Choices, choices...

Wondering if you had some input here...
I am currently on a self-imposed daycare hiatus, lol. After I had my baby in Sept, I ended up only caring for one part timer and one full timer. At the end of Dec, my full timer went to be with mom at home (baby brother coming). I advertised, but given that it was late November/early December, barely even got a nibble. I don't know that many people want to change childcare at that time, most just want to "get through the holidays". Hubby and I had a heart to heart, and I decided that I was going to keep my one p/t and work outside the home as well. I found a job virtually immediately, which sort of told me that the universe agreed with this plan, too. LoL
What I am now thinking of is providing a before and after school program, beginning in September. I think that I could in all likelihood fill it just with kids from my one son's school. I would have them for about an hour in the morning, walk everyone to the bus and then meet the bus at a little after 3. I would then have them until around 5:30. It makes for an 11 hour day, as I would actually open up about an hour earlier than my current dayhome hours. BUT, I would only have kids for a portion, obviously. I plan to go back to school for my nursing degree, and need to do some upgrading for that, so I will be using the daytime to get my older daughter either to or from half day kindergarten, and looking after the baby, as well as doing some online courses.
I openly admit (to you ladies!) that school aged is not my favourite... but I know that when I did B/A, I also had toddlers running around all day, too. It was exhausting for me. I think that it might be easier without the babies (except for mine, of course). Is that naive? We also should have full use of our home, by which I mean that the basement suite (currently lived in by family members) would actually become the "daycare space". I could actually close the door on my work!!
Also; do you think that I could get away with NOT providing full day/holiday/summer care? Or is it sort of a given that you have to do that, too? I was going to use a flat monthly rate for the B/A care, and add a daily fee if they need PD day care, etc. That way, they have the choice.
I don't particularly WANT to offer summer care, but I think I may have to, unless I get lucky enough to get teachers kids. But they wouldn't need before and after care, would they? In any case, the full time rate would apply if they are here over the summer, right?
So, long story LONG, I suppose I am looking for feedback on the pros and cons of this type of set up. I may have missed things while thinking about this, or what have you... Whatcha think??

:eek:... Holy canoli that was a long post.... Sorry!!!

LOL - that's a short post for me ;)

I think it sounds like an awesome plan specially if you have an older child and have to do that run - do not know about Alberta but 'before and after school care' is a huge demand in most areas of Ontario!


My guess is that offering at least PD options and March Break options at an additional fee due to the 'longer full day' would make it easier to find clients cause even teachers technically have to WORK on a PD day they are after all supposed to be attending professional development OR doing catch up on report cards and so forth.

However closing for the summer might be easier because of the availability of SUMMER CAMP for that age group as 'back up' so you would not need to have 'teachers only' just clients who know up front that they would need to find 'camps' for the summer time.

When developing your policy to be 'closed' for the summer I would make sure that you have a policy in place where a 'deposit' needs to be kept on file to secure a space for September again and the deposit is forfeited unless notice is given at the beginning of JUNE that they do not intend to return in the Fall and than you can use the summer to find a replacement otherwise you might have issues in September with people not returning and finding NEW people who had not arranged care well in time for return to school?

I LOVE your plan! One thing though, who is going to look after your baby while you are in school?

You actualy give me something to think about. I want to change my career(again :) ) and was looking at courses but all of them are during the day and none of them are in the evenings or at the weekends. Right now, I can not afford to close my day home and go to a school. Your post gave me an idea thank you.:)
Now, I'm wondering how much I should be charging if I take before and after school care? I still have to make what I'm making right now to be able to afford our living(oh I don't live in a palace and I still don't have an iphone:laugh: )

Thank you again :)

Actually you might just be on to something. Having that special place for the day might help with the studying too if you set up your study area down there and make yourself be there so many hours per day doing your work and less distracted by everything else in the house.

Once the room is set up like an afterschool room instead of for mixed ages you should find it works better. It would be nice if you could change some of the solid walls such as to the bedrooms to half walls or put a cutout window in the wall for better supervision. You will be able to set up centres meaning each child should be able to find what they want to do and need less input from you in terms of playing and more just supervision. It also means activities will be spread out so instead of a small corner for the big kids you will have crafts in one area separate from lego from games from shuffleboard or whatever. It means stuff can be left out so lego for instance can be an ongoing but every changing layout. A mix of girls and boys will help to mellow things out a bit.

For your own baby, take one of the bedrooms in the basement and make it the toddler playroom with a gate at the door so you can control who goes in or out, put a chair in there for you to study from and that would work for a good portion of the day.

At night, as you say daycare closes and if you were able to get enough studying done during the day down there as you should have been able to do then you can close the door on that too and enjoy your family. Having the kitchen means you could also start supper if need be and just carry up when done - especially in the summer when you don't want to make the kitchen on the main floor hot.

I probably would plan on having the gang for PD, christmas, march but there are usually a lot of summer camp options parents could use. Depends a lot on what you want to do with your own school age because they will need entertained too so having a few friends might be worth it. I find over the summer with each family taking a two week vacation that I rarely have a full crew for July and August anyways which is nice and I plan according to the ages that will be here.

I think it sounds like a wonderful plan and I was thinking that maybe when I'm older and semi-retired I should move close to a school and do that exact thing so that I can survive. That is, if people still trust me with the children when I'm an old lady of course, haha! But for you to go to school, that's fantastic!

Thanks gals... I am getting more excited about it, as I think about it.

Cocoon: most of the course work can be done online. I will be able to schedule labs, etc on the weekend, or get my hubby to stay with baby J that day.

Playfelt: LOVE the idea of setting up the baby area in my study place!! She's going to be at the stage then where I can just plunk her down and *hopefully* she will just play around me!

As for summer care, I think I will not decide about that right now. I will see what the need is. I was talking to a teacher who said she absolutely still needed B/A care, as she has to be at school earlier and stay later than her kids do. And of course, they still work PD days.
I will keep you posted!

I have a picture saved in my file of daycare setups that has one of those plastic play yards in the playroom but around the desk and computer area - presumably making a place just the big kids can go and to keep the little kids out who have the rest of the playroom but I could see that working for you keeping little hands from rearranging the papers on your desk or reaching up and hitting delet on your laptop at the wrong moment.

There's a market for all kinds of schedules.....if that's what you want and you advertise accordingly, it may take time, but there will be demand for it. I think it sounds great. Long days for you, but broken up in a way that should be pretty good. Just because you do before/after school doesn't mean you have to offer service when they don't have school. If that's what you want and offer you will find the clientele that is looking for that. Like someone else said, a lot of kids do summer daycamps, anyways.
Good luck in you new adventures!