Parents who wait until the last minute to make childcare arrangements...red flag?

[BlueRose]

I don't consider this a red flag. Some parents just don't understand that it can take time to find a daycare. Or they have been looking but just not finding anything that they like and/or fits there needs.

I get a lot of family's who need care to start the next day/in a few days or weeks. This family's however are looking for subsidized care and thought that by putting there name on the centralized waiting list they didn't have to look for care themselves. Most of these family's are surprised when i tell them that it can take anywhere from a few days to over a month just to get in to see someone about subsidy.

These parents might not have realized just how hard it can be to find a daycare. Did you ask them why they waited so long?

[sunnydays]

Not necessarily a red flag, but be sure to ask why they are last minute when they come for an interview (or in a phone interview first). All kinds of things can happen...people can suddenly get a job offer and decide to go back to work earlier than planned, they could have had a daycare lined up that fell through (this happened to one of my clients...daycare provider cancelled on her 2 weeks before she was to return to work), etc. I would certainly not write them off.