Working Closely With Other Childcare Providers In Your Area?

[TwinKristi]

I belong to a group like this and we get along quite well. No one discusses prices except in listings someone might post. We have listings and sometimes someone posts super low prices, $10-15 less than anyone else charges, as a sign on special. She posts every single day. We don't bad mouth parents or anything, just bounce problems off each other or ask licensing related questions.
My neighbor also does daycare and we work together a lot. Her clients use me if she's on vacation and vice versa. I have assisted in her daycare when I'm slow and prior to being licensed. She's been more than helpful, referring people to me when she's full and is on my reference list. I also used to work with another provider at the gym I worked at for 2yrs. We both opened our daycares within a couple mos and we refer people to each other when we can. She doesn't take small babies and I do. I don't take SA and she does.
But I agree with the others that price-fixing can be considered illegal and you're really not supposed to discuss pricing with other competitors. Obviously your sister won't turn you in but someone else in a private group may!

[rebekki78]

I recently had the same thoughts. I searched for my area ( it is a small town but near one of the biggest cities on this side of the state), but there are no such groups. Instead, I joined a "state wide" group that a provider started.

I know a lot of the providers in the area since my children grew up in this area and we switched through many providers in the 12 years that we have lived here. I just became a provider one year ago, so I already knew most of them before starting up. We have around 20 in home licensed providers in our area (the nearest center is around 15 miles away), so it could potentially be a helpful group. I wouldn't mind knocking off ideas to each other, having play groups, or even talking about what's going on in the school district or with the kids and parents. I am not sure, though, that other providers would see it this way. I think, as others have said, that they view other providers as competition. I have contacted other providers when I have had call when I am full, and they have contacted me asking me if I was full because they had calls, but that's about the extent of our communications. They just aren't always friendly. I think it could be both helpful and beneficial if it were the opposite, if we could all network, but it doesn't seem to be that way, sadly.

[My3cents]

I wouldn't do a facebook page.

I would have a meeting once a month for all local providers and you could have a speaker to count towards your training, get together, share ideas etc.... start up something like this to help each other out- I would make it fun, so its something other providers want to go and be a part of.

Good luck-

[Tdhmom]

I have a lady in my area and we text literally everyday. It's been great especially when we need someone to vent to because I know my husband doesn't like hearing it everyday but sometimes we need to let our frustrations out. I'm the highest charging in our area by $3 a day. And I'm usually full but this august I'm dropping to just 3 yr olds and I am ecstatic about it!!! That's my favorite age!!!

[rebekki78]

I wouldn't do a facebook page.

I would have a meeting once a month for all local providers and you could have a speaker to count towards your training, get together, share ideas etc.... start up something like this to help each other out- I would make it fun, so its something other providers want to go and be a part of.

Good luck-

This is a great idea. At our orientation I heard of a few ladies doing this in their area.

[KiddieCahoots]

I wouldn't do a facebook page.

I would have a meeting once a month for all local providers and you could have a speaker to count towards your training, get together, share ideas etc.... start up something like this to help each other out- I would make it fun, so its something other providers want to go and be a part of.

Good luck-

This is a great idea.....if it works out right.
I belong to a group that does just that. Unfortunately a small group of woman have taken over the chat forum, and created a remake of the movie "mean girls". They are the only one's that talk on the forum, everybody else gets bullied away.
That's why I'm so thankful to have found this forum.....everybody on here is awesome! True support happening here!