Half Days..

[daycare]

So with my business at an all time low and the economy in the state that it's in, I am being forced to look at other options that I would have never considered.

I have been getting a lot of infant calls, currently I only take 20 month to 5 years and only offer full days part time or full time.

I have also been getting a lot of calls for kids ages 2-4, but are already in preschooll and just need half day. No transportation required.

How many of you offer half days? What do you charge? Do you charge half of your daily rate? Can you tell me the pros and cons...

I have a family wanting full time care, but they would be half days from 8am-1pm

thanks ladies

[dEHmom]

as soon as they hit 4 hour mark, it's a full days pay regardless.

So if you're lucky to fill the other half of the day at 4 hours, then you're making WAY more than you would with one full timer.

Might be one way to look at it.

half days are good because your day will be shorter. Make sure you are charging based on whether or not they attend.

With an 8-1 it's a 5 hours day, so they are over the half day.

[sharlan]

When I had kids going to preschool, I still charged the full time rate as I took the kids to the preschool and picked them up. It was just on the next block, but I couldn't fill those slots.

I say that anything over a 4 hour day is full time. It really messes up your ability to go anywhere. If you take the kids out, you have to be home in time for the part timers to be picked up or dropped off.

[daycare]

as soon as they hit 4 hour mark, it's a full days pay regardless.

So if you're lucky to fill the other half of the day at 4 hours, then you're making WAY more than you would with one full timer.

Might be one way to look at it.

half days are good because your day will be shorter. Make sure you are charging based on whether or not they attend.

With an 8-1 it's a 5 hours day, so they are over the half day.

Not sure I could sell half day at $50 a day. But I do see what you are saying.
Thanks and where hVe you been young lady?

I have not seen you in awhile!

[MarinaVanessa]

I offer FT, PT and Drop-in clients. It's easy for me and finding clients to fill in the gaps isn't hard for me. Even though my PTers are here less than my FTers they pay more by the hour. FTers pay $3.20hr (for 50 hours), PTers pay $3.73hr (for 29 hours) but they pay a flat weekly rate. My drop-ins pay $5 an hour or $40 a day for 10 hours ($4 an hour). If you decide to do half day spots make sure that they pay more than FT to make it worth your while. If a client asks you why it's more expensive hourly explain to them that it isn't, they just get a discount when they're FT. That's how I sell it.

Remember that if you later find a FT family and you have no space left but have a half-day client you can always offer the half-day client the option of going FT (just make sure that your contract says this or give the proper termination notice). I opened up to drop-in care experimentally and I love it and have decided to keep it as a permanent service that I offer. My drop-ins know that if I get interest for a FT or PT client there is the possibility that they will either have to upgrade or find another DC.

[dEHmom]

Not sure I could sell half day at $50 a day. But I do see what you are saying.
Thanks and where hVe you been young lady?

I have not seen you in awhile!

is that what you charge for a full day $50?

I would maybe reduce that a bit, but if they are taking a 5 hour slot, they are not likely going to find a half day anywhere else. kwim? I would at least charge 3/4 of the day. They have to understand that their hours of 8am-1pm will really be nearly impossible to find someone to accept.


I know I have been scarce lately! Been super busy. Filled my slots, managed to find a family who is only looking for 2 days a week for 2 girls. But they are VERY flexible as to what days and what times, so I filled the slot where my son is in Kindergarten, and they come and leave before I have to leave the house. Works out well. But they keep me on my toes. And I've started the process to become licensed, so lots going on with that right now too. Paperwork, and all that goes along with it.

[dEHmom]

I offer FT, PT and Drop-in clients. It's easy for me and finding clients to fill in the gaps isn't hard for me. Even though my PTers are here less than my FTers they pay more by the hour. FTers pay $3.20hr (for 50 hours), PTers pay $3.73hr (for 29 hours) but they pay a flat weekly rate. My drop-ins pay $5 an hour or $40 a day for 10 hours ($4 an hour). If you decide to do half day spots make sure that they pay more than FT to make it worth your while. If a client asks you why it's more expensive hourly explain to them that it isn't, they just get a discount when they're FT. That's how I sell it.

Remember that if you later find a FT family and you have no space left but have a half-day client you can always offer the half-day client the option of going FT (just make sure that your contract says this or give the proper termination notice). I opened up to drop-in care experimentally and I love it and have decided to keep it as a permanent service that I offer. My drop-ins know that if I get interest for a FT or PT client there is the possibility that they will either have to upgrade or find another DC.

This is how I do it as well. The pt's get the option to upgrade or lose their spot.

[morgan24]

So with my business at an all time low and the economy in the state that it's in, I am being forced to look at other options that I would have never considered.

I have been getting a lot of infant calls, currently I only take 20 month to 5 years and only offer full days part time or full time.

I have also been getting a lot of calls for kids ages 2-4, but are already in preschooll and just need half day. No transportation required.

How many of you offer half days? What do you charge? Do you charge half of your daily rate? Can you tell me the pros and cons...

I have a family wanting full time care, but they would be half days from 8am-1pm

thanks ladies

I was forced into doing the same thing for the same reasons. I never took school age or part time. I always had full time, my age group was infant to 4.

After spending the last year with only one dcg, I started taking school age and I have 7 part time. It hasn't been as bad as I thought it was going to be. No one hear wants to pay salary anymore or pay for when their kids aren't in care. In order to make up for that I charge hourly and it's a little bit higher.

I still don't care to do school age but I would rather do a couple, then not have any kids at all. I still long for the days I had 6 under 4 full time and got paid for the space regardless of attendance. I hope things turn around for both of us.

[mom2many]

I also do 1/2 day if they are here 4 hours or less. They pay me $5/hr. It works for me b/c I am able to fill the afternoon then with S/A, so I end up coming out ahead.

If they go over the 4 hrs then they pay me for the whole day, which is $40.

[daycare]

thanks so much for responding!! All of you gave some great advice.

I know that there are good people out there looking for care and I just need to go and find them.

I realized the other day that I am new here in the city where I live. I have only been here about 3 years. I don't workout side the home and don't really do anything other than the gym. So no one knows who I am.

When I lived in So Cal, I had many years in the community as a volunteer, coached sports at the highschool and the community, I was at about every health and saftey fair, I worked almost every community event that I could. Everyone knew me down there and I always had that word of mouth. I guess I am so used to being at home, when really I have not made a home here yet...

I am going to spend the next several weeks that I have off to explore my community better and get to make my new home here a real home. I can't be in a position that requires so much trust, if no one knows who I am....

[wdmmom]

I offer part time mornings or afternoons and try to fill it with 2 families. Right now that is my only part time spot and I'd like to keep it that way.

I charge a minimum of $100 per week for part time up to 24 hours maximum.

[Blackcat31]

I used to offer half days like this:

Regular daily rate $33

Half Days are offered in 4 hour increments
a.m. block (7:00-11:00) or p.m. block (1:30-5:30)

Half day rates were $25 and did NOT include lunch or nap/rest time.

Lunch and nap/rest time are the two most difficult times of the day. NOT worth getting into for a part timer.

Doing half days in blocks of time stopped any loss of the rest of the day.

I had too many people who wanted half days right smack in the middle of the day which made it impossible to work around and I ended up losing the whole day so....

[Christian Mother]

I offer F/T, P/T, and D/O's. $25 F/T rate. $5 per hr up to 5hrs other wise F/T rate goes into effect. Anything after contracted hrs is $5 per hr. You have to understand that AZ is the 3rd worst state for unemployment...no one is making money...you have to offer low enough but still exceptionable out here. It's bad.

I have 1 F/T who's sibling starts in Dec. which makes for 2 F/T's and then I have 2 P/T's They come any where between 2 to 5 days. I usually will know a wk to 2 wks ahead and then with my 2 D/O's they come when there are openings for those days which I let them know when I know. Usually they are filled up each week. This week has been kind of wacky though bc my dd has been sick and one of my dcb's. both p/t children are only here 2-3 days this week and my drop in will not be here this week. Slow week for me. Some weeks I am full each day others others that week is scarce of children. I kind of take it as my day off bc I don't get thoughs...!!

[JenNJ]

My full day part time rate is $40. My half day rate is $25 up to 4 hours. I love half days.

[misspollywog]

I have a reasonable hourly rate which works well for myself and the dcf's. I only charge them for the hours they use and that makes me very popular around here since it seems everyone else charges pt/ft weekly rates regardless if the child is there or not.

Luckily we don't rely on my income, it is just "gravy" and this gives me flexibility and I don't feel pressured to "fill slots" but still, because of my flexibility I stay pretty busy. Plus, by charging by the hour, I actually make a bit more from my ft'ers than the average dc.