Quote Originally Posted by Lee-Bee View Post
You'd be setting yourself up to have very high turn over and always be in a state of transition. Few families need care for children before 12months of age. Some may need care at 10 or 11 months but there really are not that many that seek care much earlier. Depending on what you define as "Toddler" you'd be getting a new child, having them settle in and then a couple months later kicking them out to find toddler care.

I currently have 5 kids ages 13-16months and I love it BUT I know that this is not going to last long. The families will start having 2nd kids, some will leave on mat leave some will return with a younger sibling, some will move or just leave and I'll fill those spots with a 12month old. The group may all be the same age now but in time my group will shift and I'll have a wider age range...it's just the nature of home care.

As much as I love having them close together I would never make a family leave because their toddler is to old. The hardest parts of this job are getting the children settled into routine. By the time they are toddlers they are familiar with the routine and are actually helping etc. I'd HATE to have to keep transitioning in new infants.

While I think the idea sounds great on paper in the realties of home daycare I don't think it is a feasible and I don't think families would sign on for it. They want their child in a home setting and they want to envision their infant staying there until school age.
Just to clarify, not necessarily to you but you mention ages. I believe infants are anywhere between birth and 18 months. But even caring for those up to 22 months allows a year or more with an infant and that is a very important year. Their needs change drastically at some point soon after which is also a huge transition.