I Know FT Takes Priority Over PT, But...

[JenNJ]

The way you are stating it, it sounds like you are saying that if you have a child enrolled PT and then a family wants to interview for a full time spot, that you would let that PT child go so you could take the FT?? IPO, I don't think that's fair.

This is exactly what I do. It isn't unfair. It is business. They want to have the part time schedule to save money. I want the full time schedule to make money. Neither party is right or wrong, just on different sides.

I want to be paid for 5 full time slots. If I have 4 full time slots filled and one part time slot filled I am losing potential income on that part time slot. As long as I don't have someone waiting for that full time space, I am happy to fill it with a part timer.

If I get a call for a full time contract, I interview them. If I am willing to accept them into care, I go to the PT family. I say, "I have a family waiting for a full time slot. Your child is only here 2 or 3 days a week. There are two ways we can work this - #1) You can take the full time space #2) Or you can have two weeks to find alternate care for little Johnny."

I work 55 hours with the kids whether I have one child here or five. I want five here so that I maximizing my income. If I have any open spaces on any days I am losing money. I try my best to fill those gaps.

In the end, I am just the daycare provider. It is up to their parents to make sure their child is in a stable situation. If they really value one long term caregiver, the decision to pay for a full time space when they only need part time care is easy. If they value their dollars more than a daycare situation, the decision to find a new caregiver will also be easy. it comes down to what they value more. Sometimes they value the caregiver more, sometimes they value their money more. Neither is right or wrong. It is just a preference.


If you take a part time family, it will be up to you fill the other days of the week with another PT family. This is why I only take full time or if I can't fill the FT spot, I will allow a M_W_F or a T-H, this way two kids will take up a full time spot.

That is great in theory, but it isn't always that easy. I have a lot of people looking for T, Th, F slots and M, W, F slots. Those don't match up. And just because a client has a wacky schedule doesn't mean I need to be the one to solve it. I will accept them into care as long as the schedule works for me. If I begin losing money on that spot, I need to figure out a solution. The easiest solution is finding a full timer. Second best is having a part time family pay for the full time space.

I answered in bold.

[bice99]

All of my current families are PT. In fact, I'm closed on Wednesdays so FT for me is 4 days a week this year. That may change as I need to pick up 1 or 2 new kids and I'll have to see who comes my way. My PTers pay for 3.5 days for up to 3 days of care - set days. They all know that FT takes priority and understand that they can be bumped if I have a FT family who wants me and the PT family doesn't want to pay my FT rate. But I'm happy with my crew. I did have to rock the boat last year with a PITA PT family. Half days for a baby, ugh. She threw a fit that I couldn't promise her son would have a spot come August. This was on May 1st. Teacher family who didn't want to pay my hold rate over the summer.

[daycare]

I answered in bold.

as we all say, we can agree to disagree. That would mean that a part time family will never be safe. They were alway be in jeopardy of being termed.

I have kids here part time and its not to save money, its because the parent only want part time so they can spend the rest of the day with raising their child. I have parents that only enroll them for the social aspect of it.

My area is very different than probably most out of 6 of my parents do not work full time. One does not work at all and her child is here from 9:00-3:30 every day.

So for me, PT is quite the norm in my area. Here almost every other household has a mom home.

[SunshineMama]

Whenever I have a P/T family, I always let them know that I am looking for a full time spot, and that I will have to take a full timer if I get one.

I do always let them know that they are welcome to pay full time, and I have had 2 families take me up on that.

[Blackcat31]

as we all say, we can agree to disagree. That would mean that a part time family will never be safe. They were alway be in jeopardy of being termed.

I have kids here part time and its not to save money, its because the parent only want part time so they can spend the rest of the day with raising their child. I have parents that only enroll them for the social aspect of it.

My area is very different than probably most out of 6 of my parents do not work full time. One does not work at all and her child is here from 9:00-3:30 every day.

So for me, PT is quite the norm in my area. Here almost every other household has a mom home.

I do things exactly like JenNJ....and yes daycare, you are right a part time family is never safe but that is not my problem. I do daycare because I need to make money.

Full time brings in more $ than part-time unless I have the perfect part-timer to fill the spaces around each other (which doesn't happen often enough to make it worthwhile) so I choose to take full timers over part timers all the time.

I also do like JenNJ and go to the part timer and offer them the space first, if they choose not to take it, then they are given notice.

I feel bad for families that are in that position but I also refuse to make their part time needs my problem. There are plenty of other daycares that cater to part timers. I just don't happen to be one of them.

[Mom&Provider]

I don't think Mary Poppins was indicating in her original post that she was pushing out anyone, I think she was asking if she should put it in writting and that her clients already know that being p/t could put them at risk of loosing their spot if she found a f/t family because of the issue I am currently into. I don't see what's unfair about that. She is now wanting to put into writting what has already been agreed upon verbally. IMO, if a parent is willing to sign on to that p/t spot knowing that, then that's their choice right? If the family isn't happy knowing they could be pushed out to a f/t child, then they don't have to sign on with her or anyone else who has a statement like that in their contract.

For me, my minimum p/t is 3 days/wk, I have one p/t family now and have been told different things from them in recent weeks. I need to protect my own business and income, so when DCM asked me to allow her fewer days per/wk and indicated that she would be happy to keep little man home if I didn't agree to her request, I started to interview. Now, she has changed what she told me and wants to talk more to her husband, but I have found a f/t family to fill her spot when she goes on mat leave this summer. Of course I don't want to tell anyone I can't care for their child anymore because they are p/t, but I am doing the move for me, my family and what works for us financially. By keeping the p/t vs taking the f/t I lose $244/month...over the year that adds up to over $3000 if you take into account the months that have 5 pay days in them!

In my case the DCM has been unclear on her needs/wants which forced me to ensure I didn't have an emtpy space to fill at the last moment or that they decided to stay and then later leave because they couldn't afford it (she mentioned costs) - but in reality - I'm sure there are a number of providers who find themselves needing to change things up to be in a better position financially and life changes over time and so do the needs of each daycare.

[Cat Herder]

That would mean that a part time family will never be safe. They were alway be in jeopardy of being termed.

.

It would be just as fair as our income being dependent on our health and keeping our homes.

Fair really does not exist.

You have to choose which family deserves your commitment most....theirs or yours.

[Blackcat31]

It would be just as fair as our income being dependent on our health and keeping our homes.

Fair really does not exist.

You have to choose which family deserves your commitment most....theirs or yours.

FANTASTIC way to put it in perspective Cat!

I always felt a little bad about how things HAVE to be sometimes but really when push comes to shove we all have to do what is best for our own families.

I expect my parents to do that and I guess I should expect them to expect that from me as well.

[daycare]

It would be just as fair as our income being dependent on our health and keeping our homes.

Fair really does not exist.

You have to choose which family deserves your commitment most....theirs or yours.

I understand and agree to this.

I guess it's just not something that I am willing to do. I hardly ever get calls for full time care and for the first time in 3 years, I have 3 full time kids. The others are all part time, but take up a full time spot.

Once I have the kids, If they are great, there is no way that I would want to risk losing a great kid. I guess for me sometimes its not about the money.. I find that kids who spend more time with the parents tend to be the ones that have much better behavior, the parents seem to be happier and they also follow my rules more due to their flexible schedules.
The ones that I have had that are full time are usually the ones that I have the most problems with both child and parent. I would rather have a happier me with great kids than to have ones that drive me looney but put more money in my pocket.

I would take quality over quantity. BUT this is what works for me...

So if you had a child in care part time is there a certain lenght of time that they would know for sure that they had a spot? If you have a child that you enrolled and two weeks later a call comes in for a FULL time spot, do you out the other family?

[JenNJ]

So if you had a child in care part time is there a certain lenght of time that they would know for sure that they had a spot? If you have a child that you enrolled and two weeks later a call comes in for a FULL time spot, do you out the other family?

For example, I have a pair of brothers in care now who are here 3 days a week. They pay my my part time rate (higher than full time) with no sibling discount. I have a girl on the opposite two days also paying my higher part time rate. In total, they bring in 30% more than two full timers would bring in. They are all safe. They are using just 2 slots and I am earning more than I would with 2 typical kids. That is staying power.

[Mom&Provider]

For example, I have a pair of brothers in care now who are here 3 days a week. They pay my my part time rate (higher than full time) with no sibling discount. I have a girl on the opposite two days also paying my higher part time rate. In total, they bring in 30% more than two full timers would bring in. They are all safe. They are using just 2 slots and I am earning more than I would with 2 typical kids. That is staying power.

This is how I wish it could work out in my case, but around here it's harder to find a p/t child then a f/t one! I also charge more for p/t.

[daycare]

For example, I have a pair of brothers in care now who are here 3 days a week. They pay my my part time rate (higher than full time) with no sibling discount. I have a girl on the opposite two days also paying my higher part time rate. In total, they bring in 30% more than two full timers would bring in. They are all safe. They are using just 2 slots and I am earning more than I would with 2 typical kids. That is staying power.

This is exactly what I do..... but what happens if the siblings leave. ?????

[jojosmommy]

Oh boy, I'm going to go against the grain on this one .

Once I have agreed to take a family, whether they are FT or PT, I think that family has a right to expect that their spot is secure. If I only want FT families, then I feel like it's my obligation to leave a spot unfilled until I find that FT family. I feel like it would be unprofessional to take a PT family, only to boot them once a FT family comes along.

Of course, if a family is not following the rules or is disrespectful, etc., I would terminate our contract, but I would not do it simply because they are part-time.

JMHO.

I agree. I would be really upset if my kids were allowed in only until someone better (ft) came along. But to each their own I guess.

[JenNJ]

This is exactly what I do..... but what happens if the siblings leave. ?????

When the siblings leave, I will try to replace them with full time kids. See this is when that little rule comes in handy. I can find one full time kid and offer the other FT space to the PT kid. Or I can find two full timers. All the rule does is make the conversation with the PT family easier since they knew in advance that this is a possibility.

And really, this rule isn't anything different. No family is really "safe" from termination. They can increase the odds of being safe by following rules, respecting my home, my family and myself, and raising children who are pleasant to be around. But at the end of the day I can terminate care for whatever reason I choose, just as they can. That is the nature of this business.

I don't take terminations lightly, but I do know that I am in this business for a few reasons:
1) to be with my kids
2) to make money
3) because I am really good at it
4) because I enjoy it

None of my reasons have anything to do with who I am contracted with. I get satisfaction from providing a stable home life for my kids and providing income for my family. Any client can be replaced. I don't get attached simply because I know how this job can be. I am a great business owner because I make decisions with my head 99% of the time.

[Crazy8]

My termenation with out notice says

I can and will terminate our child care arrangements immediately for any of the following reasons (but not solely limited to):


-Harming anyone including but not limited to other children, other adults and myself by your child or one of their adults (including but not limited to Mom and Dad)


• Failure to comply with the contract.

• Destructive or hurtful behavior of child that persists even with parent cooperation in stopping the behavior.

• Non-Payment of childcare fees or late and/or recurring late payment of fees.

• Failure to complete required forms.

• Inability to meet the child’s needs without additional staff.

• Blatant disrespect towards provider or provider’s family.

• If parents knowingly bring their child ill.

• Disrespectful behavior of the neighborhood (myself and/or neighbor/s will determine what is disrespectful behavior)

Hey, I think we have the same contract, LOL!! I'm sure I got this info online years ago. I do have a "clause" about giving notice but the above are things that could mean immediate termination.

As far as priority - I wouldn't go into it in detail but I like having that little blurb in there - have never needed it though, never termed a part timer for a full timer.