I'm new to daycare and need advice!

[Julie]

Thank you every one who wrote me you help me out a lot.

[playfelt]

No you did nothing wrong. It is no different than going into a store and seeing something on sale and going home to think about it. It isn't the store's responsibility to let you know if someone else has shown an interest in the item or worse yet bought it. When you go back and it isn't there well you just have to live with missing out.

In daycare it is the same. I am advertising to fill a space and some weeks I will do 3-4 interviews for the same space. The first family to get back to me with completed forms and deposit generally gets the space.

At the same time I am interviewing families just as much as they are interviewing me and I am not compelled to accept every family that comes into my daycare. That is the joys of being private. We can take the overall status of our group into consideration so that the new family will fit in with ages, hours, expectations.

When a family starts expressing concerns such as the cat right at the interview it is what we call a "red flag" and makes us think very carefully before accepting such a family since the complaining and expectations tend to get worse than what was expressed at the interview.

One a family has signed on, I have gone back and sent emails to families that I thought might still be considering me and told them the space had been filled but it is not a requirement. Mostly if it happens within the week of interviewing I send an email but if more than a week has gone by I don't always send an email and assume the family has made other arrangements or well they took too long so they lose out.

[Mommy-Jenn]

No I dont tell anyone I have interviews after them even if I do or do not. My biz is run on a first come first serve basis's. I dont give out my reference numbers until after I have an interview. I phone them or e-mail it to them after I decide whether they are a fit or not here, its not just their decision. I wouldnt worry about them bad mouthing u if your references know you well or have been in your care they know shes a liar.

[Julie]

No you did nothing wrong. It is no different than going into a store and seeing something on sale and going home to think about it. It isn't the store's responsibility to let you know if someone else has shown an interest in the item or worse yet bought it. When you go back and it isn't there well you just have to live with missing out.

In daycare it is the same. I am advertising to fill a space and some weeks I will do 3-4 interviews for the same space. The first family to get back to me with completed forms and deposit generally gets the space.

At the same time I am interviewing families just as much as they are interviewing me and I am not compelled to accept every family that comes into my daycare. That is the joys of being private. We can take the overall status of our group into consideration so that the new family will fit in with ages, hours, expectations.

When a family starts expressing concerns such as the cat right at the interview it is what we call a "red flag" and makes us think very carefully before accepting such a family since the complaining and expectations tend to get worse than what was expressed at the interview.

One a family has signed on, I have gone back and sent emails to families that I thought might still be considering me and told them the space had been filled but it is not a requirement. Mostly if it happens within the week of interviewing I send an email but if more than a week has gone by I don't always send an email and assume the family has made other arrangements or well they took too long so they lose out.

Thanks i just read the e-mail to that she sent one of my parent i was so hurt the things she is saying im glad i was not wrong the prob is that i thought they were normal and then the realized they aren't a good fit here so said i was full even though im not (yet) She keeps trying to get them to leave me should i say something to her call or e-mail her and tell her to stop badgering my clients.

[Emilys4Guppies]

If she is going out of her way to speak to your references then I would absolutely send her a letter. I would say, as politely as possible, that your business is like any other, and is a first come first serve business. Inform her that whether or not a family is accepted into care is at your sole discretion, and that speaking negatively of you to your references does nothing for her cause. If the things are as bad as you imply then I would add a line such as, "If you do not cease to defame me and my business then I will have to treat this situation as harrassment and act accordingly within the legal system."

I'm sorry you are dealing with this.

[giraffe]

My daycare is also run on a first come first serve basis. You are better off without that type of problem parent. I hink that if she continues to peser your other clients then you should do as sujested by emilys4guppies... send her a regisered letter asking her to cease and desist.

[fruitloop]

No you did nothing wrong. It is no different than going into a store and seeing something on sale and going home to think about it. It isn't the store's responsibility to let you know if someone else has shown an interest in the item or worse yet bought it. When you go back and it isn't there well you just have to live with missing out.

In daycare it is the same. I am advertising to fill a space and some weeks I will do 3-4 interviews for the same space. The first family to get back to me with completed forms and deposit generally gets the space.

At the same time I am interviewing families just as much as they are interviewing me and I am not compelled to accept every family that comes into my daycare. That is the joys of being private. We can take the overall status of our group into consideration so that the new family will fit in with ages, hours, expectations.

When a family starts expressing concerns such as the cat right at the interview it is what we call a "red flag" and makes us think very carefully before accepting such a family since the complaining and expectations tend to get worse than what was expressed at the interview.

One a family has signed on, I have gone back and sent emails to families that I thought might still be considering me and told them the space had been filled but it is not a requirement. Mostly if it happens within the week of interviewing I send an email but if more than a week has gone by I don't always send an email and assume the family has made other arrangements or well they took too long so they lose out.

This is how I do it too.

[Tot-Time]

For me I think it depends on how many interviews I am conducting for the space. This past space the interviews were very spread out so I sort of went with the notion of first come first served but I always conduct each interview that is scheduled before I let the families know who I have accepted. But I tell them during the interview that I will accept the first family that I believe fits well.

When I have several interviews scheduled over a short period of time (for example one time I had 22 interviews scheduled over a 3 week period for 2 spaces, I let the families know that I have several interviews and if they would like to be considered for the space to let me know by a certain date and that I would be making my decision by a certain date. So the families know exactly how long they have to make their decision too and I knew exactly what families wanted to be considered.

Truthfully, I don't think there is right or wrong way, as long as we are respectful.

I also agree that just because we interview a family and they would like to place their child with us doesn't meant that we have to accept them into care (when we aren't affiliated with an agency).

[Julie]

Thank you everybody for your advice im glad im not the crazy one. It's nice to have a site like this to get advice from other people so thanks again.

[Momof4]

Oh wow, in my first year in business I had 4 very bad learning experiences which made me question my choice to be self-employed which can be very frightening in so many ways. Then for the last 2 1/2 years I was full which made me very happy. Then, one of my wonderful families moved to Toronto last Dec. and one of my current families recommended me so the interview process for the new family was a breeze. But I've been interviewing over and over for a space coming up in Sept. for a little one graduating off to JK and I'm feeling rejected over and over and it's so depressing!

However, I have learned so much about the type of family I will accept into care and I know now that I am interviewing the family as much as they are interviewing me too. It has to be a good match for a 3-4 year commitment to raise a little happy person and that's the most important thing!