What Are Your Hours/Are They Hard To Fill?

[Country Kids]

I was just wondering what everyones hours are and if they have a hard time filling them?

Alot of office people work 8-5 but alot of childcare providers are now closing at 5. Is it hard to find people that get off and can be to your home by 5?

My hours use to be 7-5:30 then I changed them to 5:00. In order for me to have this work I had to accept a few families a little earlier than 7 and could not fill my last spot so I had my newest family be allowed to be here till 5:30. Out of 6 families I could only find 2 that would work with my 7-5 hours.

[Springdaze]

Im open 7-6. thats one reason I am looking for a new job, I dont want to work til 6 anymore, but never find people that can pick up earlier.

[Zoe]

I'm open 7:30 to 5:00 but of the 5 families I have, the latest pick-up I have is 4:30. It's fabulous!

I think the only way it works that way is because there are a lot of different people picking up and dropping (example, mom drops off, dad picks up).

[melissa ann]

I'm open 7-5. I did start a family in Dec who needed a 5:45 pick up. However,the late pick up is not working for my family and as a result I'm going back to 5pm closing. I don't normally have any issues with my closing time. I do know a lot of providers in my area are opened until 6 but I know one who also closes at 4:30.

[countrymom]

I'm open from 7 to 5 pm, but I have a family here till 510pm but they work downtown and we all live in the county, so I know it takes a bit to get here but they come right after work and pick up. but everyone is on contract hours.

[lil angels]

I am open 7-5 and everyone is picked up by 430 except one family and they are here till five I don't have that hard of a time filling my spots have had these hrs for about 10 yrs now.

[youretooloud]

7-4:30, but i'd work til 5:00 if I needed to.

[Crazy8]

I run on contracted hours but my max is 7am - 5pm. I don't get many calls for daycare at all, but my closing time isn't usually an issue. I deal with many families where one parent drops off the other picks up - they rarely BOTH work the same hours so its not usually a problem with the 5pm pick up time. I am going to need kids this summer and hope it won't be too much of a problem. I really just CAN'T go beyond 5pm, all my kids have practices starting at 5:15, 5:30, etc. Sometimes they even have them that start 4:30-5 and I have to rely on other people to take them.

[AnneCordelia]

I think it depends on your area too. My area has three or four 24 hour facilities where many people work. For one of my children this means Dad drops off at 8am, before his 9-5 shift. Mom picks up at 3:00 after her 6-2 shift. Works great for me in my area.

[WImom]

I work 7:00-4:30. I haven't had too hard of a time. It took me 8 months to get 8 kids.

[WImom]

I work 7:00-4:30. I haven't had too hard of a time. It took me 8 months to get 8 kids. I have alot of one parent drops off and one picks up.

[MrsB]

I have alot longer hours but most of my parents have an 1hr+ commute one way. (I live outside dc). So my hours are from 545am - 545pm contracted hours though. I will not do more than 55 hours in one week though, regardless of time. 7am is wakeup time here so if you get here before 645am you lay back down. I used to have earlier closing time of 5:00 but it was more difficult to keep up the enrollment.

Seriously been considering changing my hours to nannyde's rates based on pick up times. My only problem is how to figure out my part timers rates.

[MNMum]

Most of my kids are 8-4:30. I have one that comes 2x/wk 7-4. I'm also only open 4 days/wk. One family works out of their home. 2 families have 1 parent that works very early am, so gets out by early afternoon. 1 family has one parent that works out of the home, and honestly, I'm not sure what hours the other parent keeps - he's flexible and always the one to stay home if the older kids are out of school. My earlier closing time almost lost me a client recently. They were showing up late repeatedly, I stood my ground on my closing time, so then they asked me for an earlier drop off whenever they needed it (at the time they were almost always 20 min late for their drop off). Out of pure confusion, I didn't agree to the earlier drop off either. They threatened leaving, but in the end figured out how to make it work on their end. My hours wouldn't work for a single parent, but I found clients easily.

[Cat Herder]

I do 8-6. Full-Time, only.

All the centers in town do 6-6. Full-time, Part-Time, Before/After School, Summer Care, Drop-In or Drive By & Punt.

I stay full, but I know my rates must stay below the centers for that to happen.

Knowing your area is very important.

[Blackcat31]

I do 8-6. Full-Time, only.

All the centers in town do 6-6. Full-time, Part-Time, Before/After School, Summer Care, Drop-In or Drive By & Punt.

I stay full, but I know my rates must stay below the centers for that to happen.

Knowing your area is very important.

I beg to differ here....perhaps it isn't your rate that keeps the clients interested but it may just be the provider?

In reading your requirements for what you would like in a provider yourself, you are failing to see that maybe your DCP's are looking for that as well..... and no where in your requirements did you say you were looking for cheap.