Contract for part times

I had made it a policy not to take children part time but as we all know life happens and lo and behold 2 families have had babies and want their older child to be part time until the babies are ready to come to daycare with the sibling. Here is the thing though, I have no idea how to word my contract to make it fair to both me and the family concerned. One dcf will be 3 days per week until March. The 2nd family wanted 3 days as well until next Aug/Sept but I told them they could only have the other 2 days so that the 2 children would share 1 full time spot, leaving me with 1 more spot to fill this fall. As it happens I haven't found a client for my ft spot and the 2nd mom is asking for the "possibility" of more days. I just don't know what to say to her and also how to word my contract. I don't want to cheat myself out of the extra income if a ft child was added to my group, but at the same time I don't want the family to feel I am not being loyal to their needs. Help. I have been walked on before and would rather the contract say it all up front so there are no grey areas. Anyone have any ideas?

I would tell them that until the ft spot is filled, the extra days can be used. Once the ft spot is filled, it will go back to 2-3days a week. This allows you extra income for now but won't stop you from filling the ft spot

Also, if you wanted to be fair to both moms, I would offer them alternating days. They still share the spot but each one comes 5 out of 10 days instead of 6 and 4.

Like you, I don't take on part-time children but have become unstuck when a current client wants to drop their days due to mat leave. Never again!

I've sucked up the lost days before in order to know I have them available for their return to FT. I've felt obligated to hold a FT place if it's opened up for the new sibling, further adding to my losses.

My most recent experience confirmed that I cannot and will not do this again in future.

A FT boy wanted to drop to three days - for 6 months only - and then return to FT with his new sister. As I knew I would be losing two other FT'ers to begin school at the time this particular child would be returning, against my better judgement, I agreed.

Expecting to lose two days income for 6 months but having the assurance that one of my FT places would be filled as soon as it became available, I thought it was an acceptable trade-off.

What actually happened is as that 6 month period approached an end, I asked the clients what date they would be requiring FT care for both. Only then was I told that Dad had been laid off a while back, was expecting to get work soon as he'd had lots of job offers which he'd declined as not quite being ideal, and that they anticipated no more than 3 months more. As I'd turned down people seeking FT care, I was super annoyed but by then, in for a penny, in for a pound.

So for another 3 months, I was losing the two days from the original child but now also losing the FT income from the place I'd reserved for the baby.

Again, as the deadline approached, it was left to me to address the FT start dates and I was told, end of the month the latest - i.e. the full extra three months.

On the last Friday of the month, at pickup time, the Dad happily reported having a FT position and needed FT day care for both children effective Monday. I drew up the revised contracts over the weekend and e-mailed them. Only then did I get a phone call informing me that they wouldn't be picking up at my normal close of business but needed care for 30 mins beyond that because Mom was on a 6 month course. I was really angry not to have been given this information but again, I stupidly agreed for the duration of 6 months only and revised the contracts for the later pick up time but did limit it to a max of 6 months. Sure enough, the phone rang, saying they were fine with the contracts but wanted the 6 month extended time restriction lifted!

When pressed, they finally admitted that Mom wasn't doing a course in the manner they suggested but a university course and had arranged to work later and through her lunch to compensate for taking every Tuesday morning off for this course. She was doing one module at a time and it would take about 4 years! She would have known she had this work arrangement in place when she applied for the course, and she would have known they needed extended hours too since she'd already started it but with Dad off, and able to collect at normal pick up time, they hadn't bothered keeping me in the loop at all!

They of course didn't want to pay for the extra time when I said I wasn't working for free for 4 years and so they decided they would take the 6 month restriction after all. Of course, I looked for replacements but things were slow that particular year and it took me almost 5 months to find two replacement FT'ers. Unsurprisingly, they too must have been seeking a different carer who offered longer hours as literally the Friday evening before I intended to give them their notice, they gave me mine. I actually know the provider they went to - and she doesn't take children before they are 18 months so of course, I now know they planned to take the full use of the extended hours for no extra charge before going elsewhere!

I know this is exceptional levels of non-communication and sneakiness but it did just confirm that for me, part-timers cost too much in terms of lost days and I will never do it again.

In future, is someone is headed off on mat leave and wanting reduced days, instead of viewing it like I had, and thinking I was still getting income from that child which would return to FT in future plus a sibling, I now view it for what it is.

It's part-time money for a FT place since the clients expect by keeping their child in PT care there will be a FT place to return to. I am not losing a FT income but rather just a couple of days since that's all they are offering. I will not hold a place for a sibling any more than I will hold a place for a new client.

Much easier to let them go completely and know that chances are that place will be filled with another FT'er before the year's mat leave is done. Of course, if they wish to return and if I have an opening, they are welcome to do so, but our contract was originally for FT and that's the only agreement/obligation I have to abide by.

If you are really sure you want to allow them to drop to PT, then I think your suggestion they share a place is more than fair. I think "5 little monkeys" solution is genius if that suits you.

But, be sure you want to do this. If your gut reaction is no PT'ers, don't feel obligated to accommodate the requests. Every single client would give you notice if they didn't need you any more with no sense of guilt or obligation even if you had been a brilliant provider. Simply put - the minute you no longer suit their needs, they end the contract, as is understandable. In the same line of thought, if this clients amended needs don't suit you, you are equally able to end the agreement.

Are you planning on keeping both families and having both sets of siblings in your care ..... Will you gave space for both new babies? I only offer pt to current families who go on mat leave and for a max of eight months .... In other words the older child stays ft till new baby is at least four months so mom can sleep and bond with new baby and then the older child can drop down to pt until mat leave is over and both children come back full time

I'm weird because I love part timers . It seems to always work out for me !! I charge more for part time and when two families coordinate to a full time spot but I'm getting more $$ I'm happy !! Lol
I like the different days with different dcks too .
I don't however extend my hours !
I would charge the 2 families more and I would prob accommodate !