Shift Work Client

I am starting up a daycare, and have a family who is looking to start with me. As they work shift work, they will require before school care some days, and after school care other days. There may be full-day care days (though rare), and possible overtime or extra unexpected care days. There will also be some days where there will be no care provided, as their shift will allow them to care for their child themselves. Any advice on how I would provide rates for them? I want to cover myself in the contract, and have a clear rate guideline to offer them at the upcoming interview, but am unsure on how to handle this situation. Thanks!

Well for me I guess it would depend on if I could fill the times the child waney there or are they taking up a full spot. When I first started I had one similar ... It was shift work also but one to four full days a week I just charged her my part time rate and this was also my first family so I wanted something to get going .....For me at that time something was better then nothing... I had them for a year and due to their change in circumstances they are no longer here and I am now full so I won't be taking them back but if I had a spot they would have to pay full time fees as there is no way I could fill the rest of the week and therefore I would lose income .... good luck with your new daycare : )

I answered in your other duplicate thread ;)

Will they know that schedule in advance?? I sure hope so, for your sake!
If they do, I would figure it out based on the different scenarios. IE: for just before or just after, it's X amount, for a full day it's X amount, and so on.
Then calculate it out for the next month, 2 weeks, whatever and get them to pay in advance.

If they need you to have any day available each week to use at their own discretion whenever they wanted then that to me would fall under a full time spot and they would have to pay your full time fees and it would be up to them what days/times they would like to put in or take child out. This is because it would be impossible to find someone to mirror their varying schedule. I just had a family in the same scenario. I told them that they would have to let me know 3 definite scheduled days to be considered part time, or pay for full time if I needed to be available to them any 5 days.I have had a child that comes twice a week, every week being different, and it has proven to be such a pain, also because she stays longer past dinner time.... so I can't sign up my self or my kids for evening swimming for example, because each week is different so she could be here on that day and then we're missing a class that is paid for. So never again for me. Plus, its so much harder on the kids to adjust with that. especially if its under 3 days a week. Consistency is a must for me now. I just don't want to be even bothered with part time anymore.

I've had this too and its a NIGHTMARE! Its crazy to schedule and keep track of. Its impossible to find another child to fill the days they don't need and you end up losing more income than its worth in my opinion. I would NEVER do it again...and to be honest I'm with the previous poster in that part time is way too much bother.

Most of my guys are part time and I hate it! I hate having to ask them each week for a schedule that I get last minute, I hate the constant changes to days/times drop offs and picks up. Its next to impossible to schedule my own kids into evening activities or even dr's appts.

Its a learning experience for sure but unless I was desperate for the income, I'm no longer offering the 'rotating' part time schedules. I want definite contracted days each week.

I agree it is a nightmare .. They took up a full time spot but paid for less then half a week.....plus I opened earlier for them and stayed open for half an hour later in the evenings for them ..... 6:30-6 yikes ..... Never again..... I miss the child but not the schedule .... I have five full times right now and I love it and from now on I am only accepting full time.