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

[Play Care]

Its a common misconception that if parents give a provide permission that it somehow over rides state or licensing regulations or rules.

Its actually sad how many times we've typed the words "parents cannot give you permission to do the wrong thing" on this forum.

Perhaps, that is also one of the reasons "everyone loves" this provider...she may be a "parent-led provider."

Yes! I think parents are shocked when they come in here and I tell them what's what. I'm always hearing how "flexible" and "easy going" another provider is, which I have always taken to mean they let the parent walk all over them

[Unregistered]

Yes, I had one dcm who had a licensed backup who "didn't worry about rules or ratios."
Umm, okay!

[Ariana]

I agree with this in theory. When it works out. I think people should do it, but things happen people get sick, loose jobs, have accidents and most people who do plan forget to plan for those things. People don't want to think about something bad happening. But I guess some plan is better than no plan.

Yes of course! No matter how much you plan things can still go unexpectedly.

I should also add that I am in Canada and we get a year off paid maternity. Infant spots here are from 12 months to 18 months for centres. Younger than this home daycare is the only option...usually.

[LysesKids]

Point being that she did her research and planned accordingly which is what she suggested.

And my point was life sometimes throws curve balls & even the best laid plans can change last minute as was my case... I didn't plan on my husband getting killed, but he was & it not only changed my career plans but how my kids were raised.

[daycarediva]

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.

I just raised rates for incoming clients. I am now at the highest rate I am aware of in the area for FCC. The parents I get aren't concerned about cost, they are concerned about quality. When I tried to compete with Susie Q and her screen daycare down the street in price, I had MANY MANY issues with parents. There are 4 registered daycares in a two block radius of me. I am full with a waiting list, they are charging half my rates and struggling.

Eh, the only issue I have is that the providers in my town don't seem to take regulations as seriously as they should/I do. And yes, this is an problem for me as potential clients, not realizing the others aren't following regs, think I'm picky/anal, etc and go with other providers. There's one provider in town that everyone loves, but she admitted to me that she was cited for having baby sleeping in a car seat. Her response to me was "the parents knew the baby was sleeping in the car seat and they didn't mind."

Now I know some will say that I don't want them as clients anyway, etc. But at some point I do need to pay my bills.

Though I do think my situation is specific to my area.

This was what I was going to say! Make a good name for yourself and other providers. Follow the state regulations, and be professional.

The rest, hours, rates, food, programming- different strokes for different folks.