How to terminate.... sigh...

[Momof4]

I had to terminate twice in my first year and both times I was just talking to the parents and kind of blurted it out that it wasn't working. I had talked and talked to both sets of parents about my frustrations and wasn't getting anywhere so it was kind of mutually decided at the time. Now that I'm experienced if I had to terminate a family I would definitely write a letter in a sealed envelope and put it in their bag and ask them to read the letter when they get home and call me so we could discuss it.

I've recently realized when hearing about someone else's frustration with their daycare families and wondering why on earth they sign on clients who drive them crazy that I am screening people more than I even knew at the interviews. Just my opinion, but if you lay it on the line at the interview stage that you are flexible but only to a point because you treat all families and children equally and fairly but according to your contract rules and that your contract has been formed because you've learned the hard way, you only get the clients who are in sync with you. I don't want to terminate anybody ever again so I always tell people up front that I will continue to work with them if we are a team and working together but will not continue if parents don't work with me. The parents who sign on with me know from day one that I'm a vital part of their child's life and their life too for the next 3 years or so.