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what questions do you ask? do you take out the documents if its just a meet and greet or do you wait till they ask to sign? what do you tell them? how do you show your place? any other little helpful tid bits? keep in mine im just opening so im pretty desperate for clients but I want to make sure I get all the info i need...naps, temperament, seperationg anxiety and so on....
THANK YOU!
I do a quick tour of the upstairs pointing out where different age kids sleep, how and where I do diaper changes, where we eat meals then take them down to the playroom. Mostly I like to just talk because they will let more slip that way then if you dominate with your own paperwork and what you want which can come across as pushy and scary depending on how you do it. I ask the questions I need to establish if I am interested in the family at all. A lot of that I learn from observing parents and child. I ask the parents to tell me about the care they are looking for. This gives me a good idea of what is most important to them and again if I think I can meet their expectations. I do briefly go over the paperwork to show what is in the package but do not go thorugh it with them.. I send it home for them to read and make it clear if there is anything that doesn't make sense to them to please email me. I end by talking about their timeline for making a decision which usually gives me an idea of how many more they are interviewing.
First of all, I do an extensive emailing or phone call weeding out type period making sure the hours, rates, ages of children match what I am able to accomodate. Also, I ask where the parents live and work to make sure they are not going out of their way because sometimes that ends up being a problem.
If the child has been with another caregiver or centre I want to know all the details of that. I want to make sure they read my website and get a general feeling if our personalities match because the parents are our clients and I want a good relationship with them.
At the personal meeting all of that is out of the way so I can concentrate on showing the daycare, talking about how our days run, my schedule, menu, philosophies of chidrearing and asking about the child's routines to make sure they will fit into the daycare. I let the conversation flow and ask and answer questions for the parents as things come up just talking about my daycare and about their child. Parents appreciate it if you are confident and relaxed.
I show them my resume and talk a little about my past and experience and why I am running a daycare. We quickly go over the main points in my contract and I explain that I carry medical forms every where I go. I don't give out the paperwork though, I email it to families after the meeting who seem like they will be a good match so they can read it in detail at home.
I always tell the parents that they are interviewing me and I am interviewing them so we both have to feel that we will be a good match because we are forging a working relationship for years to raise their child into a wonderful little person.
Good luck!
Quick tour of the areas of the house that the kids will be in, primarily. I don't show them my bedroom (I am weirdly uncomfortable with people being in my bedroom, lol) even though it's possible the child could be sleeping in there. I will show them the playpen that will be used, if need be. During this we are chatting, and honestly, this is where I get most of my info about the family. I watch the kids, the parents, how they interact and how the children behave in my home to start with.
We have a seat, at either the kitchen table or my front room, and I skim through a version of my parent handbook, that has little notes and reminders in the margins. I offer them the chance to ask me any questions, answer them, thank them for their time and let them know that I have a few more families to sit down with (even if I don't, because this gives me an "out") and that I hope to hear from them soon.
They do not receive paperwork or documents to take home. If we go ahead with care, I tape a package to my door for them to pick up and bring back to me (with monies) BEFORE care starts.
I am interviewing them as much as they are interviewing me, as we are entering into a very delicate relationship!!
Good luck filling those spots, Samantha!!! :flower:
I don't show the bedroom level either - this is home daycare and what colour me bedroom walls are is non of their business and so what if their child's playpen is in there. The only time daycare kids are up in the bedrooms is to sleep and only those in playpens.
I used to show the whole house like I was trying to sell and giving a tour. Then I had some interviews on nights my own kids were busy and hadn't cleaned up rooms, had friends over, were sick or whatever and I just skipped that part of the tour rather than disturb them and discovered most parents didn't care. After that I turned it around the other way and got concerned when a parent did care and felt they had the right to inspect my private areas - when you go to a daycare centre you don't get to see the directors office, janitors closet or kitchen in most cases nor classrooms your child won't be starting out in but that doesn't mean they will never be in some of those areas.
I agree with playfelt that although their children sleep in playpens in the bedrooms whether or not I have painted my walls, made my bed or threw my clothes on the floor the night before is none of their business haha. Same with my kids. I have a teenager daughter and can never guarantee that her room will be clean enough to 'showcase' so to speak. I show the main areas of my house that their children will be in.Quote:
Originally Posted by playfelt
My interviews are very casual and I agree that you find out way more about a family by just chatting with them. I watch how they interact with each other, their child and with me (and my family if they are home at the time). I go over a few things in regards to contract and handbook and answer any questions. There usually isn't a lot of questions as I email them my 20 page handbook which covers almost everything I can think of prior to the meeting. If they haven't read the handbook, we don't meet!
I also ask them questions. I feel that we are interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing us...but...having said that people can certainly fool me in an interview and turn into something totally different afterwards!
I stopped emailing my info ahead of time after getting burned by a new provider posing as a parent. Up to that point few had asked for the info ahead and of those that did I found they then came to the interview and spent the whole time nitpicking about wording like we were in contract negotiations - not my idea of a cordial interview. Now they get it at the interview and are told to email me with any concerns.