Hi,
I am currently looking for 1/2 day daycare for my 17 month old toddler, but it seems there are none. The only solution suggested is to pay full price and pick him up whenever. That really does not work for me. Any help??
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Hi,
I am currently looking for 1/2 day daycare for my 17 month old toddler, but it seems there are none. The only solution suggested is to pay full price and pick him up whenever. That really does not work for me. Any help??
As home daycare providers we are limited by the number of children in our care at one time. A half day child equals a half pay child equals a great decrease in our pay. Most home daycare providers cannot afford to give up 1/10th of their annual income for a family that doesn't want to for full time care. Each family is 20% of the daycare providers income. Paying any less than full time care is a direct hit on the caregiver. It can be very hard to fill the remaining time that you don't use to recoup that lost income.
I agree with Lee Bee. Most home providers cannot fill your child’s spot for the rest of the day. Also, if looking specifically at home daycares, your child falls in the “under 2 years” category, where spaces are in short supply. Many providers have wait lists that are 6-12 months in advance for the under 2 years category, and can easily fill that space with a full time child. Most centres would have full day enrolment too, unless you found a preschool to do either mornings or afternoons.
I do M-F half days, because I also take after school children that come at 2pm (strange school hours here). So this way I still have my spots filled, but the am children I have here have a stay at home mom with younger sib, so my afterschoolers get full day care if school is cancelled. That would be difficult if both children needed care on no school days... maybe if you could be opposite a teachers child?
Half days are so hard for a day home to accommodate because it's a sure-fire loss of income to most people - simply no one else wants the opposite half of the day. I always hold on for a full day child vs a half day child.
Also, more than 4 hours of care is normally considered a full-day rate, at least in my area. Not sure if that's true across the country.
You might be able to find a day home provider who has their own children in school, if you live in a province where household children count in the ratios. You could then try and negotiate for that space as long as you understand you wouldn't be able to drop off before the household child has left for school in the morning, and must have picked up your child before the provider's child returns home. Also, school closure days when the provider's child is home, you would need to understand that they wouldn't be the open of care on those days. Depending on what hours you need, this might be your best bet.
Could you get 2 or 3 days a week instead of half day everyday?
Hi, it is challenging but, if you're in Ontario (and maybe in other provinces I'm not sure); call the Homedaycare agencies, this agencies offer many options in homedaycares ex. They have mature students, retired teachers, stay home moms that can earn some money while their children are in school or persons that want to work just part time, evenings, weekends, night shifts, or just one day a week etc. Some non for profit daycare centres also offer this option, agencies also can refer you to apply for subsidy (if you need it and it is based in your income or they might come up with paying the difference of a full time spot if you demonstrate that you're looking to increase your work hours or study); some centres open 24/7 (other ways we wouldn't have people working during weekends or evenings or holidays or people also working on shifts)Quote:
Originally Posted by Luisamanda
I can also suggest you to call your local community centre, a parent resource centre, they should have all this information.
Another option would be to look for preschool programs they offer half day services and only few days of five days together (I think the age allowed in this grouping is 18months). It is cost effective because basically a you send your snacks and lunch in some cases.
Also if you go through subsidy that allows you to find a spot in a licensed part time or full time home daycare.
I hope it helps, good luck.