I have my preferred hours for an ideal world but adjust them - well the opening hour to meet parent's needs during lean times meaning times when there are more caregivers with spaces than parents looking. Opening half an hour earlier is worth getting the space filled. I am less willing to compromise on the closing time and there would have to be a really good reason to do on a regular basis - emergencies excepted of course. Right now my first comes at 6:30 and everyone is gone just before 5:00. A lot depends too on where you live in the sense of how far parents have to travel to work and when they start. We are a government town that seems to have staggered hours from 7:30 to 3:30, 8-4 or 9-5. I do the first two options but don't take anyone that works till 5 because that is my closing time ie they would need nearly to 6pm to arrive at care. It means opening early but not really an issue.