Siblings on the way!!!!!!!

Wondering if anyone can give advice on how much time i should give a parent who is expecting, to give a solid plan on scheduling? Have two moms (one just delivered) the other is due in about two months. the one who just delivered is trying to get cheaper daycare somewhere else (I guess two years of care for older child is not important) :) She wants to save $, building a new house and taking on second child will strain their income. anyway...she is uncertain of even needed me for new baby. and second mother who is expecting in Sept. wants to go down from 3 to 2 days a week to also save $. what ever! I understand saving money but how far do i go waiting for their decisions? how early should you expect a response on scheduling plans before filling both the older sibling and new baby's spot? also have 3 going to kindergarten (leaving all together) I'm getting nervous about the severe loss of income. what do i do?:(

First I would start advertising and interviewing to fill spots ... You know you have three spots coming available in sept .... if you get someone interested in an earlier start date then give the moms a deadline to either commit or walk away.

Hmmm ~ and what about YOUR financial needs for your family?

Why are you being 'expected' to forgo income while they are maternity leave ~ increasing their family was not YOUR choice?

To be honest clients do not get to CHOOSE to drop down from a full time space to a part time space automatically here ... if they notify me of their 'desire' to do that than I tell them if it is an option or not based on availability of the space in my program ~ and my own financial needs for my business! They must give me at least two weeks notice of 'desire to terminate' the contract in order to apply their security deposit otherwise they forgo it in lieu of the notice.

My business plan currently only allots for ONE part time space so if it is currently full the clients option would be to pay for their current full time contract to ensure that the space is there for them or withdrawal from their space and go onto the witting list to return when their mat leave is over or seek alternate arrangements ~ which ever risk is better for them.

Is it just me or does advice always sound so much easier than following through? Maybe I am a massive pushover? I did just advertise for one fulltime today. you know you are right though, I will entertain all interests. Have to constantly remind myself this is a business in making money not just friends. they can't expect me to wait for ever.

Hard core business!!!!! I like it! just have a hard time letting go of kids I love a families I've gotten to know so well. havent had to advertise in about 3 years. just so nervous to take on a new family! new family=new problems!!! :)

To clarify ~ basically my practice varies depending on the need of my program at the time.

I have had times and clients for which I was willing to compromise to find a win win while on maternity leave ~ with one they paid me a minimum of 3 days a week to secure their space over the mat leave for the older child and they paid a deposit for the sibling to prebook the spot I knew was coming open in September at the end of their mat leave as I knew I was loosing a child to big school and they agreed. I had others with a similar scenario but that had an added ammendedment that if that space were to come open 'earlier' due to unforeseen circumstances that they would begin paying for it 3 days a week as well until the original September date OR they would forfeit that space and the sibling would have to go on a 'waiting list' because I had learned from my first 'compromise' nothing is 'for sure' in daycare and the client I thought was staying until September school left in June and I was out the income 10 weeks before the new sibling babe started.

Other clients my enrollment has not been able to predict a return and they have pulled entirely and gone on the wiating list ~ with one it did not work out and I could not get them back in and with another it worked out and the both returned and I have another mat leave who pulled older sibling for the leave but is returning this September with the youngest as sibling will be in school full time.

My point is you need to make your decisions based on what is best for YOU ~ they are terminating their current contact by asking to renegotiate it so if you do not WANT to than you are perfectly within your right to say 'unfortunately I cannot meet your new needs and therefore our services will be severed as of X date ~ if you wish to terminate early please note that 2 weeks or 1 month etc is required'

Basically the challenge with maternity leaves is if they drop down to part time and STAY you need to be either certain you have a space for the second child when the time comes OR make it clear that there is no guarantees that keeping the oldest child in care = space for second child and so forth cause if the time comes and you are FULL things get get nasty cause they 'assume' that keeping in oldest sibling means guaranteed space for new sibling ~ so you basically could be holding TWO spots open in your program for a year???

Whatever you choose just make sure your butt is covered with how your written arrangement is made!

I suppose I could go back to my original plan which was family "A" (the ones who just had baby and are on fence of whether they will bring infant here) and family "B" (the ones due in september) had to work out days alternating. i.e., fam.A has mon,wed,thurs and fam.B has tues. fri. That way i really jusy have two full time kids all week. just dont know if they can manage that? and if they can't i will explain to them, I will fill the spots with full-time children instead.....I do need to do whats best for me. I think thats why i feel so frustrated about this, is because I feel like they are in control. and I should be the one in control. I will let them know ASAP.

Sharing a space sounds like a plan!

And yes you ARE the one who in control here hon you just need to REMIND them of that by letting them know the service options open to them and the date you need them to confirm that option to accept by or the contract will terminate ;)

With sharing the space ~ I am assuming that means you will fill your remaining ones if possible to keep your income viable ~ so what happens at the end of the maternity leaves if they both suddenly want full time for 2 children each ~ will you have FOUR fulltime spots for them to return to??? If not you need to make that clear in any contract you sign that them continuing to send their child over maternity leave does not mean that full time spaces will be available upon return ;)

Take care of yourself first, advertise and interview and if you find a full time family you can count on for your income go ahead and terminate the iffy family. This is a big lesson to remember in our business - take care of yourself because the families have to do that too for their budgets. But we have to survive! There's nothing personal, it's business.

Great advice. I will def give both families a date of final decision upon which I will fill with 2 new full timers.if no dec is made. that is the issue though, i keep bugging them both to try a figure if they can make it work together. if they cnt make it wrk together, i will have to let one family go. but they all know that already. i am VERY open with my parents. respect is very important to me, thats why I wld greatly appreciate a plan of action from them.

YES!!!! Just what I needed to be reminded of. I just hate the thought of letting someone go. have never done it kindly, only had to "scream" a few parents out my front door before. it easy when its fueled by anger. spose the sooner i let them know, the sooner they could look for other care?