Graduated Hours....WWYD?

[MissAnn]

Last year teachers arrived about 8:00 and picked up about 4:00 THIS year.....I have every single kid about 7:00 and they stay till about 4:30 or later. I am wearing myself out this year having a full load the entire day. One grandma doesn't pick up till 5:00 because grandson is a handful....but mom brings him at 7:00.

So I am thinking about doing graduated hours and concern myself mainly with the pick up time.....to encourage early pick ups.

Currently I charge $115/week and that is very low for my area. I'd like to start the earliest pick up at that price.

So should I start with $115 for a 3:30 pick up? Then what?????? 1/2 hour increments? And how much more for each 1/2 hour? Thanks!!!!!

[nanglgrl]

Last year teachers arrived about 8:00 and picked up about 4:00 THIS year.....I have every single kid about 7:00 and they stay till about 4:30 or later. I am wearing myself out this year having a full load the entire day. One grandma doesn't pick up till 5:00 because grandson is a handful....but mom brings him at 7:00.

So I am thinking about doing graduated hours and concern myself mainly with the pick up time.....to encourage early pick ups.

Currently I charge $115/week and that is very low for my area. I'd like to start the earliest pick up at that price.

So should I start with $115 for a 3:30 pick up? Then what?????? 1/2 hour increments? And how much more for each 1/2 hour? Thanks!!!!!

What I did was 15 minute increments up until my ideal time to get off (3:30/3:45/4) and 1/2 hour increments from then on (4:30/5:00) because my reasoning for wanting to close at 4 was to run errands to places that close at 5 and have daycare done by the time my children got off of the bus so if they were coming past 4 I wanted to be paid more. I also upped the rate from 4-5 so where it's about $5 per 15 minute increments before 4 pm it's $15 per half hour after 4 pm. Everyone decided to pick up between 3:30-4.

[MissAnn]

What I did was 15 minute increments up until my ideal time to get off (3:30/3:45/4) and 1/2 hour increments from then on (4:30/5:00) because my reasoning for wanting to close at 4 was to run errands to places that close at 5 and have daycare done by the time my children got off of the bus so if they were coming past 4 I wanted to be paid more. I also upped the rate from 4-5 so where it's about $5 per 15 minute increments before 4 pm it's $15 per half hour after 4 pm. Everyone decided to pick up between 3:30-4.

thank you! Do you have teachers? I am wondering what to do if they have bus duty or meetings after work? Charge the late fee seems extreme. Or they should choose a later pick up time every day because of the days they a have to stay late?

I feel like the teachers are abusing the time here. I have a 48/week limit and they come very close to it. Now that Kid Kare doesn't keep track of the hours kids are here it's also hard to keep track.

[lovemydaycare0912]

I know BC does something of that sort. Unfortunately, I can't do that in my area as there are many single moms or people who need care unil 430 or 500 so they wouldn't pay more to come to me. I think if for example you prefer to be done by 400pm you can set your price there and increase it every 15 or 30 minutes by 5 or 10 bucks. Not really sure how it works so hoping others can chime in.

[MissAnn]

I know BC does something of that sort. Unfortunately, I can't do that in my area as there are many single moms or people who need care unil 430 or 500 so they wouldn't pay more to come to me. I think if for example you prefer to be done by 400pm you can set your price there and increase it every 15 or 30 minutes by 5 or 10 bucks. Not really sure how it works so hoping others can chime in.

I tend to have a lot of teachers kids since I used to work in the school system and I teach preschool. BUT I feel they take advantage. One mom wanted 6:30-5 because she wanted her husband to drop off and for her to pick up. She goes right past my house and her school is less than 10 minutes away. School is out at 3:15 and she wanted a 5:00 pick up. I understand she might have to work late but I'm sure she's not working 10.5 hours every day.

[Cat Herder]

MissAnn, I am having the same issue now. :confused: Last year all arrived after 8:00 and all gone by 4:15. Gradually, as this school year progressed, all have moved to 7:15 to 5:15. :confused: I have also noticed the parents switched drop-offs to who leaves first and pick-ups to who gets home last.

Some cite "bus duty", "conferences", "after school", "household chores" or "don't ask, school drama ". It slowly became every one, everyday. Granted I have a few two teacher families.

I always did open hours because I loved less policing due to already being tired of policing my own teenagers. :: Now I have had a taste of the good life and want it all, I guess.

I am considering graduated tuition, based on hour slots, decided upon enrollment. I see lots of discussion about hours used vs. hours signed up for, though. I also worry about the varied or changing rates having a negative affect on my taxes (flagging for audit).

I am on the fence if it will be to my advantage both financially and management wise. If they all take the lower rate, I lose money. If they all fight the hours, I lose stable clients.

It is a difficult choice.

[Annalee]

I tend to have a lot of teachers kids since I used to work in the school system and I teach preschool. BUT I feel they take advantage. One mom wanted 6:30-5 because she wanted her husband to drop off and for her to pick up. She goes right past my house and her school is less than 10 minutes away. School is out at 3:15 and she wanted a 5:00 pick up. I understand she might have to work late but I'm sure she's not working 10.5 hours every day.

Ironically, my teachers are the reason I went to a daily hour limit....some were coming early to go have breakfast with other teachers and staying late to do whatever. I like the pickup price-frame.....but right now I allow 9.5 hr days for full price rate. So my two 6:00 AM kids have to be gone by 3:30 each day. I close at 4:30 each day...I do not take kids past this time no matter what!

[childcaremom]

I have teachers.

I am wanting to do the same thing. Cut back on how long I'm working and not sure how to go about it.

I think I am going to do my current rate until 4 pm.
4-4:30 add $15 for the week
4:30 - 5:00 add $15 for the week

I don't know. Does that sound like a lot.

I have one pick up at 3:30, one at 4:15 and another at 5. Would really like to be done at 4. 9 hours is enough.

Are you going to make changes this school year? I was wondering how terrible that would make me if I did. I am really close to burning out and think that shortening my day would help me last a bit longer. So I've also been considering just saying that I'm closed at 4 pm.

[nanglgrl]

thank you! Do you have teachers? I am wondering what to do if they have bus duty or meetings after work? Charge the late fee seems extreme. Or they should choose a later pick up time every day because of the days they a have to stay late?

I feel like the teachers are abusing the time here. I have a 48/week limit and they come very close to it. Now that Kid Kare doesn't keep track of the hours kids are here it's also hard to keep track.

Nope I don't have any teacher's kids. Generally dad drops off and mom picks up...sometimes the other way around. Most call needing "open to close" and when I explain how my hours work they shorten the times they need to pick up by 4 and drop off no earlier than 7:30. Almost all of my clients pick up at 3:39 but tyere are a few that are 3:45/4. Now I don't go past 4 and probably never will again. If someone schedules a 3:30 pick up but regularly needs later I redo their contract yo reflect the later time/tuition even if it's just a couple of days a week. Their contract reflects the latest time they will ever pick up. Every once in a while someone needs to work late and grandma or a friend picks up. I also have one family that regularly needs later hours so a nanny picks up.

[Snowmom]

Here's some good past posts to read:
https://www.daycare.com/forum/showth...ntracted+hours

https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14213

I changed mine about a year and a half ago and would never change back to open-close hours. I get done on average an hour earlier than I used to. I started my hours with the earliest I was ok with parents picking up (after nap/changing diapers) and increased rates every 15 minutes. I significantly increased the jump at 5-5:15pm because I didn't want to work past then, but don't mind it so much for an extra premium. Nobody ever takes me up on that rate though!

[Blackcat31]

I don't care what time a parent drops off (I still expect a schedule though). I ONLY care what time a parent picks up.

I set my old weekly rate to the EARLIEST pick up time (3:00) and added fees for every half hour until 5:00.

I bill weekly so don't offer different rates according to daily pick up time but instead bill according to the latest pick up time they need each week. If they only need a 4:00 pick up once per week they still pay the 4:00 corresponding weekly rate.

The difference between a 3:00 pick up and a 5:00 pick up is approximately $50-75 per week so it's incentive enough for parents to pick up early. And they do.

I rarely work over 40 hours a week and I make more money than I did before. I am also less stressed because my day begins to wind down significantly immediately after 3:00 verses having everyone until closing time.

I wish I would have discovered contracted hours or rate correlation to pick up time a long time ago!

[MissAnn]

I don't care what time a parent drops off (I still expect a schedule though). I ONLY care what time a parent picks up.

I set my old weekly rate to the EARLIEST pick up time (3:00) and added fees for every half hour until 5:00.

I bill weekly so don't offer different rates according to daily pick up time but instead bill according to the latest pick up time they need each week. If they only need a 4:00 pick up once per week they still pay the 4:00 corresponding weekly rate.

The difference between a 3:00 pick up and a 5:00 pick up is approximately $50-75 per week so it's incentive enough for parents to pick up early. And they do.

I rarely work over 40 hours a week and I make more money than I did before. I am also less stressed because my day begins to wind down significantly immediately after 3:00 verses having everyone until closing time.

I wish I would have discovered contracted hours or rate correlation to pick up time a long time ago!

Do you let them de ide their pick up time each week? Or do they have a set in stone pick up time on their contract?

[Blackcat31]

Do you let them de ide their pick up time each week? Or do they have a set in stone pick up time on their contract?

If they work retail and regularly work different shifts I allow them to change but I have only one family like that.
The rest are "9-5'ers".

[Snowmom]

Do you let them de ide their pick up time each week? Or do they have a set in stone pick up time on their contract?

I allow families to switch every week if they want to.
The only caveat would be that it has to work for them the entire week (meaning, if you're late on one day, you pay the hefty late fee- you don't get to switch to the later pick up time).

I've only had one family switch times around.

[hwichlaz]

I have teacher families, but different schools. One school is 750am to 150pm (and there is breakfast and bus duty etc) and the other school is 815am to 315pm plus meetings. Luckily my teachers seem to really like their kids and usually pick up within 30min of school getting out unless it's conference week. :P I have half days/full days/extended days fees though.