How long would you hold out?

[playfelt]

If you are with an agency why are they not placing children in your home? Are the private rates you are charging in line with what the agency charges? Also while it might be common for parents to not work a full week if you were available for the full week but allowed parents any 4 days you might get more interest as businesses are open all days and therefore different parents will have different days off. If you are not open on Friday for instance you are missing out on parents that are off Monday but need Friday. It may also be that their days vary so on any given week need to use the day you are closed so don't contact you. A teacher would work the full week would they not?

It does go in waves and generally picks up with back to school especially if you want older kids. At this point I would be inclined to change my open days and offer what will appeal to the greater number of parents and then over time switch to your ideal. Any time you are restrictive you severely limit your clientele.

[2cuteboys]

If you are with an agency why are they not placing children in your home? Are the private rates you are charging in line with what the agency charges?

Im not sure if this is Alberta wide, but my agency is mainly there to monitor, provide insurance (as its difficult to get privately), and give me the 'accredited' title to get top-up funding. Other than that I'm still my own business and can charge what I want for whatever hours, parents pay me and not the agency. They don't have set prices that they tell us to charge.

And yes, they theoretically are meant to place clients, but I don't feel like their system works all the well. I've heard they have a wait list of 150-200 kids, and I'll occasionally get an email (sent to all providers) with a family's details. I also have a friend who's been on the wait list since April and though they'd fit perfectly in my space (though I wouldn't be comfortable taking their kids since we are close), I've heard nothing from the agency.

[alaynek]

I agree that you should hold out. I know how difficult it can be. We're going through the same thing right now. We decided to switch our children to a different school back in April - one family I watch, with 3 kids (one full-time) decided they'd switch too - I found out last week that they've changed their mind. So come September, I'll be down to one part-time child (all my other families having moved on earlier). I've been advertising since June to no avail. And added to things, my husband was laid off five weeks ago, and I'm seven months pregnant! I know that's a real factor in families deciding not to come here, and I've traditionally had trouble finding kids over the summer, but that doesn't make it easier. I'm hoping that come September things will get better and that by December I'll have at least one full-time child (baby is coming October 4th - it's a planned c-section due to prior complications). Either that, or my husband will be back to work! In the meantime, hold out. I'm sure something will come through for you. It always has for us!