Struggling to fill a spot...should I see if wee watch will take me on?

[Doodledaycare]

Hi Ladies,

All my dck are on, or about to go on mat leave. I've had nibbles here and there but nothing solid for 2.5 months. I've never had trouble finding clients until now...doubting myself and wondering if I should contact wee watch and see if I can get some work through them. Anyone have experience with them? I've heard very negative reviews and realize they take a substantial chunk of the income, but I'm worried I won't be able to fill the space in my own.

[Monday 2 Friday Mama]

I guess it depends upon a few things. If you sign on with Wee Watch I believe that you will still be allowed to have your own private clients as long as you're abiding by the agency regulations regarding children's ages etc. Maybe you could sign on with Wee Watch as a temporary measure - get a couple of clients in to float the boat financially (so to speak) and then you could fill your remaining spaces with better paying, private clients. Things to consider though: will working with an agency place too many restrictions on you when you're trying to find those new clients (most agencies have regulations regarding the ages of the children that you can care for and it can be really difficult trying to find a child who fits into a specific age bracket) will the agency be pairing you with families that you might prefer not to work with (I've read a few horror stories on this forum about agencies and low income families who are using the agency to get subsidized care for their children and (consequently) have difficulties fitting their childcare expenses into their budget - the only thing worse than no clients are problem clients who don't pay or who pay late) and what are the conditions that must be met should you decide to leave the agency. I assume that when things pick up you could simply give notice to the agency and return to being a private caregiver but I don't know for sure. Just a few things to mull over.....

[Monday 2 Friday Mama]

One last thought/information tidbit - my sister works with an agency and you are absolutely correct about how the agency takes a hefty chunk of your income. Average daily rates in my area (Ottawa) are $40-$45/day per child. My sister receives $28/day per child. =(

[Mike]

Best thing to do is ask them about it, but ya, working with an agency restricts you to the 2 under 2 and 3 under 3 rules. I imagine you are doing local advertising.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I have no insight into working with agencies as we don't have that here. However, have you asked all your current families if they know of anyone? Same with all of your friends and family? Have you considered offering something that other hdc's don't? For example, something I offer is a reduced fee if the parent keeps their child at home for holidays.

Good luck!! I know how stressful it is to fill spots when no one is looking! I had 3 spots to fill last year at the beginning of summer. By that time everyone had found care, I thankfully filled them come September.

[Artsand crafts]

what are the conditions that must be met should you decide to leave the agency.

The only condition when leaving Wee Watch is not keeping their clients. The contract reads that you cannot provide care to the clients signed in through Wee Watch for the next 7 months. You also need to return their equipment (playpens, high chairs, etc) and give back the money invested on you if you stay with them for less than a year (such as police record, cpr/first aid fees, etc). That's it.

[superfun]

If an agency is going to take a big portion of the daily fees, maybe you should offer a slightly lower price than you normally would. You might find more families, and you would still make more than paying for an agency

[Doodledaycare]

Monday-2-Friday-Mama...you raise many great points to consider. Perhaps I would be better off waiting for a private client and cutting coupons in the meantime! When all my kiddies return from mat leave I'll actually have more kids than I can take and I've had to turn a family away. I have a wonderful family now that I wish to keep, their children will go to school with mine and it's a perfect arrangement once they return from mat leave. Just have to get through the next little while I guess. Thank you for the advise

[Doodledaycare]

Hi Mike, yes, advertising locally, just a little slow this time of year I guess. Quite frustrating!

[Mike]

Good luck and with a little adjusting, I'm sure you'll make it through.