Feel Like I Am Starting Over

[hhdc]

I opened my day care officially last March with one 5 day a week baby. Not long after that I started with another baby four days a week. About a month after that I had another part timer start. Three was a good number and I had another 4 day a week family. This was perfect, I had three one or almost one year old everyday.

As most people here know things can change quickly. Last week I had a full time toddler, a four day a week toddler, a brother and sister that came 2 days a week and a new family that was going to start on Monday. I have help on the days the brother and sister are here which is a nice break for me. Tuesday I lost one family because her father is now unemployed. Then on Thursday the parents of the new baby call and say they found other care! and the part time mom said that they are moving so they will be leaving in a couple of months at the most.

Basically now I am down to one full time toddler. He is great, but not so much when it is just him.

I feel like it is a sign that I should take the day care in a different direction. I am open to taking more part time families and be busier in the morning and not as much at nap time and when my own kids come home. Does anyone do mostly part time and/or drop time care? I am not sure how to price that service. I have one toddler here for 3 hours a week and I know I could charge more but he started before anyone else and I was just happy to get people in the door at that time.

[bunnyslippers]

It sounds like you are in a good position to reevaluate your program and what would work best for you. When first starting out, it can be very difficult to find clients. I would suggest feeling out your area and what the need is for care. Make changes that work for you, but try not to limit yourself and therefore limit your possible clients. Good Luck!

[lil angels]

I have 10 kids and all but three are part time. I love having different kids everyday. Most mornings I have 5 or 6 then 3 that come in the afternoon of the bus. I don't think I would go back to all full time again.

Leave yourself open to whatever calls you get always let them know you think you have a spot but if you can give them a call back then you can really think about it first how things might work then you can discuss it with them.. I learned pretty fast when I started I always got so excited wen I got a call I would just say yes and then regret it later. Give yourself a little time to think about it.

Good luck I am sure you will be able to fill up again.

[hhdc]

Thanks for the replies. I definately want to be more selective with the families from now on to be sure that it is a good fit. For me to have less kids in the afternoon when my own children get home from school would be great.

I also like when not all the days are the same. There is a better flow to the week that way.

[rmc20021]

I'm in exactly the SAME boat. I opened last January and only had 1 toddler for 9 months. I wasn't sure how to advertise and wasn't getting any calls at all. Finally I discovered Craigslist.
So, then I got another full time, and 3 part time and then another full time...I was full as far as capacity as all the part timers were on flexible schedules. It was fine with me.
Then...just in the last week, one of my full timers has a sister moving in with them who will watch the little boy. The other full timer has just been diagnosed with a brain tumor so she is no longer working after this week...there goes BOTH full timers.
I had two from the same family who were foster kids...and were both adopted last week so now that they aren't state paid, they won't be using daycare (plus one is handicapped and began a new OT program so I was only going to have her 2 hours per week anyways).
So that leaves one part timer who only needs care as their parents work schedule overlaps.
I've been desperately trying to figure out ways to get more kids into my daycare. I've advertised on Craigslist and added pics, created a nice webpage and also a facebook page...now what?
I'm almost 60 years old and it's difficult for me to work at public work any more...I'm healthy, just have a lot of foot problems and often get migraines, but only having two full time kids in daycare would equal what I would make working in the public so I'm just going to hold out and keep thinking of ways to advertise.