Saving spots

[little rascals]

What is the best way to save spots for parents who need a spot in the future. For example if they have one child in your care and are pregnant and want the new child to also be part of the dayhome? Also, should discounts be given for second child?

[playfelt]

If the mom is still pregnant then don't forget that you will still have the maternity leave period to go through. In other words that is too far down the road to hold a space since so many things could happen in the meantime. You will have an idea of when care will be needed based on the due date for the baby so I would just plan on filling the spots when mat leave starts and then keep in touch with the family as you know when spaces will open in care.

[Judy Trickett]

I don't save spots. If you want a spot you pay for it - period.

Look at it this way. I like to get down to dollars and cents as this is a business and that means it's really all about income.

The average kid in Canada starts at 12 months and is with you a mere eighteen months before they are off again on mat leave. So, even if for HALF of that year long mat leave you save a spot for even just ONE of the returing kids that means that every five years you lose about $14,000 in income.

That's A LOT of money to lose out on. Over a 20 year daycare career that is $70,000 (or about two WHOLE years of income).

This is a business plain and simple and because this is also a business wherein we only have a limited amount of availability it also means that every day you are open the spot needs to be paid for. Holding spots COSTS you money. Why should YOU lose money so a dcfamily who protest they love and value you can SAVE money on a spot you have sitting open waiting on them?

[little rascals]

I have not looked at it that way and that is a heck of a lot of money lost. Thank you. I want to incorporate this in my new contract as well. i think this may come up with most families with children in my care so want to make it clear before it happens.

[little rascals]

I would consider saving a spot as long as the first child remains in care during mat leave. But probably should charge a non refundable deposit? is this reasonable? Or should there be a charge per month saved? Or is saving spot too much of a losing situation. Its just that I had such a hard time starting that I dont want to lose the family and then be without children in my care for months again.

[playfelt]

The problem with promising to save the spot is what happens if while you are saving the spot and losing income on it, another child in your care leaves. But when you advertise the only family that seems to need care right then is a family with two kids - you have one spot for the child that is leaving and a second spot for the family down the road whereas you could start getting paid for both spots fulltime right now.

I base a lot on timeline. I have two in care right now where the older one stayed fulltime during mat leave and that guaranteed them a spot for the second one for the end of Sept but I knew I had a child leaving to start school so it was about the same time so it was fine. Right now I have another child in care fulltime while mom is on mat leave and she will need care in July but her older child will start school but I have a teacher`s child also so we are sharing for the summer then baby gets brother`s spot. If it doesn`t work out like this for you then I would not be saving. A year is a long time for a mom to decide what to do which could also turn out to be not return to work at all and pull the older one part way through the year.

About 3-4 months before the space becomes available is when I would be having the parent think about committing to the spot and paying the deposit at that time just as if they were a new client which they are for the one space. Otherwise you would start to interview. Just as if someone you interviewed changed their mind they lose their deposit if they pull before the start date plus also need to give proper notice for the older child - two separate contracts.

[lori123]

I couldn't afford to save a spot....just wouldn't be able to make my bills without my spaces filled....I don't know how anyone could afford that unless it was an extremely close family member perhaps....even then, it would be difficult.

[Judy Trickett]

I couldn't afford to save a spot....just wouldn't be able to make my bills without my spaces filled....I don't know how anyone could afford that unless it was an extremely close family member perhaps....even then, it would be difficult.

Exactly. It's like any other service. If you want it saved for you then you have to PAY for it. Take Walmart for example. If you want them to save something for you on layaway then you actually have to come in and PAY for it bit by bit. Or if you want a specific funeral plot for 20 years from now you have to PAY for it NOW.

As provider we need to be thinking more like business women. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are lost every year in this industry at OUR expense because we assume that to be business-minded is not conducive to being caring. Nothing could be further from the truth.

[little rascals]

Yes you all have a great points and I appreciate it. I have to work on looking at my job more as a buisness and thinking about how i can benift and not just the parents.

[lilac]

Also, a daycare centre would not save a spot.