker]

Suzie- problem with the kinder program in Manitoba is that it is all day every 2nd day on a 6 day cycle. So usually one week school Monday, Wednesday and Friday, next week school Tuesday and Thursday. Throw in a day off and it messes the whole system up as days off get bumped a day. It's way too complicated IMO.

Some months the kinder only go to school minimal days (8 to 10 days), it's really not worth the hassle taking 2 kids for the one spot

Oh, I was not understanding that it rotates. That would be hard. I think I would not bother with Kinders and leave for someone else to figure out.

[superfun]

Oh, I was not understanding that it rotates. That would be hard. I think I would not bother with Kinders and leave for someone else to figure out.

There's more money to be made by taking 2 kinders. Although we can be licensed for 8 kids, only 5 spots are for younger kids. That leaves 3 school age spots. If she doesn't take kinders, she'll only make money on before and after school care, instead of a full day pay.

[Suzie_Homemaker]

There's more money to be made by taking 2 kinders. Although we can be licensed for 8 kids, only 5 spots are for younger kids. That leaves 3 school age spots. If she doesn't take kinders, she'll only make money on before and after school care, instead of a full day pay.

Sometimes rules make it so hard.

What about offering two kinders spaces sharing space on opposites with clear understanding that when school closed, only the child who normally attend on that day may come?

Child A is school on Mon, Wed, Fri, Tue, Th, that mean in daycare Tue, Th, Mon, Wed, Fri
Child B is school on Tue, Th, Mon, Wed, Fri, that mean in daycare Mon, Wed, Fri, Tue, Th

If school closed on Tue of first week, then the spot belong Child A who would normally be in daycare if school was open. If school close Wed of of first week, that mean the spot belong to Child B who would normally be in daycare.

Only get care on the days that care is contacted - no option to attend for extra day if school closed. (Unless other spaces open from vacancy or child on vacation with family/off sick). i.e. additional day care subject availability.

Would that work?

[mickyc]

That wouldn't work either. When school closes it bumps back school calendar so child could be in school 2 weeks in a row Tuesday/Thursday. It really is a hassle and I still think it's best to just do full time only and parent of kinder just pay for full spot

[5 Little Monkeys]

I think if you want it to work, it could. It does take extra planning though. I think I'd make the 2 parents sharing the spot figure it out on their own and just tell me which family is coming what day.

Or parents just have to pay for a full time spot. It sucks but they do technically need the spot to be able to use it whenever they want. Sharing parents would sometimes need to work around Inservice days if it wasn't their day at dc

[Lee-Bee]

Sounds like an incredibly complicated system. I can't imagine being the parent having to keep track of what days your child goes, especially if a school closure means the weeks can completely swap.

[mickyc]

Sounds like an incredibly complicated system. I can't imagine being the parent having to keep track of what days your child goes, especially if a school closure means the weeks can completely swap.

We get a school day calendar so we just keep track of what school day it is and what school day we follow for our child - 1, 3 & 5 or 2, 4, & 6. I prefer it better then all mornings all week or all afternoons. Not everyone can arrange pickup/drop off at lunchtime.

[Lee-Bee]

I know of school boards that do Tues/Thurs for JK and Mon/Wed/Fri for SK. This makes sense to me as they only ever go on their set days every week and if there happens to be a holiday they just miss that day. This at least allows for easy daycare planning as the daycares offer a Jk spot and an SK spot to make up a full spot.

That said, I suppose like anything you just adapt to what you know so it may very well not be as complicated as it seems!