Email pre-screen questions

[Busy ECE mommy]

Just be honest that you're going back to work after mat. leave and how many kids you are allowed for DNA. Do not bend your hours on the first client.
I ask all kinds of phone screening questions about hours/backup care/previous daycare/why leaving/personality/eating habits/sleeping/toileting/do they co-sleep or own bed/allergies/medical issues such as asthma/met all developmental milestones/immunized/socialization with other kids/how they discipline/are they on a wait list elsewhere etc. I find the phone conversation is very telling when you hear their responses and if they hesitate when responding to questions etc. Then if I think it's a good fit, I do the in-house interview with the whole family present. Watching the whole family interact can be very interesting as well.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I am so sorry....I just replied to your email that you sent earlier this week!! I was on holidays and trying not to be on the computer much!!

Aside from what I said in my email, I also would recommend not changing your hours and being honest about just opening. We have all been in your shoes when we first opened and parents understand this. I have no children of my own which I thought might be a red flag to parents but it actually turns out that it usually gives me an upper hand as parents know I am doing this because I enjoy my job and not just to stay home with my own. (even though that is a perfectly reasonable reason to open a hdc and will be a huge benefit when/if I have my own!! lol)

[Rachael]

I think everyone deals with this differently so there isn't a firm answer.

This is what I tend to do...

Most of my initial inquiries come via an e-mail. What I tend to do is schedule a telephone conversation initially.

I can tell a lot about a person from a telephone call. Their tone and inflection gives more clues as to how straight forward they are to deal with, their needs, their requirements etc.

I have learned to make sure I ask from the get-go what hours they need for care and if they are seeking full time or part time. So many times an ad for a FT place is answered by someone looking for PT and so many times parents just don't see the opening hours on the ad or feel that they are negotiable. Asking these questions at the beginning of the conversation, saves a lot of wasted time.

I then explain how my day care runs, what a normal day looks like, and I make sure to listen to their responses. I also explain at this stage what my sickness/vacation policies are, and what my discipline polices are. For me, I have learned that if a client and I are not on the same page in terms of discipline, it doesn't work. Carer's who are less structured than a set of parents with their discipline, can make the parents feel like they are being undermined. Parents who are less structured that a carer with their discipline can result in a carer feeling lack of support with any future issues or that the carer is overly harsh. For me, the discipline is a major matter where we need to be on the same page.

Admittedly, these telephone calls can often take an hour or so but it's an hour that can be scheduled during nap time when it doesn't infringe on my attention to the day care children and where it doesn't impact on my family time either. At the end of the call, both the parents and I will have a good feel for each other, are able to determine if my service meets their needs, and are able to make a judgement about if we can work together on a personal level to ensure the success of their child.

If I don't feel they are a good fit for my business, then I say so there and then. There's no need to take their inquiry any further and neither of us has wasted time having a face-t-face meeting.

If I feel this is a good fit for my business, I will then suggest we schedule a face-to-face meeting where they can see my day home, where they can review my insurance, first aid and CPR certifications, my police check etc (I'm a trust but verify person). I also get an e-mail address for them so I can sent them my contract and handbook to review prior to our interview.

This gives them a chance to review all my documentation and to either ask questions via e-mail prior to our meeting or to make sure to raise any issues during interview. The interview itself is then reasonably short because all of the big issues have already been covered and they are merely looking at the environment and meeting me.

I am clear at interview that any vacancy goes to the first person who is a good fit, who pays their deposit and hands me a signed contract. And that until I have both of those, I will continue to advertise. I never hold a place for someone until their deposit is paid and until I have a signed contract. I also will not hold a current vacancy for months and months. The longest I will hold a current vacancy for a future start date is one month - and only then if they pay a 50% retainer on the place. That way, we both have made an financial investment in the relationship.

I will hold a place for longer, if they pay in full for that place as I don't see why I should take the full financial loss for holding a place for a complete stranger for an extended period of time, to give them peace of mind of a placement when they return to work.

The only time I don't charge a retainer for holding a place, is if it's not currently available. i.e. At this stage, I know I have one going to school in September 2015. Since I know for sure that he won't be here after that time, I will likely start seeking a replacement for him about 4-6 months before. In that instance, if I find a suitable replacement long before it happens, I wouldn't charge a retainer, just require the deposit and contract, since I would not be out of pocket in holding that place due to it being occupied anyway.


My hours are 7-5 and she said she needed 730-5 but 5:15 would be ideal. Do I bend my rule to accommodate? Entirely up to you. 15 mins isn't that much but I tend to stick to my business hours. Does the 15 mins impact you negatively in anyway? Will it make it hard for you to meet your personal/family commitments (dentists, doctors) by adding that 15 mins which might take you beyond opening hours of places you need to be.


Here's my thing - she asked how many kids I care for and how many will be in my care in Oct and if my kids are leaving and that's why I have availability. I'm just OPENING I don't advertise that unless they ask....how should I respond? Be honest. These are both reasonable and common questions. Yes, the truth might be a turn off but not being honest could manipulate someone into making a decision they wouldn't have made with the full facts. If a potential client has determined that they want an experienced day care provider, that is entirely their right and choice. For those it doesn't matter to, being honest won't change the outcome.

We are all eliminated from certain potential clients for a number of reasons, hours, location, personal situation, experience level, but being less than honest will ruin your reputation and it's not worth less than full disclosure.