After hours/drop in daycare?

[icaputi39]

I'm thinking of starting an after hours daycare. Essentially, it would be a 24 hour daycare. It would appeal to parents that work regular 9-5 jobs and parents that also work night jobs. I would also do drop in services for parents that were in a bind and needed child care or if they wanted to do a date night, something of the sort. Would you be interested in something like this? why or why not?

[Lucy]

Not just no, but HECK NO! I'm not trying to be harsh, but this sounds like a nightmare to me. When would you sleep? I can only assume you'd have help? I suppose this could work, but how soon would it be before you were burned out?

I'm only speaking for myself, but this is so far from anything I'd consider doing. I encourage you to write out a business plan of some sort, and maybe research some similar daycares to see what some problem areas might be, and really think hard about the cons to this. Just my advice. I do wish you luck and don't want to discourage you if this is truly what you want to do, I'm just saying it's not for ME.

Let us know what you eventually decide.

[LoraJenkins]

I did this same thing for years. Being open 24/7 WILL wear you down and effect everyone in your household. When will you have down time? Family time? I OCCASIONALLY do an overnight but stopped the 24/7 and am so much happier.

[Angelsj]

I did this for many, many years, and I am still open to a lot more than many providers. One thing we talked about recently, however, is whether your state requires you to be awake for over-nighters.
I would check into your laws first, but otherwise, if you like the idea, it could be a nice niche for you.

[Leigh]

I wouldn't do it. I will do overnight care only if it does not affect my family. Kids can be dropped off only after 9:30 (when my own child is asleep), and must be picked up between 6:30 and 7:30. I don't allow middle of the night pick ups that might disturb my family, and I don't take kids between 5:30 and 9:30 to ensure that my own family has time alone together. I don't think it's fair to a child to live in a 24/7 daycare, and I want mine to feel that he does.

I can't tell you the feeling of peace and calm that descends on my home at 5:30 every day, and I wouldn't give that up for anything.

[JoseyJo]

I'm thinking of starting an after hours daycare. Essentially, it would be a 24 hour daycare. It would appeal to parents that work regular 9-5 jobs and parents that also work night jobs. I would also do drop in services for parents that were in a bind and needed child care or if they wanted to do a date night, something of the sort. Would you be interested in something like this? why or why not?

The after hours part is GREAT. There is a big need for evening and night daycare (at least where I live). If I were to do it at all it would open a daycare with odd hours that match what many people in your area need. I get many calls for people needed to be a work at 6 or 7 a or who don't get off work until 7-8 p. I am NOT willing to give up 14 hours of my day but I might consider 5:50a-3:30p or 10:30a-8:30p.

I would never use or run a drop in (personally) because the types of parents who tend to use these services (or use them often enough to be worth running a daycare for at least) I wouldn't want to work with or have my children w/ their children. There are many parents out there that don't want to spend time with their own children. They leave their children at daycare from open to close then send them to relatives (or use drop-in care) for the evenings and weekends. These children tend to have behavior problems that the parents aren't interesting in correcting. Even the most well adjusted child may have behavioral problems in a place they don't go often as they don't know the rules, don't have a bond with the provider, and miss their parents.

Just my 2 cents!

[Cradle2crayons]

I do afternoon and night care. My client base includes nurses and waitresses. No other centers and very few in homes (other than illegals) offer what I do so he need is HUGE. At least here.

[GKJNIGMN]

I am open 24 hours. Sometimes it is tiring and I am thinking about moving to 6 days a week instead of 7. The upside for me is I don't like watching a ton of kids at once. I would rather spread them out and make the same money. I have never had a request for date night or a single overnight except once from a DCD of one of the kids I have day shift.

There is a need for 24/7 daycare though. Especially weekends. I get a ton of calls of people wanting care for shifts that vary and odd shift that you cannot fill around but I literally don't have to advertise. Because I take childcare assistance, the state referral agency keeps my phone ringing. Also, in my state when I take a child overnight they also pay for a shift the following day so the parent can sleep.

I no longer take varying shifts. I hated having to waiting around to see when the parents would show up and it made things hard on my own kids. Bottom line is, it can be very profitable but only if everything aligns correctly. You have to get the right schedules with the right group of parents. Be prepared to make similar or less money than having the right group of regular M-F day shift kids and to work many more hours to start at least.