Anyone else experiencing a famine in filling spots?

This industry seems to be feast or famine.

I've been trying to fill 2 spots for the last 3 months. Filled them and both times they fell through. One client was trying to renegotiate my hours for earlier and later pick up times so I dropped them before they even started. The second spot was ready to go only to have the dcm suddenly have to leave the country when her own mother got sick and took dcg with her. So I've been advertising like mad. I've had two inquiries. Two stinkin' inquiries. That's it!

It's times like this I'm very tempted to put my own 2 girls in daycare at their school for before and after program, update my graphic skills and go back into the marketing world.

Ugh. someone please give me some positive vibes and encouraging words:blink:

June can go either way for me.....either lots of parents scrambling to find last minute care for summer or their dc has closed ( I find a lot of dc's close at school year end to make it a bit easier) or all the parents have already lined care up.

I hope you fill your spots soon!!! I think we have all been in your shoes and understand the stress and anxiety that comes with "when will my spots fill??" Good luck!!

I've been trying to fill a PT and FT spot since April. I've had some interviews but same thing people expecting later pick ups and I'm not willing to be open later than 5:30pm. It's going to be a quiet summer! :bored:

Other Mummy, do you have a website? Newmarket is very busy right now and I'm turning people away almost daily - 3 yesterday! Most have found me in a google search, so maybe that's it? I've always found that frustrating too....when you really, really need to fill a spot, everyone seems to just vaporize. I know that if one of my clients left, it's highly likely that no-one would be calling. Hope you fill them soon. Good luck!

I'm experiencing a major dry spell too after having non stop inquiries all winter. Emailed all the ppl on my wait list for my September opening and no one responded...I don't think I have had a call/email in about 3 months but was getting 2-3 inquiries per week in the winter and early spring...luckily I have until September to fill this spot so fingers crossed that ppl start calling soon! It's definitely pretty frustrating, you just never know what's around the corner in this business! Hoping everyone fills their spots ASAP!

Opposite for me! I hope you fill your spots soon, advertising and interviewing is horrid :(

I've had interviews but most clients not worth taking as they want to negotiate with me on my policies. I'm waiting for the "right" family, not "any" family. I don't mind waiting it out.

Sounds like your dry spell is not so bad compared to mine, so I for sure feel your pain. I haven't been full for nearly a year. I currently have 3, 3x a week and 4 1x a week but my 3 day a week kid is leaving in August as his mum is going on mat leave and cant afford to continue sending him. So frustrating even when it is just a few months but close to a year is killing me. Good Luck filling those spots. I think it is all relative to a providers area and how saturated your area is with providers in comparison to your areas demand.

It was kind of like that for me for a few months ago. I went around 8 months without a single call, but I'm also close to where the girl died recently in the warehouse daycare (which is the cause of bill 143) and also here parents prefer daycare centers and live in nannies. So home daycares are a the bottom of the food chain.

Judy Trickett helped me a lot and reviewed my business and marketing strategy at that time. She made several recommendations which I followed to the T and now I'm receiving 1 to 3 calls per week. I was trying to fill up a spot for a dcb that was supposed to leave, but at the end parents decided to stay longer.

I'm also pregnant and signed a new dcb, who started Today and parents weren't put off by my pregnancy (I'm due at the end of August). I just got a call for September care (most calls I receive are for care right away which I'm not interested because I don't have the spot right now) and I'll interview and analyze deeply that family before making a decision in case the dcb that is potentially leaving has to go around that time. I already told that mom that I'm pregnant and closing for 2 weeks and she's ok with that and even volunteered to move the starting date closer to the end of September so it does not interfere with my 2 weeks mat leave. She sounded like a good one to consider.

Here is Judy's webpage if you're interested: http://www.daycarecoaching.com/

That sucks !! I go through spurts it seems ! I'm trying to fill a 3 day a week spot , no luck for this month ugh !
I hope you find the families you need !!!
Good luck !!!