It Would Be Nice If My Fellow Providers Would...

[Shawn]

Hello,

I've been in business for almost 15 years now, I've learned a number of ways to improve how I conduct business and thanks to daycare.com, I'm still learning.

There are areas that I wish other providers would pick up because they are hurting my business.

For example, I was taking a class with many other providers in my area. On thing I was having issues with was Friday payments. I would work the whole week, then come Friday when I wanted payment, I would get a parent who didn't have it. Promise to have it on Saturday. And I never hear from them again. So I learned that most of the providers in the classroom policy was to take payments in advance. Many did Monday payments. I changed my policy to take advanced payments on Friday. At enrollment, parents paid the first and last week of childcare up front, and every week, the payment collected on Friday goes to cover the care of the following week. I was nervous to take such a dramatic stance. But parents had no problem. It works out great. If I have a parent who doesn't pay on Friday, and they never come back. Fine, I was paid for the time i worked. And I got an extra week pay of their last week becus they didn't give the notice to use that credit.

So there are a few things that I wish in home family daycares owners would do to make life easier on us all.

Is there any thing you wish other providers would stop or start doing?

[Blackcat31]

Hello,

I've been in business for almost 15 years now, I've learned a number of ways to improve how I conduct business and thanks to daycare.com, I'm still learning.

There are areas that I wish other providers would pick up because they are hurting my business.

For example, I was taking a class with many other providers in my area. On thing I was having issues with was Friday payments. I would work the whole week, then come Friday when I wanted payment, I would get a parent who didn't have it. Promise to have it on Saturday. And I never hear from them again. So I learned that most of the providers in the classroom policy was to take payments in advance. Many did Monday payments. I changed my policy to take advanced payments on Friday. At enrollment, parents paid the first and last week of childcare up front, and every week, the payment collected on Friday goes to cover the care of the following week. I was nervous to take such a dramatic stance. But parents had no problem. It works out great. If I have a parent who doesn't pay on Friday, and they never come back. Fine, I was paid for the time i worked. And I got an extra week pay of their last week becus they didn't give the notice to use that credit.

So there are a few things that I wish in home family daycares owners would do to make life easier on us all.

Is there any thing you wish other providers would stop or start doing?

Nope. I think the more diversity in the different types of care available the better for the community.

Everyone does things differently so that guarantees there is a right fit for everyone.

One size definitely does not fit all.

As long as everyone follows the same set of licensing rules/regulations it's all good... the rest of how they run their businesses, including how they get paid, how much they charge and what other policies they have is up to them.

Those things don't effect my business at all.

[Shawn]

I'll start off...

I wish more providers would stop.... offering part time slots.

Why?

We all know that parents are reading many ways to cut back on childcare fees. I get it. Great for their budgets. (It would be nice if parents would read that having a child means you have extra expenses. So before getting pregnant, create a budget for paying the full cost of childcare.) But offering part time cuts our incomes. I get at least two calls a week for a parent looking for part time rates. I'm sure these parents find someone else to met their part time needs.

When I was offering part time these are the areas that hurt me:
*Parents who are full time switch to part time when they find out Auntie Dude lost her job and is willing to keep the kids two days a week for less. (Then want to come back to full time after finding that Auntie Dude is a part time drunk.)
*Parents whose children only come once a week are upset becus little Keke is now 3 and doesn't know her colors like the other kids and some how you aren't teaching her anything.
* It seems like every week, I'm re -training part timers on routine such as how to properly sit at the table during meals becus the days that they are at Auntie Dudes or at home with sleeping mom, they graze like little sheep all day. They expect to do the same at daycare.
* Part time parents try to bring their kids on non scheduled days when they want "time to themselves". Mom, "I know this is not his day to come, but i'm so tired and I need a break from everything. I'll pay you for the day. Just for today. Please".
* Mom is pregnant with number 3 and only expects to pay for 3 days a week for 3 slots. Expecting a sibling discount but that's another story.
*Parents expect to only pay for Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Leaving providers to have to find someone to fill in only Monday and Wednesday.
*After it took you 3 months to find a child to fill in Monday and Wednesday, that other parent has changed their work schedule now needing you on Monday and Thursday. Leaving you to be illegal on Thursday cause you have too many children and now have to find someone to fill the spot on Wednesday.

I was so stressed out behind the whole part time blues. Once I put on my "big girl panties" and switched to only full time slots it made things a lot better for me. Only one dad tried to talk me out of it. But his girlfriend was expecting their 2nd child and they waited until her 7th month to tell me she was pregnant. They thought they were gonna only pay for two days a week. And now after 2 years of paying full time rates for both children, mom is pregnant with number 3. So their having to pay full time instead of part time, must not be too hard for them. (I always say," If you can't afford child care, birth control is cheaper.)

If more providers only offered full time slots, it would force parents to respect that we have bills too. We have other families to care for. And if they want customized child care such as a few days a week, they should hire a nanny paying them $10- $30 an hour instead of us $20 - $45 a day.

[Unregistered]

I offer strictly part-time care. I am not undercutting or dismissing any providers who do not choose to offer part-time care.

I mitigate the issues around part-time. For example:

I charge more per day, because I have paperwork, projects, etc. for more families.
I have a minimum amount of time per child.
I keep my expectations high. Children can adjust to having different rules at home and at child care.
I run a tight schedule re: days of enrollment. Parents must ask in advance, in writing if they want/need an additional day. And they pay in advance. This keeps the "oops, I don't need you after all" to a minimum, because all fees are non-refundable.
I don't sweat the "I NEED someone to fill in on M & W" because 1. my fees are higher to handle that 2. it's nice having busier days and quieter days. All I do when I get a call for a new family is request their schedule, determine whether they have flexibility in days needed, and check my schedule which is on a small spreadsheet and extrapolated out to show age changes, known upcoming enrollment changes, etc.
Parent schedule changes are the parent's issue, not mine. If I don't have a space, they have to figure it out. It does not cause a problem to me, and I would never go over ratio. I also don't offer sibling discounts. Their second or third child needs just as much care as their first child.
My parents (with a rare exception) do respect me. And my need to pay bills. And if they don't, they pay a late fee, and if it becomes a habit, they are "helped" out the door permanently.

So, there's no reason to DO part-time care if YOU don't like it. What I do shouldn't affect you whatsoever.

I formed a five year plan a long time ago, to align my business practices with my values, and part-time care, along with taking families who value birth-to-K continuity of care, were among the items on my list.

[Unregistered]

For the op's original question: I wish providers would price their care in a way that reflects the value of their care.

But that doesn't affect me. It affects them.

[Blackcat31]

I'll start off...

I wish more providers would stop.... offering part time slots.

Why?

We all know that parents are reading many ways to cut back on childcare fees. I get it. Great for their budgets. (It would be nice if parents would read that having a child means you have extra expenses. So before getting pregnant, create a budget for paying the full cost of childcare.) But offering part time cuts our incomes. I get at least two calls a week for a parent looking for part time rates. I'm sure these parents find someone else to met their part time needs.

When I was offering part time these are the areas that hurt me:
*Parents who are full time switch to part time when they find out Auntie Dude lost her job and is willing to keep the kids two days a week for less. (Then want to come back to full time after finding that Auntie Dude is a part time drunk.)
*Parents whose children only come once a week are upset becus little Keke is now 3 and doesn't know her colors like the other kids and some how you aren't teaching her anything.
* It seems like every week, I'm re -training part timers on routine such as how to properly sit at the table during meals becus the days that they are at Auntie Dudes or at home with sleeping mom, they graze like little sheep all day. They expect to do the same at daycare.
* Part time parents try to bring their kids on non scheduled days when they want "time to themselves". Mom, "I know this is not his day to come, but i'm so tired and I need a break from everything. I'll pay you for the day. Just for today. Please".
* Mom is pregnant with number 3 and only expects to pay for 3 days a week for 3 slots. Expecting a sibling discount but that's another story.
*Parents expect to only pay for Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Leaving providers to have to find someone to fill in only Monday and Wednesday.
*After it took you 3 months to find a child to fill in Monday and Wednesday, that other parent has changed their work schedule now needing you on Monday and Thursday. Leaving you to be illegal on Thursday cause you have too many children and now have to find someone to fill the spot on Wednesday.

I was so stressed out behind the whole part time blues. Once I put on my "big girl panties" and switched to only full time slots it made things a lot better for me. Only one dad tried to talk me out of it. But his girlfriend was expecting their 2nd child and they waited until her 7th month to tell me she was pregnant. They thought they were gonna only pay for two days a week. And now after 2 years of paying full time rates for both children, mom is pregnant with number 3. So their having to pay full time instead of part time, must not be too hard for them. (I always say," If you can't afford child care, birth control is cheaper.)

If more providers only offered full time slots, it would force parents to respect that we have bills too. We have other families to care for. And if they want customized child care such as a few days a week, they should hire a nanny paying them $10- $30 an hour instead of us $20 - $45 a day.

This is such an individualized issue though... Most the issues you listed are more of a provider policy issue than an issue with part time.

I make MORE money off my part timers than I do from full timers (when broken down). To stop offering part time would be a poor business decision for me.

Most businesses don't sell only what THEY like/want/prefer.

They're successful because they sell what the community needs

[childcaremom]

Nope. I think the more diversity in the different types of care available the better for the community.

Everyone does things differently so that guarantees there is a right fit for everyone.

One size definitely does not fit all.

As long as everyone follows the same set of licensing rules/regulations it's all good... the rest of how they run their businesses, including how they get paid, how much they charge and what other policies they have is up to them.

Those things don't effect my business at all.

Agree with this. I don't worry too much about what others are doing. My focus is on myself and my business. What they do and what policies they have does not affect my business at all.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

I don't really understand the question. It sounds like some things did not work for you (payment after care was provided, part time care), but you figured out how to operate more efficiently and int he best way for YOU. How does what others do have any bearing on that?

The only thing I could see, because I see a lot of complaints about it, is providers who offer ridiculously cheap care, which sort of brings rates down for the area, but even then, you can't force others to start charging more, so you figure out what you can offer that bring people in for the rate you want to be paid.

For me, part time is more profitable. I can understan the fact that it can be harder to transition kids if they don't come full time, but that is a case by case basis and an easy fix, if you know what you are looking for and what you are willing to deal with.

Anyway, I am basically trying to say that I agree with blackcat. What other people do does not affect my business. The ONLY exception I could see is when providers don't follow the laws or the laws of commonsense and a child gets hurt or killed and then new regulations are put in place for every provider, which in that case, you could say that other daycares did affect your daycare to a certain extent. Hope that makes sense

[Shawn]

I started this thread not to tell people to change what they do. If it truly works for you, I do mean truly without stress, then please do so. Because at the end of the day, no matter how much you help the families, you and your family have to be taken care of first. If you suffer with conforming to meet the needs of everyone else around you, simply change. Debated able threads open up discussions that generate ideals.

I speak with a number of providers in my area who settle because they fear not being able to make enough money. So they will offer services like part time rates, discounts, low rates, and 24 hour care. But they would rather just have a small group of children with higher rates for no more then 10 hours a day. I know that we have to meet the needs of the community in order to stay in business, but why not expect the community to met our needs so we can operate a balanced program.The community would benefit more from productive, healthy, emotionally stable providers than those who are working 10 to 12 hours a day some 24 hours whose only contentment is with saying, I'm needed.

I can only speak for myself, but I would love to care for no more then 6 children at a time, up to 10 hours a day, Monday thru Friday, the same group of children, and charging way more then I do now. I'm working on doing just that, but one of my biggest obstacles are parents who expect all daycare provider's to meet their many needs cus a website told them to, a co worker said their daycare only makes them pay for days they show up or because my last daycare did. Or my favorite, " I'm suck of being broke after paying daycare". And they will jump from daycare to daycare until they find that one. Will be upset if they do start with you but find they can get something different from the daycare across the highway.

What the daycare down the street does affects my business. If I have always charged the going rate in my area. Lets say $100 a week. And all of a sudden, day cares are offering $75, It hurts. No matter how much better quality my daycare may be, parents especially new parents, are going to gravitate to the day cares charging less.

Thanks for your responses.

[Shawn]

I wish more provider's would take paid vacation time off.

It was a really surprise to me to hear parents complains about a provider taking a paid vacation day. I believe most people take what is called PTO. I take up to 10 days off a year. I need my days off.

In my 15 years, I've only had one parent complain about it. I advised her to look into a center where they generate the income needed to pay staff members to cover each other. She will have to pay more for it. She did. But called me for the next 4 months asking if I had any openings. I never took her back.

My other parents tell me to enjoy my time off.

I think we work demanding jobs and we deserve the treat of a day off with pay.

[NightOwl]

"It seems like every week, I'm re -training part timers on routine such as how to properly sit at the table during meals becus the days that they are at Auntie Dudes or at home with sleeping mom, they graze like little sheep all day. They expect to do the same at daycare.

After it took you 3 months to find a child to fill in Monday and Wednesday, that other parent has changed their work schedule now needing you on Monday and Thursday. Leaving you to be illegal on Thursday cause you have too many children and now have to find someone to fill the spot on Wednesday."

These two things urk me also. It takes FOREVA to get part timers on everyone else's schedule because they're just not here often enough. And the need to switch their days around. But I won't do it. They contracted for Monday and Wednesday, they have Monday and Wednesday. The end. I'm not going to get myself in trouble to accommodate someone else.

I also agree that I wish more providers took vacation time. We deserve it!

[CalCare]

Okay this discussion is bizarre.

I am not affected by other providers in the area at all. When they are doing things in a way that I really think is incorrect- I either feel bad for them because I wish they knew better and would then get better results, or I feel bad for the children they work with because the children aren't getting the care they should.

But, the other nearby providers' policies about hours, days off or pay really have zero effect on any of my policies. We have a high cost of care here for sure, but that's just the cost of living here. So, our pay (in Santa Barbara) will always be higher than somewhere say in the Midwest, but so is our rent, water, gas, food, and medical. Oh the houses I could buy in other states if I didn't have to pay this rent! (well, one house at least ) So, the other providers' rates reflect that as do mine. If a provider here wants to be dirt cheap- it doesn't undercut me at all. They are going for a different market.

There will always be a market for quality care. So, if that's what you are selling, people will buy it.

You say you always charge the "going rate" and that is causing you problems. Raise your rates. If no one buys what you're selling, that's no ones fault but your own. You can only sell what people want. You can only charge what they'll pay. Why won't families pay more than the "going rate" then? Do you need to offer something more for the price? What could you offer? Do something to charge more. You can't sell the same exact thing for a higher price than what the store next door sells.
This gripe really makes no sense. You are in charge of your business. Not the neighboring providers.

[Thriftylady]

I agree this discussion is strange to me. I guess the reason why is because we all run our own business, so we can all set our own rates, policies, hours of operation, vacation and time off, you name it, each of us can set it.

This biggest thing in my area is like another provider posted, SAHM providers charging as low as $30 a week, some $10 a day. That does drive rates down some. But I am raising my rates a tad a little at a time. I think I can get by charging more because of the services I offer, and the quality of care I offer. I serve healthy meals and snack, have next to no TV time, do educational stuff with the kids, take them on field trips, you name it. I offer MUCH more than the $10 a day providers. So I try hard to sell the actual services I offer.

I have in my contract for vacation time and such, and am not sure if I will take one this year or not. But I may wait until school starts and take a week vacation to go in the semi with hubby and spend some time with him. DH is taking his vacation right now, because he is off for his cataract surgery.

But what I do doesn't really affect the provider down the street (or across town or whatever), and what they do doesn't affect me.

[finsup]

I simply wish more liscesned exempt providers would:
Operate legally
Pay taxes
Act like a professional as opposed to a babysitter.

I get people who come from other home providers with no rules, cheap rates and operating illegally and don't understand why I have policies etc. When they don't do those things, it gives liscesned exempt a bad reputation and harder for me to get interviews or get people who will even consider basic policies.
Other then that, people can run their business as they see fit

[LysesKids]

I simply wish more liscesned exempt providers would:
Operate legally
Pay taxes
Act like a professional as opposed to a babysitter.

I get people who come from other home providers with no rules, cheap rates and operating illegally and don't understand why I have policies etc. When they don't do those things, it gives liscesned exempt a bad reputation and harder for me to get interviews or get people who will even consider basic policies.
Other then that, people can run their business as they see fit

I have always run legally in whatever state I was in; I am very professional in my career too. Here I can legally be licensed exempt for 4 babies, AND because I do nothing but infants, the only thing licensing will do is add double paperwork it will not add to my #'s; I have paid taxes all 16 years I've done childcare (I was licensed for many years). I have a contract, policies & a website that has been running over 10 years now... need I go on.

BTW, I get paid double what some of the other legally licensed exempt in my area charge and I have a wait list... I get that some people expect all small homes do like the last provider, thankfully, I get first timers so I can train them from the get go