No Bussing

[Alwaysgreener]

I just learned that my SA kids will not get bussing to and from my home/driveway this year (they have in the past, but there is a driver shortage). I can drive them to the end of the road but I need car seats, extra auto insurance and all the parents to sign off on field trips, which is not something I want to do.



I trying to come up with a way to tell dcm/dcd the news.

I am currently on vacation and school starts Tuesday. I reopen Wednesday.

How should I word it?

[Amy71452]

Would dcm/dcd be able to drive them, could it be possible to change potential drop off to 15 mins earlier. This seems really short notice, so I'm sorry you're having to go through this!

how many will it affect. I'm sorry I can't help, they drop off at my drive, but I didn't want to ignore your post!

[Alwaysgreener]

Would dcm/dcd be able to drive them, could it be possible to change potential drop off to 15 mins earlier. This seems really short notice, so I'm sorry you're having to go through this!

how many will it affect. I'm sorry I can't help, they drop off at my drive, but I didn't want to ignore your post!

It only effects the one family and mine, I am pulling mine from school, so just their kids. They are pt so only two days a week. It's just all so stupid.

[e.j.]

Since just one family is affected, I would either call the parents and tell them verbally what's going on or I'd send a text saying something like, "Hi. Still on vacation but I wanted to reach out to you as quickly as possible. I just found out that, because of the school bus driver shortage, the bus will not be stopping at the end of my driveway this year. After giving it careful thought, I've decided I won't be able to drive the kids to the new bus. I know it's very short notice and I apologize for that but I wanted to at least give you a heads up so you can put a transportation plan in place for your children before school begins."

I used to put SA kids on the bus in the morning and let them get off at my driveway in the afternoon. One very cold, very windy snowstorm convinced me never to offer that service again. Way too stressful!

[Alwaysgreener]

Since just one family is affected, I would either call the parents and tell them verbally what's going on or I'd send a text saying something like, "Hi. Still on vacation but I wanted to reach out to you as quickly as possible. I just found out that, because of the school bus driver shortage, the bus will not be stopping at the end of my driveway this year. After giving it careful thought, I've decided I won't be able to drive the kids to the new bus. I know it's very short notice and I apologize for that but I wanted to at least give you a heads up so you can put a transportation plan in place for your children before school begins."

I used to put SA kids on the bus in the morning and let them get off at my driveway in the afternoon. One very cold, very windy snowstorm convinced me never to offer that service again. Way too stressful!

I already sent a text before I read your post.

I said that the bus would not go down my road and asked if they had talked to the school. Just as I suspected they had no clue and asked what does this mean. So I reworded that they can not get on or off at my house this year. Then she went into panic mode. They are part-time and will not be here until Thursday, so I said I could take them on Thursday this week only (it gives her more time to figure things out) She then asked if that was every week, which I reworded again and said this week.

I told her ds would not get bussing because of this. They asked if the kids could ride with whoever is taking dd. I told her dd is in Middle school and has different hours.

She then started asking about no school days that would happen throughout the school year and said this was not my fault. I told them we could do a drop in but she wants a guaranteed spot, which means paying a holding fee. I am not sure how I would do/offer a holding fee fairly, through the school year they pay less for school days and more for nonschool days.







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So my dd and my ds did not get assigned a bus, we planned on Homeschooling them if they did not get bussing. DS was just starting K, so that is no big deal, I can just give him more to do during preschool time. DD has wanted to be homeschooled for years, and when we agreed her anxiety level dropped.

So bonus, no more dealing with parents showing up as we are heading out the door for the bus. No more standing in the rain or freezing wind and snow. No more dealing with the bus running late. No more dealing with the bus dispatcher's lies. (I so want to tell her off). No more having to deal with my Dd anxiety just before we walk out the door. No more school delays or main roads only. No more not hearing from the bus garage when the buses are late or not having a way to get the kids to school when the bus driver calls in sick.

But now I have to fill 2 more spots with another child leaving in 2 weeks for preschool. Tell all families no busing now or in the future. (Looks like I may have to open on Fridays though.)

[e.j.]

Replacing kids and having to open on Fridays would definitely be a downside. For me, the kids who were catching the bus to school in the morning had aged out of my program anyway and were here for only 45 minutes or so before they left for school. I was doing it more as a favor to the parents vs. me taking on extra kids to earn more income. As soon as I made the decision to stop before and after school care, it was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders - for most of the same reasons you mentioned.

[Alwaysgreener]

e.j.

I really was hoping to avoid opening Fridays but it is getting to the point where I do not think I have a choice. I have not been able to replace any family for over a year and sometimes it is because I do not offer Fridays. With my kids homeschooled I was looking forward to one on one with them on Fridays.

[e.j.]

Yeah, Unfortunately, Fridays off can be a deal breaker for a lot of families.

[e.j.]

If OT is something you want to do or feel you need to do in order to keep the families enrolled, I'd charged them enough to make it worth my while for those times they expect you to watch their kids over the contracted time. If you don't want to work those extra hours, explain that you don't offer care beyond the agreed upon time in your contract and that they need to have a plan in place so that the child is picked up on time regardless of the parent's work schedule.

[Alwaysgreener]

I don't want to work the ot, but for some reason this year I have gotten the most craziest care request. I have gotten a wave of families that don't vaccinate, a wave that have last minute Ot, a wave of families moving to town and a wave that want earlier care than I offer.

I advertise that I take ft and pt kids and I had some ask me if I only do before and after care or do I take ft too. I said I was looking to add new friends ages 1-5 and I got asked how much I pay and what benefits.

[e.j.]

"I advertise that I take ft and pt kids and I had some ask me if I only do before and after care or do I take ft too. I said I was looking to add new friends ages 1-5 and I got asked how much I pay and what benefits."

Sounds as though your latest wave includes families who have reading comprehension issues. ;-) ;-)

[girlmomma]

Alwaysgreener working Fridays would be way better than working OT at the last minute, IMO. I work M-F from 7:50 (after I take my DD’s to school) until 4:30.

I have one family I have contracted until 5. She’s a single mother and has been with me since I opened over three years ago - thru all the changes I needed to make to make this MY business. She respects me and changes her schedule without hesitation so I can “be a mom” and be there for my DDs. I’d bend over backwards for her because I know she won’t take advantage of me and she will make arrangements to get her kids early/work from home when I need her to.

If you wanted to take them knowing OT is a possibility, I’d make it clear that you couldn’t always keep her child during OT. I’d expect to be paid OT as well and cap it at so many OT hours/week.

[Alwaysgreener]

They officially gave notice today. Thursday, DCG4 cried when I told her that the SA kids went back to school. She will be going off to free preschool in 2 weeks and will see the younger one on the playground and in the halls, so I reassured her of that too. I have never had a child be missed so much. Most of the time they do not notice for weeks and when they do, they comment is passing not go run, hide and cry about the child that is not there.

[e.j.]

Aww. I feel for the kids who are old enough to miss the other kids who are moving on. I have a dcb3 and dcg3.5 who have become fast friends. Dcb is starting preschool this week and will only be coming 1 day a week - the one day dcg isn't scheduled to be here, of course! I've mentioned dcb is going to school soon but I haven't spelled out what that means for either of them. They're both easy going kids and I'm hoping they adjust. They're just the 2 most mature kids I have in my care right now so I think it may be hardest for dcg. She's going to feel like she's in a house full of babies with no one else who can play with her the way dcb does.

I'm sorry you lost those clients, too. It's rarely a good time to lose clients but it seems like an especially tough time right now.