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Hi everyone! I've been lurking here for a few months & just joined yesterday. I currently watch my own 2 year old & another 3 year old. I'm finding this site invaluable as I want to become more professional and draw up a better contract, a handbook, & actually implement late fees. Within a few months, I'm hoping to make changes & refresh certifications. Not sure if I'll do licensing, but I'd like to make it a more lucrative business & care for more than just one child. I took this boy because I needed the $ & was trying to help out his parent, but I haven't been paid in 2 months. (Yeah, I know..If she doesn't pay in full w/ taxes, I'm terming her. I felt bad, as she's a single mom & has a non-working car now.)Anyway, unrelated question- I see so many of you have hours around 8-4:30. How do you accomplish that? Do you only accept parents that are off before then or have someone picking them up before close? Right now I'm open 7-7 b/c my client's schedule varies. Just curious how the parents get their kids on time since so many places get out at 5 or 6. Thanks!
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I used to work from 6am - 6pm but phased the earlier clients out as I got more clients that needed later hours. Right now my hours are 7am-6pm but my earliest contracted client isn't scheduled until 7:30am. It just kind of happened
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That's one thing I'll suggest ... have "business hours" that you are willing to work but have every client on a "contracted schedule". Meaning just because you are opened 7am - 7pm doesn't mean that your client is allowed to be there 7am-7pm Mon-Fri. I would figure out what you will charge and how many hours that rate covers. Charge a flat weekly rate regardless of attendance. You can always make exceptions if you are up for it but always have a contract that covers these exceptions and always charge extra for extras. Good luck, I hope that you enjoy FCC as much as I do. -
Yeah, she doesn't leave him here all day. She just left with him, b/c she got off at 3:30. The bus takes a bit of time. So, ok- seems I'm doing that part right.
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i noticed that about the hours when i joined too. i was very SHOCKED
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pretty much all dc and fcc in this area close at 6pm.. i guess it depends on the area
my fcc hours are 6:30 am to 6:30 pm.. we actually do have parents pick up as early as 4/4:30 but thats our baby shift.. with 3 infants all coming in at 6:30am on the DOT LOL
then our toddler shift all come between 8:30 and 9 and they are there till late of course..Comment
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This!
I do think the closing hour depends a lot on location. Where I moved from most parents didn't get off work until 5/6ish and then there was the commute to wait out. I frequently had kids past 6 and I hated it. I live in an incredibly small town now. Everything but the gas stations close by 4.Comment
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I am only open.until 5:00 pm but all my clients are teachers so kids are normally picked up by 4:30Comment
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I have contracted hours for each family, and I nevere contract BEFORE 7:30am or AFTER 5:00pm. I will not interview families who need care outside of these hours.. even if it's five minutes.Comment
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I advertise business hours as 7:15 AM - 5:30 PM with flexible hours available upon request. I charge per hour on top of my full time rate for those that go outside of normal business hours.Comment
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+1
My handbook/website state: "I do not have standard operating hours. I work on contracted hours and provide care on week days only. I open for business when the first child is scheduled and close when the last child is scheduled for picked up."
Then I ask a potential client what hours they need and I let them know if that works for me or not.Comment
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My earliest family comes at 7:15 because on the flip side of that nothing really opens until 8am. I only have two kiddos past 3:00pm. I'm a contracted hours only provider to boot but that is my earliest and latest drop off times
I don't think there's much that could convince me to work longer than 10 hours a day anymore now that I've seen how green the grass on this side of the fence truly is ::
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I only interview people who are willing to work with my 06h30-16h30 schedule. My kids' school when they were all in lower education started at 08h00 and ended at 14h20. I had to be up anyways to get them going so I'd rather be open early than close late. My parents all work a 07h30-15h30 day and are always on time to pick up- barring horrible weather/accidents etc.Comment
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Awesome-thanks everyone!Comment
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well that is NICE then.. loving your area's stance on working hours! ive said for years its not humane to have to work outside the home 8 hours a day!!!!:My earliest family comes at 7:15 because on the flip side of that nothing really opens until 8am. I only have two kiddos past 3:00pm. I'm a contracted hours only provider to boot but that is my earliest and latest drop off times
I don't think there's much that could convince me to work longer than 10 hours a day anymore now that I've seen how green the grass on this side of the fence truly is :::::
its not so bad for me because i have a helper that comes and helps me and covers the last 2 hours while i am alone only the first 2 hours.. happyfaceComment
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All but one of my clients had a schedule of about 8:40-3:30 so I let them go and just decided my hours would be 7:30-3:30. I only interview people that are willing to work around those hours. I only have one spot open and it shouldnt take long to fill it. Most of my clients are self employed or students but a couple have family/friends pick up/drop off so they can stay here. I think it works because everyone else is open so late. I figured it shouldn't be hard for me to find 8 families in my town that needed those hours and liked what I had to offer. I also charge a little less. Normal rate in my area is $150 a week for full time, my rate is $125 for full time but my kids are generally here for only 7 hours a day.Comment
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