How many hours per day our children in your care?

[zen39]

I've noticed that some home daycares state in their contracts that children cannot be in their care any longer than 9 hours a day. I was wondering if that is typical for most people. I'm open for 10 hours (7am to 5pm) and I have some parents who only bring their children for 8 - 9 hours but I also have another family who uses the full 10 hours even though the husband is off work earlier in the day and could pick his children up sooner if he wished. I find it to be such a long day for the children, but I was wondering what others felt? Thanks.

[Ohana]

I went through this last year... I had a parent drop her son off as soon as my door opened in the morning. She was able to pick him up at 2pm, but left him there as late as possible - many times she came well beyond the pick up time. I charged her for the times he was there past my closing time. I've heard every excuse in the book, including running out of gas.. the day after she told me how much it cost her that afternoon to fill up her tank.

What I did is I have different rates for # of hours. I have a 1/2 day 0-4 hour, 4-8 hour and 8-10 hour rates. The rates aren't that much more, but for a child that is in my care for only 5 hours shouldn't have to pay the same as a child in my care for 10 hours. I open at 7am and stay open until 5pm - however some days I have a child that needs dropping off at 6:30am (but are picked up by 2pm) and other days some children are here until 5:30.

[playfelt]

My daily rate is based on a 10 hour day or any part of it. The idea is an 8 hour work day and an hour of travel either side. Some only use 9 - 9 1/2 hours depending on where they work. My hours are set as 7-5 but I work with each family as needed in the morning - will open as early as 6:30 but will not work past 5:15 but each family can still only use 10 hours so if you start early you need to pick up early even though other kids are still in care. I don't have part day rates because it hurts me financially since I am only allowed 5 spaces per day I can't afford to give one of them to a family only paying for a few hours and wasting the rest.

[Emilys4Guppies]

I am open for 10.5 hours and if parents require that time to get to and from work then they are able to use all of it. My rates apply to up to 10 hours though, and if you require the extra half hour then it's an extra $5/day. I also ask each family what hours each parent works because I will not consistently keep a child if their parent is home. My daycare is to enable parents to be able to work, not to be able to work, shop, nap, laze around the house, ect.

I have this policy with the child's best interest in mind. Studies have proven that the longer a child spends in daycare, the more aggressive they are. This is fact, and something that I greatly take into consideration for the wellbeing of my daycare children.

Right now my working hours at 7:30-4.

[sunnydays]

I am open 10 hours as this is the norm where I live and allows people to get to and from work. As far as I am concerned, it is the parents' business what they do if they get off work early etc. I am paid for the full day and I don't have any issue with parents using the time to have a nap or shop if that's what they want to do as long as they come by my closing time. Sometimes parents need that time to themselves as well and I don't fell it's my place to tell anyone what's best for their child. I have a child whose mother is at home on mat leave...what she does with her day is her business as long as she pays me.

[Judy Trickett]

I am open nine hours. That is LONG ENOUGH for a kid to be in care all day, IMO. Hell, school-aged kids are only in SCHOOL for 6.5 hours.

[Play and Learn]

I am open for 9.5 hours, and it's long enough for me! I can find enough clients that like my home daycare, and they're happy!