Transitions- Need a response ASAP

I am a big believer that transitions are not the best approach to integrating a child to daycare. Partly because I feel it is the parent's need and the child needs to not have their parent as an option when in the daycare. That being said a mom coming tomorrow for an interview wants a transition. What does your transition look like? What do I charge for this? My husband said they should pay the full day fee as this is their choice, I am ready to take them fulltime. Don't think the mom would go for that.What's the norm?

I don't do transitions just for the reason you stated.. But that's just my choice. But if I were I would charge your full day fee.

I offer one full day or two halfdays at no charge and invite the parent to stay for an hour or two. (if they want anymore time i charge my full day or hourly rate)I do agree that this is more for the parent then the child but i also beleive that if the parent is anxious or nervous the child will be aswell so the sooner the parent is comfortable the better.

Well, I guess I don't completely understand your question because I don't work for free and to me transition means the child starts with me at least 3 days/week with my higher part-time fee. When they switch to full-time fees and the sooner the better the quicker they will become happy with their new daycare life.

I have the interview, then I offer an hour visit for the Mom/baby one morning to meet the other children and see how we all interact together and then I start the child after the contract is signed without parents attending except for maybe the first 15 minutes of the day. So only the visit before the signing of the contract is free.

I start the child full time full days so they can become accustomed to our complete daily routines, meals, naptime, dropoff, pickup and yes I agree that the less stress exhibited by the parents at dropoff and pickup the sooner the child will adjust.

I don't do transitions...never really heard of it. It would be confusing to have both there. I do "integration" where the child starts for maybe an hour or two a couple times/week and gradually stays longer and longer more often. This could be over 2 weeks or more if the parent chooses, or less if it's an older child. My most recent was a couple of months, but more to be sure of the spot than anything. Either way, the parent pays fulltime price from the first day the child enters....regardless of how long they're there.

I do one visit with mom and baby and basically it is for the mom to meet the other kids in the daycare and for me to get caught up on where the child is at since this happens 2-3 weeks before start date and it could have been up to 6 months since I interviewed them.

After that we work out a schedule of bringing the child for short visits that gradually get longer until the child has played, stayed for a nap, stayed for a meal, and that is up to mom if she wants to do it all in one day or over several days. My fees are charged accordingly but I do have a variety depending on if it is an hour to play or involves food although usually I ask parent to provide snacks and meals during this week with the idea of giving me a chance to see what kind of food they serve and how small they cut it etc. so the cost to me is nil other than my time.

This all hinges on whether I have an open space or not so in cases where one child leaves and the next starts right away we have to start cold turkey or mom needs to take a couple more days off to transition.

I charge $10/hour up to the normal daily fee. But I don't do it with the parent present.

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Originally Posted by playfelt

I do one visit with mom and baby and basically it is for the mom to meet the other kids in the daycare and for me to get caught up on where the child is at since this happens 2-3 weeks before start date and it could have been up to 6 months since I interviewed them.

After that we work out a schedule of bringing the child for short visits that gradually get longer until the child has played, stayed for a nap, stayed for a meal, and that is up to mom if she wants to do it all in one day or over several days. My fees are charged accordingly but I do have a variety depending on if it is an hour to play or involves food although usually I ask parent to provide snacks and meals during this week with the idea of giving me a chance to see what kind of food they serve and how small they cut it etc. so the cost to me is nil other than my time.

This all hinges on whether I have an open space or not so in cases where one child leaves and the next starts right away we have to start cold turkey or mom needs to take a couple more days off to transition.

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I'm similar to Playfelt, 1st visit is with Mom and it's just for an hour in the morning. 2nd visit is child on there own for 1hr to 2hrs depending on how the child is doing, then we look at possible 1/2 days. IMO Transitional days are more for the parents than they are for the kids.

It helps them get a better understanding of how there days will be. The more relaxed the parent the more relaxed a child will be.

I charge $20.00 for transition days unless it's over 4 hours then I charge for a full day.

I was always a cold turkey caregiver in the past and believed it was what was best for the child. However, the last 5 years I have changed and now impliment a settling in period. I fully admit some children walk into daycare like they own it :) BUT, there are other children who really need the settling in period. My settling in period is about 4 - 6 weeks long depending on what the parents wish. The first week is two Mommy and me visits for about an hour while we are at a park or out on a field trip. The second week is 2 mornings for an hour and a half, the third week is 5 mornings. The fourth week is a reduced full day, I have a late drop off and an early pick up which allows me time to devote to the parents without the business of pick up and drop off times. The final week is regular hours. Some parents prefer to have a week or two to get themselves ready before they go back to work, so this allows them that time as well.

As for fees, regular fees apply for all the weeks of the settling in period else than the Mommy and me visits.

Another reason I have the settling in period now is because I find more and more children are coming to daycare without being ready for daycare. More and more children at 12 months still haven't mastered self soothing, table foods, holding their own bottles/sippy cups, don't have a sleep routine, etc. By having a settling in period it allows time for the baby and I to get to know each other and gives me time to help parents with what they need to do to help their child have the best adjustment to daycare.

I do a transition week for most kids, but some who are older and used to going to daycare, don't seem to need it. For the transition week, I have them come for a few hours the first day (parent can stay for first half hour or so for the first few days) then half days and then gradually full days by the end of the week. It helps the parent adjust as well as the child and I do believe in our business we have to help the parent as much as the child. If the parent feels comfortable, so will the child. I charge full day rates for this transition week as the space is filled and they are taking up a whole spot. It is simply a week to help ease parent and child into their new reality.

Except for the initial interview, Mommy does NOT come to daycare. So if you are referring to a transition in which a parent attends for a period of time, I just flat out don't do it. I think from day one, it is less confusing for the little one if they are dropped off at the entryway.
I will, however, start out slower, if that is what the parents wish. I would offer a few mornings of care at half-day rate (which I don't usually offer) and then move to a few full days a week, then into all 5 days. But not for free, that is for sure!