Anyone Else Worried/Struggling For Clients??

[DaisyMamma]

I'm going to have 3 openings in two weeks!
For fall I will have only 3 FT kids and one is mine!

A local center is closing down, I thought I would get more calls from it then i am.

[Truly Scrumptious]

In TN, the state assessment that is mandatory for licensed providers has caused a lot of providers to close their day cares, or drop their license and just keep 4. It's a very unrealistic tool for measuring quality care.

We do have the free preschool program in our schools, but the budget has taken a hit...so around here, everything seems to be ok.

It is usually this time of year when providers get anxious because school is starting for some of the children in our care.
I have 3 that will start kindergarten next fall...I've filled 2 of the slots already...but the other slot left is already on my mind and I have a whole year.

The families that enroll their children in my program have to make a verbal commitment to me,stating that they will leave their child with me until they start kindergarten. (Of course they could lie ...but so far in 15 years no one has). This helps with me with job security.

[PitterPatter]

I'm right there with you. Our state (WV) has cut nearly all child care subsidy so all but 1 of my families will be gone after Aug 8th. And of the staying family only 1 child will still be here. Private pays are few and far between here and people only want dirt cheap. My family simply cannot make it on the income from 1 child. I've been advertising all summer and I've only got 1 interest, and after giving rates she never got back to me.
Our area is very rural with no public transportation and I don't drive so working outside my home is next to impossible.
So I feel for everyone having trouble finding more DC families.

Same exact pinch here. I am in WV too. Soon I may just be 1 of the needy families I am so use to helping.

[Daycarelady1979]

I'm in the same situation here in Ohio. For more than 8 years I stayed full with private pay families & I never wanted to go type B unless it was a "last resort"...well, that time has come! I had a completely full & successful business when I found out I was pregnant last June. By the time I had my baby in February, I was down to 3 kids. On my 1st day back from maternity leave in April, I lost 2 more. The 1 I have left is headed to kindergarten in less than 30 days. I went ahead & became a certified type B provider earlier this month but I've had no calls yet. I put a daycare sign in my card, I ordered business cards & passed a few out (any chance I've gotten), I advertised openings on facebook, I made flyers & asked people to hang them up at their places of work. NOTHING. We are in a serious financial situation & I'm really not sure what to do. I was told there was a "great need" for type B providers in my county, so why is no one calling?

[abcdaycaremom]

I think as daycare providers we need to change with the time I feel if things are that bad why not take some one at a discounted rate. It would show the community that you understand the economy of the area and $1 is better then zero. Find different avenues to advertise instead of depending on word of mouth or your children's connections call past clients and ask them if they know anyone, ask your current clients, hospitals, schools flyers there's a lot of different avenues give them try. Yes things are tough but it takes a lot of work to keep your business a float

[wahmof3]

I'm in the same situation here in Ohio. For more than 8 years I stayed full with private pay families & I never wanted to go type B unless it was a "last resort"...well, that time has come! I had a completely full & successful business when I found out I was pregnant last June. By the time I had my baby in February, I was down to 3 kids. On my 1st day back from maternity leave in April, I lost 2 more. The 1 I have left is headed to kindergarten in less than 30 days. I went ahead & became a certified type B provider earlier this month but I've had no calls yet. I put a daycare sign in my card, I ordered business cards & passed a few out (any chance I've gotten), I advertised openings on facebook, I made flyers & asked people to hang them up at their places of work. NOTHING. We are in a serious financial situation & I'm really not sure what to do. I was told there was a "great need" for type B providers in my county, so why is no one calling?

I've been type B in ohio for several years and honestly I am really considering just going private funded only. I do not get the calls from the state and when I do the hours just don't fit with my schedule. I also find that the parents aren't even trying to find daycare & we get emails asking if anyone has openings saying the parents have called everyone and I never get the calls.

Hope it gets better for you!!!

[mysonsmom1]

Dallas Area

I am going threw similar problems. 6 of my 8 clients left for the summer. I didnt want to replace them with full time kids. Out of the 6 two moved out of town (so the parent tells me). I have confirmed that 2 children will be returning and one with a new infant. My parents are struggling financially and I am trying my best to accomidate them. Even lowered my rate for a parent who lost a job just to keep the child coming to care. The phone rings and I do interviews but a lot of people are looking for lower rates. Even if that means going to an un licensed, un regulated childcare provider. I cant offer services for the rates that offered by the unregulated providers. Yet, they are getting a lot of the business.

Im hoping things will pick up for the school year. As of now, its a waiting game to see who will return. I will be forwarding emails to the clients for a head count 2 weeks before school starts.

[Lyss]

I'm struggling too!!! I was full until recently when I lost a sib set to a bilingual center (mom and dad are adamant the children learn Spanish, a good skill to have) and now I see the end of my other 2 on the horizon. One will be moving into kindergarten and the other will be staying home with mom when dad returns from Afghanistan in December.

I've been trying to fill my sib set loss for a month now and honestly have only had 1 call and 1 email... I'm beginning to get down on myself for it, like it's something wrong with my program. I know the parent's I have now love me, as they rave about how thankful they are but I still feel like maybe there's something I'm not seeing that is deterring people. I really don't need to fill both spots left by the siblings, i'd be ok with just one, but I'll have 3 openings by Christmas if I don't.

In my area, OR, there's a lot of SAHMs offering to watch 1 or 2 kids for as little as $20/day. I've had to drop my prices and still barely get any traffic. I'm at a loss, I'm not sure what else to do to generate traffic.

[moshimoshi]

Feeling it too...hang in there.

[SilverSabre25]

I'm in the same situation here in Ohio. For more than 8 years I stayed full with private pay families & I never wanted to go type B unless it was a "last resort"...well, that time has come! I had a completely full & successful business when I found out I was pregnant last June. By the time I had my baby in February, I was down to 3 kids. On my 1st day back from maternity leave in April, I lost 2 more. The 1 I have left is headed to kindergarten in less than 30 days. I went ahead & became a certified type B provider earlier this month but I've had no calls yet. I put a daycare sign in my card, I ordered business cards & passed a few out (any chance I've gotten), I advertised openings on facebook, I made flyers & asked people to hang them up at their places of work. NOTHING. We are in a serious financial situation & I'm really not sure what to do. I was told there was a "great need" for type B providers in my county, so why is no one calling?

ooohh, yes, I am in the exact same boat! I'm in central OH and am seriously considering getting licensed, just as another way to "stand out" from the crowd a little bit. We are so strapped for cash that we just can't afford the fees right now (the fire inspection, etc). Soon, though.

btw welcome to the forum! There are several other ohio providers on here.

[Daycarelady1979]

Oops, that was supposed to say I put a daycare sign in my yard...not my card...

Thank you for welcoming me

[brookeroo]

It has been the same here in Indiana. I just started in April and I was so worried. It has taken me months to get a full house. It's strange, it seems like they call in spurts but no real rhyme or reason to it.

One thing I tried, I put a flier on the door with each child's name on it for the parents to take home.

I offered $10 off their weekly rate for 4 weeks if they referred a permanent full time person to me who ended up starting with me. The only terms were that they had to be in my care for at least 3 weeks before my regular got the discount. I put in the flier that I would be happy to provide advertisement fliers for them to put in their breakrooms at work or to hand out as well.

In the long run you may be out $40.00 for a month BUT you have a new permanent full time spot coming in anyway which will be giving you that extra money. You aren't any worse off than you are now. Might motivate people to look a little harder for you or keep their ears peeled a little more. They may even mention it for you on facebook or something?? Also should check Facebook for garage sale groups or different things like that for your local area. Most areas have them and they seem to be pretty popular. I always post on the most popular ones that allow it.

[Heidi]

I think as daycare providers we need to change with the time I feel if things are that bad why not take some one at a discounted rate. It would show the community that you understand the economy of the area and $1 is better then zero. Find different avenues to advertise instead of depending on word of mouth or your children's connections call past clients and ask them if they know anyone, ask your current clients, hospitals, schools flyers there's a lot of different avenues give them try. Yes things are tough but it takes a lot of work to keep your business a float

Well...maybe you were just using $1 as an example, but at $1 per hour, I'd be losing money. It would cost me more in overhead than I'd make. Even at $110 per week per child, my weekly income last year was $440. I'm licensed, but I had 3 under 2 years of age...so you know how that goes!

My adjusted gross income last year was $200, partly because I spent quite a bit of money restarting my daycare after a 10 year break. I still our family benefited from my daycare anyway because of the shared expenses, and now that I have most of what I need, I should show a profit this year.

This year looks a little better...but like I said, even at full capacity, $8 per hour would NOT be worth the expenses, the wear-and-tear, and the crazy!

[Nickel]

I too am worried about getting clients. I've spent a ton of money starting up and getting everything ready and I have to say i am honestly nervous. I just put my ad up and I haven't heard anything yet so I'm really nervous. I know there are tons of listed homes in the area and many not listed homes, so it does worry me. I'm just hoping that my program will speak for itself and i'll find someone.

[Countrygal]

I think as daycare providers we need to change with the time I feel if things are that bad why not take some one at a discounted rate. It would show the community that you understand the economy of the area and $1 is better then zero. Find different avenues to advertise instead of depending on word of mouth or your children's connections call past clients and ask them if they know anyone, ask your current clients, hospitals, schools flyers there's a lot of different avenues give them try. Yes things are tough but it takes a lot of work to keep your business a float

Hmmmmm, maybe not. As someone else said, at $1 an hour I would lose money. AND I could not run the program according to standards.

PLUS, I was making more than $1 an hour almost 20 years ago. If I wanted to do childcare THAT bad, I would work in a center, where I would at least make maybe $5 an hour after expenses.