How Long a Day Will You Agree To ?

[Play and Learn]

You have to decide what you can handle and what you can committ to. In my opinion, no late fee is worth my sanity.

Well said!

My hours are 7:30-5, but most of my families are within set hours of either 7:30-3:30, 8-4 or 9-5. It works for them AND most importantly for me! Like A&B, I don't go outside of my 'set' hours. I have a life to lead after daycare!

[gcj]

I open at 7am and close at 5pm. The rest of the time I'm closed and it's $1/minute for late pickups and I don't open my door 'til 7.
At the moment I don't have any kids who are actually here from 7-5. 7:30-4:30 is the longest. But as long as they're within my hours.....

[mamabear]

I'm open from 7:30-5:30 but don't have any families here all 10 hours. I do help my neighbour once in awhile either opening earlier or keeping him late for an extra fee but that's only cuz she's a single mom and I like her AND the kid.

[Cocoon]

When I first started I was open from 7:30 am until 5pm. And I gave them 9hours care in a day. Most of my clients were coming at 8am and they were picking their kids up latest 4:30pm. Only one family was coming at 7:30am and they left last month. So now i changed my opening hours to 8am until 5pm which is great. not sure if i would accept a family who ask 7:30am start again that half an hour in the morning makes a big! Difference somehow.

[Monday 2 Friday Mama]

Thanks for all your thoughts and comments ladies. :flower I think I'll take a pass on this one. After some further questioning, she explained that she's commuting from Arnprior (quite a drive) so I "know" that she'll be arriving here closer to the 6 P.M. mark - especially with winter roads etc. I'll just have to hang in there and wait to find a family who' a better fit.

[Monday 2 Friday Mama]

I agree - I need to have some portion of the evenings free - both for business stuff (running to the grocery store to get fresh fruit for the daycare babies every couple of days, or if I'm interviewing families - I get a lot of families who are finding 6:30 P.M. too late to come by to meet with me.) and my own life. *Gasp* a daycare provider who wants to do more than just schlep babies all of her waking hours - imagine that ! ;D

I think the standard really varies. You have to do what you are comfortable with. I used to be open 7:30 - 5:30 but have gradually decreased as families leave and now I do 8-5. There is no way I could stay open until 5:45 now, that just creeps too far into my evening. For interviews, I just tell them my times and they have to either work within them or look elsewhwere. It's amazing how they can end up conforming to those times if they really want to.

[mom-in-alberta]

It's pretty normal around here to have a 10 hour operational day. But, I also live in a "bedroom" community, which means most parents have a commute of anywhere from 20min to an hour, depending on traffic, etc.
I really don't have a lot of flexibility in my hours, simply because we have a lot of evening commitments with sports, etc.And I am not willing to open at the crack of dawn, LoL.

[playfelt]

A lot depends on how far out from town you live. The closer you are the sooner parents can get home. If they work 8 hour day having the child in care for 10 hours allows for a one hour commute. By the time they drive to work, park, get to their work desk to start on time - allowing for a few minutes to visit the bathroom and such many need that full hour. Also some work places have their people work an 8 hour day and pay accordingly but do not pay them for their one hour lunch meaning they are actually at work for 9 hours - again need travel time on top of that. I open at 6:45 (6:30 if I have to which is fine cause hubby leaves to catch his bus at 6:15) and close at 4:45. I am therefore open 10 hours and parents are allowed to use whatever hours they want within those hours. I would rather have everyone up and here for the full 10 hours then allowed to sleep in and come later as that messes with who gets tired when. At the end of the day it is just freeplay so still frees me up to make supper. Because of the cost and lack of downtown parking I also have parents that drive their kids to my house and then drive home and park the car in the garage and take the express bus to work and back so go home get the car and come for their kids so that also adds time although there are dedicated bus lanes so sometimes it can actually be the fastest way.

[cfred]

I tend to snag commuting parents due to my location near the highway. My hours are 6am to 6pm and parents can use as much of that time as they want. However, I strongly discourage parents right from the first interview from utilizing all that time. I explain that it's not great for the children to be left that long, however, it is understandable for parents who rely on public transit to get to the city. Parents who are seen at the grocery store or jogging (you get the idea) when their children could be picked up are spoken to and the issue rarely arises again.

[kidlove]

what time do you close? if they are asking you to take the child after you close....no go! you will resent it after so long. if they are just asking you to take the child within your hours but a long day....consider charging extra to make up for the longer care provided.
I close at 5:35, if any picks up after that they owe me a 10$ late fee at pick-up.
I take a lot of nurses kids...they work 10 hour shifts...I don't mind as long as it falls with in my hours, anything after 9 hours though has an extra hourly charge. They are all ok with that.