Quote Originally Posted by momofnerds View Post
well, I do contract hours. Anything over 4 hours is a full time spot which is 30 dollars for a day up to 9 hours, but anything after 5pm is additional regardless of contract hours. I work 7 to 5 everyday, but that doesn't mean you leave your kids here all day. And its rare that I have kids here for more than 9 hours and I live in the county so to get to the city is a bit of a drive.

and maybe the parents don't need those long hours. I wouldn't pay for extra hours if I didn't need them, that sounds dumb. So really the other provider isn't undercutting you, she gave them the price for the hours they needed.

luppernoodle, I think your assumption that the provider is illegal is so stupid, really because she charges by the hour. Sorry lady give your head a shake. So because I charge 30 dollars a full time spot I'm running illegally. Its people like you who give daycare providers a bad name. You don't know were we live or our reasoning for our prices, but to go around saying "illegal" is just as bad as those newspapers who are calling us illegal!
As I acknowledged in my last post momofnerds, I have found that most providers on here charge for contracted hours as do I, which I explained I just don't charge late fees if their has been advanced arrangements made for an occasional later pick or earlier drop off if it is still within my open hours. I don't think it's "dumb" to pay for 2 extra hours when a provider such as myself charges for a day, because this avoids any late fees when real life happens and people get held up for any number of reasons. This provider is charging hourly which is not the norm in general and certainly not in my area so she has cleverly found a way to undercut those of us who charge a flat rate which is very clever but potentially problematic when a parent goes over the 8 hours because they are stuck in traffic or similar. Maybe you don't think it is undercutting but pick a different word if you like. I feel like it is undercutting those of us who charge a flat rate and kudos for her for being business smart if that works for her. However, charging a lower rate because a parent wants shorter days does absolutely nothing to help me as a business owner when the chances of filling the leftover hours is slim so if anything is dumb, that practice is. It only puts money in the parent's pocket, not mine and really that's not how successful business' make money. I am flexible enough that I don't charge a late fee if the parent picks up later but before I close so it's not like I'm not more than fair to parent's. I'm not giving them a reduced rate because they need a shorter day. My cell phone bill isn't discounted because I turn it off at night!