Ovenight Child Care

[klavallee]

Hello I currently run an in home daycare (in Southern California) with pretty standard hours (6:30am-5:30pm). I wanted to slowly transition to focus on mainly overnight child care. I was wondering if anyone has tried this shift and had any success with it? I always hear there is a need for it, but I never get any calls for it. My husband was recently in the hospital and was having small talk with the nurse, and when the nurse found out I did daycare he immediately asked if I offer overnights and also said one of the other nurses in his dept. is always looking also for overnight care also.

I feel like I am in such a great location. I am only 1/4 mile of a main freeway exit and I am located within 5 miles of 3 hospitals. Plus one giant one just opened up in the city next to me. Out of those 4 hospitals there has got to be a handful of people who need help.

Any suggestions or advice would be great Thank You!

[Starburst]

You might want to look into regulations. I heard some people on here who do 24 hour care said they needed to have both a home daycare and foster care license. But since your not doing 24 hour care you may be able to just do it with home daycare. I would ask your licensor because all states and even cities/counties can differ.

[Cradle2crayons]

I don't regularly do 24 hour care.

However, I've had a few kids here due to leave at midnight and mom wants to go out and pic up the following morning. Kist so they can leave works dn get drunk. Doesn't bother me. II triple the drop in for the three kids and they are already in bed at 830 with my kids in their own room. So really no more but I charge her a huge huge fee for my convenience


I make more off her overnights when the kids are already here in bed than I do for anything else.

So no I don't mind doing overnights.

[Jack Sprat]

Our state regs say we have to stay awake for overnight care. So there is NO way I would do it. But, there is a huge need in our area for evening and overnight care.

[butterfly]

I see this being a big success! In my area, it's nearly impossible to find this type of care. I don't know of a single registered/licensed daycare that offers nighttime care.

If you make the switch I'd send business cards or flyers to the hospitals and other establishments that work overnight shifts.

I couldn't do it. I want my nights free, but I think it would be a great business opportunity!! Good Luck!!

[klavallee]

You might want to look into regulations. I heard some people on here who do 24 hour care said they needed to have both a home daycare and foster care license. But since your not doing 24 hour care you may be able to just do it with home daycare. I would ask your licensor because all states and even cities/counties can differ.

Thanks, I have looked into it and asked my licensor and I do not need a separate license. I've been told I can't stay open 24hrs which I would never dream of doing, . Just set my hours to overnight only, like 7pm-7am or something.

[klavallee]

Our state regs say we have to stay awake for overnight care. So there is NO way I would do it. But, there is a huge need in our area for evening and overnight care.

I was told my my licensing agent I do not need to stay awake (yay! ). But...I need to sleep on the same level as the kids (I have a 2-story home), if I am in a different room I need to keep all bedroom doors open and have baby monitors on so I can always here whats going on in the rooms. The big bummer right now is I am only licensed for downstairs so I would need to sleep on our couch until I decide to get my upstairs licensed also. It's not to difficult to get licensed for upstairs. If I get enough business and can see that I can busy I will put in the extra effort to get the upstairs licensed also.

[klavallee]

I see this being a big success! In my area, it's nearly impossible to find this type of care. I don't know of a single registered/licensed daycare that offers nighttime care.

If you make the switch I'd send business cards or flyers to the hospitals and other establishments that work overnight shifts.

I couldn't do it. I want my nights free, but I think it would be a great business opportunity!! Good Luck!!

Thanks!! I'm hoping there is a big need I always here of it, but don't get any calls. I'm going to go to several hospitals over the weekend and try to drop off some of my business cards. I will miss my nights, but I will be SOOOO happy to have my days free again. But at the same time...if my hours are 7pm-7am, I'm not really going to be missing much, my kids go to bed at 9pm and with 2 littles of my own, I don't have much of a "nightlife" anyways- haha. I have a 5 yr old daughter just starting kindergarten and right now I have to transport 7 kids back & forth to school 2x a day. It's a big hassel and hard on my back. I also have a 2yr old son I'd like more time with

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Thanks!! I'm hoping there is a big need I always here of it, but don't get any calls. I'm going to go to several hospitals over the weekend and try to drop off some of my business cards. I will miss my nights, but I will be SOOOO happy to have my days free again. But at the same time...if my hours are 7pm-7am, I'm not really going to be missing much, my kids go to bed at 9pm and with 2 littles of my own, I don't have much of a "nightlife" anyways- haha. I have a 5 yr old daughter just starting kindergarten and right now I have to transport 7 kids back & forth to school 2x a day. It's a big hassel and hard on my back. I also have a 2yr old son I'd like more time with

Sounds like a great plan for you!

[missy]

I'm told that no one inquires about overnight care in my area either but I think it's a super idea! If you live near hospital/plants/police departments, etc. that work around the clock then I think you would do great after word gets around.

I've worked rotating shifts for years, and the only reason I can think of that some night shift workers wouldn't use overnight care, though, is that they need to sleep when they get home. In other words, after picking up the kids from nightcare, they would still need someone to watch them during the day so they can sleep, at least for a few hours. For this reason, night shift workers get screwed and need double the day care, so they have to rely on family members usually. My other half was home at night so our sitter came to the house while I slept and it worked out.

I think it's a great idea though and worth a shot. I would love to do night care, it seems like easy money since you'd all be sleeping most of the time!