How to Hold Strong to Opening Time??

[SunflowerMama]

So as I'm conducting interviews I'm noticing that my opening time of 7:30a is getting pushed farther and farther back.

I think I'm just scared of losing someone because I am so new and am just getting started.

Right now I have a 7a dck and my newest that is supposed to start April 5th is 6:45a! My girls don't get up until 7:30ish so I really was hoping for a 7:30a start so I could get some things done in the morning before kids starting arriving.

Do you just stick to your guns on operating hours and risk losing dck or do you handle families on a case-t0-case basis?

I would be ok if it was a special situation and a dck had to be brought at 6:45a but every day might make for a long, long day.

[melissa ann]

Most daycare centers and home providers in my area open at 6am. If you live in a manufacturing area, most factories work hours are 7-3:30. Same go for nurses, first shift usually start at 7.
When do you have closing time set at? Doing childcare usually requires long days. I normally have kids from 6am until 5pm. I would like to have a later opening time, but in reality, it's just not possible in my area.

[SunflowerMama]

I'm open until 6pm. We live just outside Dallas so a lot of the folks around here commute approx. 30/45 minutes a day. Most jobs I'm finding families having are your typical business office 8a/9a - 4p/5p. We also have a lot of teachers!!

[mac60]

Honestly, If I opened at 7:30, I wouldn't have much business. Around here if you work in manufacturing, your hours start at 7:00 a.m., if you work in office or bank or medical center, your hours start at 7:30 to 8.

Unfortunately, at least here, as a provider you have to be willing to cover varying time shifts. 6:30 a.m.to 5:15 works quite well here.

So, to answer your question, I guess it depends on how much you really need the job if your willing or not to vary your start up times.

[originalkat]

I open at 7 AM and close at 5:30 pm. We live in a city of about 450,000. It seems most people have to be to work at 8 AM. Our average commute is about 20 minutes. So even if someone had to be to work by 7:30 they would probably be ok. I think the longer the average commute (or specialized work such as plants) you have to provide longer opening hours. I think 7:30 may be hard for anyone to work with because most will at least have to be there by 8:00. Because of my particular situation, I will hold strong to my 7 AM opening because it works for MOST families in my area, so I would turn someone away if they would have to be here at 6 or 6:30.

[Crystal]

It's really inportant that your open/close times meet the needs of the demand of families in your area. As you are finding, the demand in your area is earlier opening. I'd adjust it if I were you, or as Mac60 said, there won't be much business. Although, if you don't NEED to fill spots right away, you could hold out until you find the clients who meet your schedule.

[emosks]

We open at 7 am. On occasion have taken in some children earlier but only a few days. Most of our kids are dropped off just after 8:00 but I think a 7:30 open is a little late.

[momma2girls]

Over the yrs. of doing daycare, I have let this family get away with this, and another family something else, then another family abused this, and it went on and on!!!!! I finally put my foot down over times!! My 2 families would abuse my times everyday!!!! I had a closing time of 5:00, there is no way 2 teachers which the school is only 5 min. away- could be 1-1/2 hrs. late everyday at pickup!!!! I finally changed to work and commute times only, that way I am not open for 11-12 hrs. a day- been there done that, it was ridiculous, how many families would abuse this and abuse this!!! It has been so nice now!!! I can start supper, and be on time to things of my son's etc.....

[Unregistered]

Technically i am open at 6:30 and close at 4:30, however since am awake at 5 am I have taken kids in at that time and just charged an extra fee for opening before normal. Maybe you could open at 7am and if someone wants to drop off before then you can charge them an extra weekly fee, if you do that make sure they understand that if they are late after the 3rd time you will no longer offer the early opening (i had that happen),it's your business so its your choice on what hours you want, there have been times when i needed the income that i opened early (like above,that was for a long standing client)or when i had an interview was willing to negotiate the time but there have honestly been more times when i said no and stuck to my regular times because id rather just barely make the bills than be stressed and worn out from having to many kids to long of hours.
Kiddie Care

[momofsix]

I set my open/close times based on my families, it seems to make sense that way for me. If they need me and are at work for those hours, and I want them for my business--that's the hours I will work. Right now I open at 6:45 and close at 6:15. Long day, yes, but I do what I gotta do!

[MarinaVanessa]

I think it should depend on what hours you want to work. You went into this wanting to be your own boss and to be able to make up your own rules right? You should work the hours that you feel comfortable with.

On the other hand I know that I'd miss out on a lot of clientel if I opened and closed shorter hours. I have a waiting list and I believe that one reason that I do is because I work 6am to 6pm. The economy right now is still stagnant and so a lot of people are either working part-time only or working part-time jobs in addition to their full-time jobs etc. and a lot of these people work in restaurants, retail etc. so I get a lot of those. I'll even occasionally offer later hours in case they get an evening shift and have to close so the child may stay until 11pm!! Again, not usual. Only if parent can't find someone to care for their child for one night here and there which usually isn't a problem.

[Unregistered]

I'm open from 7:30 to 6 and have turned away a lot of clients because they needed earlier hours.
BUT- my kid needs her own private time with me in the morning. When she's old enough not to want to sit in my lap and cuddle before I comb her hair and get her breakfast, then I may consider opening earlier.
She's 6.5 now, and I know before too long she's not going to want to have too awful much to do with me in the morning. It'll go quickly and whatever money I had made from clients I turned away I know I would gladly pay to have the special morning time routine back with my little girl.
So... you make your sacrifices for what you think is important. I chose my child over monetary gain (and I count my lucky stars that I was able to make that choice, because I know a lot of people don't get to make that choice and have to **** it up and do what they have to do)

Oh, I always just told potential clients "I'm sorry, but I don't open until 7:30" and left it at that.

[laundryduchess@yahoo.com]

I go on a family by family basis,.. My contract reads, I am licensed from 430 to 630 but each family is contracted based on their needs. Please adhere to your contracted hours to avoid late/early fees and termination. I refuse to go over my licensed capacity and other children are scheduled to be here when yours are not.

[Former Teacher]

My former center was opened from 6:30-6:30. I ALWAYS had parents waiting for me to open before 6:30. I always kept the door locked until I clocked in. I could write a book about the number of times parents tried rattling the door and coming in! But that's another story!

Anyway, a few parents did try to convince me to open before 6:30. I was always VERY tempted since I would have charged them. Then after talking to the director I realized once one parent saw that and it's going to be a chain reaction and they ALL will be doing it.

So, that being said, when the parents did ask me to open earlier, I always told them that we are licensed for care for 6:30-6:30 only. If state came in and saw the the log book with times different than that, we would be in trouble.

P.S. Congrats on your inspection!

[misol]

I am open from 7:30-6 as well and I have also turned away clients because they needed earlier start times. My own children get up around 7-7:30 and hubby doesn't leave for work until around 9. My husband and I had a discussion about opening and closing times before I started my business and we both agreed that opening any earlier than 7:30 would disrupt our quality of life.