Vent..I Need Children!

[melilley]

So, I know I just opened my in home two weeks ago and it takes time to get children in, but I need children to enroll! I had calls right away and I had one interview that seemed like it went great, but no call. I was so excited and loved the family and child too! I have had tons of calls for part time and my husband and I talked and decided that we could afford to take in 1 or 2 part timers, but people either want drop in or various days, nothing set. It's too hard to do part time schedules when there aren't set days, so I have been turning those people away. I have advertised on CL, FB, and am waiting to get my business cards to go around and post them and even made a website. I don't know what else to do in terms of advertising. My husband keeps telling me to "get a job" and I know he is joking-he's a jokester (is that even a word?...) he is my biggest supporter, but it bothers me. I haven't went without working since I was 15! (besides 2 maternity leaves) When I did work, I think in the past 14 years, I have only called in like 2 times and have only went home like 1-2 times because my daughter was sick.

I am home with my 6mo old baby and love it, but our savings is dwindling-we did prepare for having a baby and me quitting work to open my daycare and did know that it would take a while, but it's disappointing and frustrating. Good thing our tax refund is coming soon... I look at the completed daycare room and playground and just get depressed. All the time and money that we put into opening is just sitting there, it's disheartening. And I miss working with the little kids! (I quit working in a center when I had my son)

Whew it feels better to vent! I can talk to my husband and sis and they understand, but I don't think it is the same as talking to you guys. Unless you go through it directly, it's hard to fully understand. (not that my husband isn't going through this too-it's our 2nd income, but it's still not the same)
Like I said before, I just wanted to vent. I do know that it takes time as with any new business!

[canadiancare]

do you have any resource agencies in your area? Here we have one that charges a fee to be registered on. They don't endorse any caregivers but they keep a site with your postal code on it and parents can input their postal codes to find matches.

[Binkybobo]

I found that when I was advertising I got more call towards the beginning of the month. I always seemed to sign new kids at the beginning of the month, and my phone would be ringing off the hook. The rest of themonth just seemed silent, dead, and cold.

[melilley]

do you have any resource agencies in your area? Here we have one that charges a fee to be registered on. They don't endorse any caregivers but they keep a site with your postal code on it and parents can input their postal codes to find matches.

Oh yeah, I am also listed through the state and a resource agency for parents and providers. I forgot to put that. Thanks though!

[cheerfuldom]

I would take the part timers for now just to get kids started but let families know that down the road, full timers may come in and they get first dibs to the spots because they pay for that. you may end up keeping part timers for quite awhile till you get full. its worth a shot.

[canadiancare]

also I rarely would get a phone call for an immediate start. Around this time of year it would be people looking for maybe May or June. The only immediate start I got was for a family whose provider wasn't working out and they pulled their child to send her here.

[allsmiles]

vent away!!! you are right it does make you feel better.. all in all you know its just gonna take time.. pretty soon you will look back on this day and laugh.. i used to be very discouraged, very frustrated for a LONG time.. nobody wanted to give me a chance because i had no kids or just one kid..
but i know that your business will be booming soon enough!!

[melilley]

vent away!!! you are right it does make you feel better.. all in all you know its just gonna take time.. pretty soon you will look back on this day and laugh.. i used to be very discouraged, very frustrated for a LONG time.. nobody wanted to give me a chance because i had no kids or just one kid..
but i know that your business will be booming soon enough!!

Thank You, makes me feel better! I have also thought about if people think anything because I don't have any kids yet.

[melilley]

I would take the part timers for now just to get kids started but let families know that down the road, full timers may come in and they get first dibs to the spots because they pay for that. you may end up keeping part timers for quite awhile till you get full. its worth a shot.

Good idea! I may just do that. I can only take 5 kids, but part timers are better than no timers!

[NeedaVaca]

Just keep brainstorming for advertising! Put ads on library bulletins, church, grocery stores etc...anything to get your name out there I used Craigslist and that's how I got started.

[ABCDaycareMN]

If I were to take a pter that didn't have set days in the week I would still charge them for full time. Maybe something you could consider because if they are taking up a spot needing various days in the week you will need to ensure you have availability on those days.

[KDC]

1. Make sure you're website is searchable through the various search engines... go to yahoo and type in daycare, *your area* & see where/if your website comes up. I've got mine to show up right under (or on top in some cases) the big daycare's/preschools in my city without paying a cent, just by registering them free, or working with the key words in my website builder.
(I have so many people calling, have a waiting list -- just because my name is at the 'top' and I have a professional/fun website.

2. Do you have a neighborhood facebook page? Our subdivision has a facebook page with all my neighbors, once I was added I could post when I had an opening, with a link to my website.

3. Facebook... create a page for your 'daycare'... add some fun pictures and refer your friends, who have friends, who have friends... etc. The more people who see it, the better!

4. I actually chased my pregnant neighbors down when I first started... not kidding. I bought them a cute baby gift and would walk it over, introduce myself and drop it in conversation that I ran a daycare out of my house. They're some of my good friends (and customers), and that was 7 years ago!

5. Our Library has a preschool night (right now a lot of preschools are up for enrollment), I could reserve a table and pass out flyers and talk to people who maybe want a more unconventional route to preschool (or have siblings that will need daycare, cha-ching!, I like working with 3 & 4 year olds as opposed to infants, so this worked good for me.

They'll come... and until they do, just hang in there! I was laid off a corporate job after being there for 10 yrs. I had an unemployed husband, new house, and was back from maternity for all of a week. I was stressed and scared. I just made me push harder for what I wanted! My husband supported my decision as we used some of the Severance $$ to start the daycare -- I'm so glad I stuck with it. My view of kids playing is SO much better than the brown/tan cube ::

[itlw8]

drop in for now is not bad Why because when you fill the opening when they call for drop in you do not have a space that day or sorry I am full now.

Pt is fine but tie them down to set days or you can and will fill when you get a call.

[apick]

So, I know I just opened my in home two weeks ago and it takes time to get children in, but I need children to enroll! I had calls right away and I had one interview that seemed like it went great, but no call. I was so excited and loved the family and child too! I have had tons of calls for part time and my husband and I talked and decided that we could afford to take in 1 or 2 part timers, but people either want drop in or various days, nothing set. It's too hard to do part time schedules when there aren't set days, so I have been turning those people away. I have advertised on CL, FB, and am waiting to get my business cards to go around and post them and even made a website. I don't know what else to do in terms of advertising. My husband keeps telling me to "get a job" and I know he is joking-he's a jokester (is that even a word?...) he is my biggest supporter, but it bothers me. I haven't went without working since I was 15! (besides 2 maternity leaves) When I did work, I think in the past 14 years, I have only called in like 2 times and have only went home like 1-2 times because my daughter was sick.

I am home with my 6mo old baby and love it, but our savings is dwindling-we did prepare for having a baby and me quitting work to open my daycare and did know that it would take a while, but it's disappointing and frustrating. Good thing our tax refund is coming soon... I look at the completed daycare room and playground and just get depressed. All the time and money that we put into opening is just sitting there, it's disheartening. And I miss working with the little kids! (I quit working in a center when I had my son)

Whew it feels better to vent! I can talk to my husband and sis and they understand, but I don't think it is the same as talking to you guys. Unless you go through it directly, it's hard to fully understand. (not that my husband isn't going through this too-it's our 2nd income, but it's still not the same)
Like I said before, I just wanted to vent. I do know that it takes time as with any new business!

Oh boy do I know exactly how you feel!!! My son is also 6 months old and I've been licensed for almost 3 months, still no kids. I have done many interviews and have been blown off by so many families it's sickening! I don't know how people can arrange daycare and then just not show up!! It's soooo rude!! I was supposed to have a kid start today, but I hadn't heard from his parents since last week when they said they picked me as their provider. I tried calling last night just to make sure it was a go. Never answered her phone or returned my calls. I don't know what the f$!k is wrong with people! I also had a family enroll their 2 kids and pay me upfront cause I was holding their spots only to e-mail me the next day to say they changed their mind. I also had a 5 year old her for one day. The next morning I woke up to an e-mail from his mom saying she was taking him to another daycare. Many other people say they're bringing their kid and then wait until they should be dropping them off before calling to say "oh never mind." The no-call, no-shows for interviews are just as annoying too. I literally make people call me until right before they're going to come over before I will give out my address cause I don't like the idea of a bunch of strangers knowing where I live! I love when you do an interview and you get the "oh we will let you know by this date" and then you never hear from them. I don't even want to think of how many kid packets I've given out to families that just blew me off! I try really hard not to take things personally but it's sooooo frustrating!! It's like people think that my time means nothing. I'm very luckily that my husband has also been very supportive of me! I also got a writing job I can do from home that I applied for way back in August, so at least I started making money...finally!! It's taking most of our financial pressure off, but I'd rather be doing daycare! Ahh feels good to vent!!

[melilley]

1. Make sure you're website is searchable through the various search engines... go to yahoo and type in daycare, *your area* & see where/if your website comes up. I've got mine to show up right under (or on top in some cases) the big daycare's/preschools in my city without paying a cent, just by registering them free, or working with the key words in my website builder.
(I have so many people calling, have a waiting list -- just because my name is at the 'top' and I have a professional/fun website.

2. Do you have a neighborhood facebook page? Our subdivision has a facebook page with all my neighbors, once I was added I could post when I had an opening, with a link to my website.

3. Facebook... create a page for your 'daycare'... add some fun pictures and refer your friends, who have friends, who have friends... etc. The more people who see it, the better!

4. I actually chased my pregnant neighbors down when I first started... not kidding. I bought them a cute baby gift and would walk it over, introduce myself and drop it in conversation that I ran a daycare out of my house. They're some of my good friends (and customers), and that was 7 years ago!

5. Our Library has a preschool night (right now a lot of preschools are up for enrollment), I could reserve a table and pass out flyers and talk to people who maybe want a more unconventional route to preschool (or have siblings that will need daycare, cha-ching!, I like working with 3 & 4 year olds as opposed to infants, so this worked good for me.

They'll come... and until they do, just hang in there! I was laid off a corporate job after being there for 10 yrs. I had an unemployed husband, new house, and was back from maternity for all of a week. I was stressed and scared. I just made me push harder for what I wanted! My husband supported my decision as we used some of the Severance $$ to start the daycare -- I'm so glad I stuck with it. My view of kids playing is SO much better than the brown/tan cube ::

Thanks! I will go to some of the places you mentioned.