Doing everything wrong?!?

[5 Little Monkeys]

When I started my home daycare, I was currently nannying for a family of 2 (well 4 but only 2 needed care). One was in school full time but the youngest one came to my daycare once I opened. This probably helped the parents feel at ease but he was only part time. I filled my infant spots quickly with full time children but I still had my 4th spot left open.

A couple of things I did...

*I looked at other dc ads in my area and charged near the higher ones. I'm only allowed 4 children so I needed my income to be high enough to be worth doing. However, I offered a $10 less per day fee if they scheduled their child out for any days. This was my incentive for parents to choose me.

*I advertised on a local website classifieds and facebook and answered everyone's ad's who were looking for childcare.

*I ended up taking a single mom who needed very casual care at short notice. She had a part time job subbing as a teacher and had a family member in hospital who if needed her, she would have to go instantly. I agreed to take her on for as long as I could but she knew if someone full time came along I would have to stop care for her. She ended up getting a more regular job and sent her child here more regularly.

* I had one other thing going for me (and still do) and that is that I have no children of my own. Many of the parents tell me the reason they choose me is because they know that I am doing this because I like what I do and not just so I can stay home with my own children. (nothing wrong with that though!! just another incentive for parents to choose me. If I have my own kids, this will be out the window lol )

Looking back now, if I could change things, I would NEVER have accepted part time children. It's great if you can find 2 children to share the space but what happens when one of those children leave?? It's very difficult to find a child to fill that exact part time space that is opening. I am hoping to phase out the part time spots but unless they all leave at the same time, it's hard to do so!! I would love to charge them all full time but if the space isn't available than I can't do so. So my advice....no part time!! I took part time because I was like you, I needed the income and I needed it now! I wish I had thought about it more long term and charged full time regardless of days here.

Get your name out there, ask friends, family, ex-coworkers to spread your name around. Have references available. Oh something else I have done...here in MB we have wedding socials where companies can donate prizes for a silent auction. I have donated 2 or 3 children themed prizes and attach my name and number to it. It has gotten me a few calls!

Do you go to any playgroups? Can you put up posters at childrens museums, play places, churches, etc?

Good luck!!

[torontokids]

It sounds like you are getting interest but something is putting them off. This may very well be that you don't have any kids currently. I know as a paretn when I was looking for a home daycare for my daughter I was turned off by those without kids or kids much older then my daughter. I was sending her to daycare because I had to of course but also to socialize with kids her age.

When I started I did not have a hard time getting that "first family" only because I lucked out with a woman who was desperately in need of care fast and I was about to open (she was going through a divorce and the husband was no longer an option to stay with the kids and she was home from work until she found something). That being said she didn't pick me because she didn't have other options. I found her though because I sent over packages to the school across the road for b&a care and it worked out well because I got her older child and she had a boy the same age as my daughter.

I would recommend you advertise for b & a (it sucks but it gets your name out there) and just do it until the end of the school year. There are always families looking for this care and it can be hard to come by and you will easily find infants and they will more likely sign on with you having other kids in care.

Do your website, include this in your kijiji ads but don't pay for it, just put it in the text

call your local centre and ask if they'll pass your info on to the families they can't accommodate.

Try and connect with other providers, they may have families they can't accommodate at the moment.

Go to early years centres and connect with other moms. I have had so many referrals from people I have never even interviewed. They meet me at a drop in and maybe I don't have a spot for them but they pass my name onto someone else.