How Do You Turn A Great Family Away?

[nanglgrl]

I took advice that I read on here and have done several interviews for my one opening. I told the families I would make a final determination on Friday. Yippee right? Nooo! They were all awesome families and they want to come here. Now I don't even have the one spot open because my current client has made big changes to her schedule and has agreed to pay more to keep her child here.
I don't want the people I interviewed to feel like they wasted their time or feel like I'm trying to be nice and give them a story because I didn't choose them. I want them to know how wonderful I thought they were and would like to keep them updated on future openings in case they are looking.
How do I do it?

[Blackcat31]

Dear Potential Daycare Family

Thank you for your interest in my program.

Due to some recent scheduling changes with a current daycare family, I will no longer have the opening that you interviewed for.

If you would like to be placed on a waiting list should anything change in the near future, I would be glad to add you!

I enjoyed meeting your family and am sorry I am unable to provide services for you at this time.

Thank you again,

Child Care Provider.

[cheerfuldom]

Dear Potential Daycare Family

Thank you for your interest in my program.

Due to some recent scheduling changes with a current daycare family, I will no longer have the opening that you interviewed for.

If you would like to be placed on a waiting list should anything change in the near future, I would be glad to add you!

I enjoyed meeting your family and am sorry I am unable to provide services for you at this time.

Thank you again,

Child Care Provider.

Love this! and would add at the last sentence....."and would be more than happy to offer your child a spot at XYZ daycare should one become available in the future"

great problem to have OP! but dont feel that you have to apologize or justify NOT taking them. Just keep things upbeat and simple and then contact them in the future should you have an opening come up. If you have anyone else that you need to let go....now would be the time to do it since you have ready replacements. just a thought.

[nanglgrl]

Dear Potential Daycare Family

Thank you for your interest in my program.

Due to some recent scheduling changes with a current daycare family, I will no longer have the opening that you interviewed for.

If you would like to be placed on a waiting list should anything change in the near future, I would be glad to add you!

I enjoyed meeting your family and am sorry I am unable to provide services for you at this time.

Thank you again,

Child Care Provider.

Thank you!

[nanglgrl]

Love this! and would add at the last sentence....."and would be more than happy to offer your child a spot at XYZ daycare should one become available in the future"

great problem to have OP! but dont feel that you have to apologize or justify NOT taking them. Just keep things upbeat and simple and then contact them in the future should you have an opening come up. If you have anyone else that you need to let go....now would be the time to do it since you have ready replacements. just a thought.

and I will add that sentence! I do have a family that is a little more "work". Nothing wrong with them really but it's state pay (a lot less than my private pay), they are here the longest (10 hours compared to about 7 for my other families), one is in preschool and one is in elementary school so I have 4 times a day I have to wait for their buses. It did occur to me that letting go of this family and accepting one of the other families would be less stress and the pay would be about the same but I've had them for 2 years. It's really hard doing what's best for me!
I'm going to make a pros/cons list and see if that helps. If I were to choose the new family how do I let my current family go? I know for certain mom would be upset and because of her children's busing requirements it would be very difficult for her to find another provider. Again not easy! Ack! You guys give me strength!

[daycare]

I am a kiss butt.....

Dear DCF,

I really want to thank all of you for taking the time out of your busy day to come and see what my program has to offer. It was really refreshing to meet such a wonderful family like yours.

Unfortunatley, the family that was leaving the daycare that created the opening in the first place has made changes to their personal schedule and will longer be leaving. I am sad to say, that I will not be able to offer your family a spot here at this time. However, I would be more than happy to place you on my waiting list for when a spot opens up in the future.

If there is anything else that I can do to help you with your daycare search, please let me know. Best of luck to you and your family in your search for daycare.

its a little wordy, but something like this.......

[nanglgrl]

I like your approach also. It seems a little more "me". I think I will have to do a combination but in a phone call. She called me to tell me they would like the spot so I feel it's only proper to respond with a call.

[daycare]

ohhhhh thats even better......I am not good with letters...phone is better

[cheerfuldom]

dont forget! you posted you were changing things up and that this was going to be a new year for you, in many ways. NOW is the time to really make it happen! How ridiculous is it for you to work 3 extra hours per kid and do the bus pickups for LESS money plus a more demanding mom. WHY would you continue doing this when you have families that are a better fit and can step right into your program?

Write up a term letter. This mom will have to find new care and that is not your problem. She is the parent, those are her kids, thats her issue to figure out. Think of it this way.....you have done a lot of extra over the years for this family. I am sure she wont be grateful for that as she leaves but at least you know in your heart that you really worked hard for them and now its time to find someone that is a better fit. PLEASE stick to your new resolutions and find people that fit better with your program.

[nanglgrl]

Long!

Wow how things have changed in the last two weeks! I almost just went along as always but Cheerfuldom reminded me that it was a new year and I said I was going to make changes!

I was planing on giving the family that was more work notice and accepting one of the families that I interviewed. The less pay/more hours and needs of one of the children were stressful but the deciding factor was the buses. One of the children went to preschool and the other went to elementary on different buses but they weren't old enough to watch for the buses themselves. I had to bring all of the kids upstairs into my private living space (daycare is in the basement and has a separate entrance) and stand at the window 4 times a day waiting for buses! I figured out that I spent a good 30-40 minutes of my day waiting for buses and being stressed hoping that the one minute I had to redirect a child wouldn't be the exact minute the bus came and went. Also, the child that went to preschool was dropped off by bus bus in the middle of nap time...I'm sure most of you know how disruptive that was!

I was planning on giving the mom notice. I had typed up my term letter and was going to give it to her Monday but the Sunday before she called and informed me that her work was changing her hours starting in February and she will need care later. She knew I didn't do later hours and had already found a provider that would start in 2 weeks (which made me wonder how long she had known about the change in her hours but I'll let it go...life is easier now).

We didn't end up fulfilling their last 2 weeks because her Child Care Assistance had expired as of Monday (see my other thread if you're still reading this and interested) and hadn't been renewed yet. I told her if she wanted her children to come she would have to pay out of pocket until I had notice from the state that they would pay but she didn't have the money. I had to use my backbone for that one and I'm glad I did. I felt really bad at first because I didn't want her to lose her job but I also didn't want to end up watching kids free for the week! If her CCA is renewed in time they will be here next week, their final week, but I'm ok with that as long as I get paid.

I didn't realize exactly how stressful that family made things until this week when I didn't have them! None of the circumstances were their fault, their needs just became to much for me to handle. I realized that's fine, things change, I'm not superwoman and it's great to try and help people but I don't need to make their problems mine. Geesh...I think I read that on here a time or twenty.

I sat down to crunch numbers and realized that even though 3 children were leaving it wasn't that bad financially.One was in school, one was in preschool and one was here all day so because of how the state pays and how many children I'm allowed they really only took 1 of my 6 slots. The state pays a lot less than what I charge private pay so in the end I was only out aprox. $200 a week. I also realized that with this family leaving I would be off by 3:30 pm instead of 5:30 pm daily. The families I interviewed and who were on my waiting list both needed care until 4:40/5 pm but I decided that I would rather get off at 3:30 than make more money (and remembered that this year is the year I start taking care of me). I emailed one of the families and told them I had a spot but it was only from 8:00 am-3:30 pm. I didn't think those hours would work for them but I was wrong. Mom told me they really wanted their child to come here so they would be able to work around my schedule! Wowsers now I get off 2 hours earlier every day, make a little more, am completely full and no longer waste so much time waiting for buses!

So yeah in only two weeks I've made a lot of changes! I've also been working out daily since I get off earlier....maybe that made my backbone stronger?

[hhdc]

That is so great that it all worked out for you!

[SunnyDay]

Wow how things have changed in the last two weeks! I almost just went along as always but Cheerfuldom reminded me that it was a new year and I said I was going to make changes!

I was planing on giving the family that was more work notice and accepting one of the families that I interviewed. The less pay/more hours and needs of one of the children were stressful but the deciding factor was the buses. One of the children went to preschool and the other went to elementary on different buses but they weren't old enough to watch for the buses themselves. I had to bring all of the kids upstairs into my private living space (daycare is in the basement and has a separate entrance) and stand at the window 4 times a day waiting for buses! I figured out that I spent a good 30-40 minutes of my day waiting for buses and being stressed hoping that the one minute I had to redirect a child wouldn't be the exact minute the bus came and went. Also, the child that went to preschool was dropped off by bus bus in the middle of nap time...I'm sure most of you know how disruptive that was!

I was planning on giving the mom notice. I had typed up my term letter and was going to give it to her Monday but the Sunday before she called and informed me that her work was changing her hours starting in February and she will need care later. She knew I didn't do later hours and had already found a provider that would start in 2 weeks (which made me wonder how long she had known about the change in her hours but I'll let it go...life is easier now).

We didn't end up fulfilling their last 2 weeks because her Child Care Assistance had expired as of Monday (see my other thread if you're still reading this and interested) and hadn't been renewed yet. I told her if she wanted her children to come she would have to pay out of pocket until I had notice from the state that they would pay but she didn't have the money. I had to use my backbone for that one and I'm glad I did. I felt really bad at first because I didn't want her to lose her job but I also didn't want to end up watching kids free for the week! If her CCA is renewed in time they will be here next week, their final week, but I'm ok with that as long as I get paid.

I didn't realize exactly how stressful that family made things until this week when I didn't have them! None of the circumstances were their fault, their needs just became to much for me to handle. I realized that's fine, things change, I'm not superwoman and it's great to try and help people but I don't need to make their problems mine. Geesh...I think I read that on here a time or twenty.

I sat down to crunch numbers and realized that even though 3 children were leaving it wasn't that bad financially.One was in school, one was in preschool and one was here all day so because of how the state pays and how many children I'm allowed they really only took 1 of my 6 slots. The state pays a lot less than what I charge private pay so in the end I was only out aprox. $200 a week. I also realized that with this family leaving I would be off by 3:30 pm instead of 5:30 pm daily. The families I interviewed and who were on my waiting list both needed care until 4:40/5 pm but I decided that I would rather get off at 3:30 than make more money (and remembered that this year is the year I start taking care of me). I emailed one of the families and told them I had a spot but it was only from 8:00 am-3:30 pm. I didn't think those hours would work for them but I was wrong. Mom told me they really wanted their child to come here so they would be able to work around my schedule! Wowsers now I get off 2 hours earlier every day, make a little more, am completely full and no longer waste so much time waiting for buses!

So yeah in only two weeks I've made a lot of changes! I've also been working out daily since I get off earlier....maybe that made my backbone stronger?

Amazing! Good for you!!

[WImom]

That's great to hear!