Scheduling and More

[daniellesweety1]

Hi Everyone,
I've been getting so much helpful information from this site. I love it. So now I'm adding new information or updating my scheduling, contracts, etc. Any who, How exactly do you keep up with and/or schedule FT/PT without going over capacity etc.? I'm still in the process of being licensed however, I want to have all my paperwork ready before enrolling, interviews, etc. I have been seeing great information on charging for PT, and from what I have been gathering from different post, everyone seem to charge more for PT, so that's definitely something I am changing. Next how would you schedule that and keep up without actually messing up? If I could see a sample of how you all actually keep up with this sort of thing I would appreciate it.

I was sitting here writing out a "fake schedule" to see how that would look !

Please Help, I want to have everything I could possibly think of ready before I even begin. So I won't run into issues.

[blandino]

Hi Everyone,
I've been getting so much helpful information from this site. I love it. So now I'm adding new information or updating my scheduling, contracts, etc. Any who, How exactly do you keep up with and/or schedule FT/PT without going over capacity etc.? I'm still in the process of being licensed however, I want to have all my paperwork ready before enrolling, interviews, etc. I have been seeing great information on charging for PT, and from what I have been gathering from different post, everyone seem to charge more for PT, so that's definitely something I am changing. Next how would you schedule that and keep up without actually messing up? If I could see a sample of how you all actually keep up with this sort of thing I would appreciate it.

I was sitting here writing out a "fake schedule" to see how that would look !

Please Help, I want to have everything I could possibly think of ready before I even begin. So I won't run into issues.

Yes, most of us do charge more for PT. However, it is mostly because we are making up for the loss of income that allowing a PT child to take up a FT spot. If you have two children who come opposite days of the week, then you make extra money, but that doesn't happen too easily.

Personally, I make a word document with 5 columns, and label them with the days of the week. Then I made 12 blank lines "_________________" (for the 12 openings we have each day. If there are only so many infant spots, then I do those in a different color so I know that they are "special spots".

Then I fill in each line based on attendance for that week. It will quickly/easily show me how many openings are left each day of the week.

I don't allow for alternating days of the week, but if you did you could print one of those sheets out for each week.

I'm attaching an example. This was a more final version done on the computer, for this Spring. It doesn't have the blank lines or numbers, because I did those later - but imagine blank lines where the names are...

[blandino]

I don't know how many children you plan to be licensed for, but here is a blank form for 7 children.

[daycare]

I use excell. Can't make any mistakes....

[llpa]

I use a big board on the wall. Fill in the daily schedule of who is coming each day that week. I take drop in children on my light days so if anyone calls I can quickly glance at that board and say yes or no to drop in kid. And yes I charge more for pt dck and even more for drop in days. Good Luck w all your planning! I was so grateful for this forum when I was planning everything last year still am! Gets me thru many rocky moments of my week::

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I have each kid's name on my MacBook calendar (set to end when they have said they would be leaving due to Kinder...or something else).

I charge $145 full-time.
$100 Monday, Wednesday, Friday part-time.
$65 Tuesday, Thursday part-time.
$50 drop-in (has only been used twice in two years).

[Christina72684]

Yes, most of us do charge more for PT. However, it is mostly because we are making up for the loss of income that allowing a PT child to take up a FT spot. If you have two children who come opposite days of the week, then you make extra money, but that doesn't happen too easily.

Personally, I make a word document with 5 columns, and label them with the days of the week. Then I made 12 blank lines "_________________" (for the 12 openings we have each day. If there are only so many infant spots, then I do those in a different color so I know that they are "special spots".

Then I fill in each line based on attendance for that week. It will quickly/easily show me how many openings are left each day of the week.

I don't allow for alternating days of the week, but if you did you could print one of those sheets out for each week.

I'm attaching an example. This was a more final version done on the computer, for this Spring. It doesn't have the blank lines or numbers, because I did those later - but imagine blank lines where the names are...

I do something similar except I use Excell Spreadsheet. My infants are one color and my older ones are another. My PT kids are bold and italicized and I put them in one line if possible (like one boy comes MF and a girl comes TW, so that's one spot not two).

[melilley]

My p/t kids come on the same days every week. This way I always know their schedule!

[daniellesweety1]

I don't know how many children you plan to be licensed for, but here is a blank form for 7 children.

The most I can be licensed for is 8 so this is very helpful because my daughter will be counted as one even though she attends school. Thanks for this.

[daniellesweety1]

I have each kid's name on my MacBook calendar (set to end when they have said they would be leaving due to Kinder...or something else).

I charge $145 full-time.
$100 Monday, Wednesday, Friday part-time.
$65 Tuesday, Thursday part-time.
$50 drop-in (has only been used twice in two years).

I'm going to try to set up some type of spreadsheet in advance so that I can be prepared. I liked to see everything wrote out so I can't make to many mistakes. It's does makes since to me now to charge more for PT care. This site is so great.

[daniellesweety1]

I use a big board on the wall. Fill in the daily schedule of who is coming each day that week. I take drop in children on my light days so if anyone calls I can quickly glance at that board and say yes or no to drop in kid. And yes I charge more for pt dck and even more for drop in days. Good Luck w all your planning! I was so grateful for this forum when I was planning everything last year still am! Gets me thru many rocky moments of my week::

I will try to do one on the computer and one on a board to just glance at so I can be prepared. Thanks, planning ahead works better, so when the day come for parents to inquire, I WILL BE READY.

[daycarediva]

I made a blank spreadsheet for 6+2 SA. My under 2 spaces are red, everyone else is blue. It looks similar to this when printed:

Monday:
1. Angela
2. Tommy
3. Sue
4. Billy
5. Joe
6. Brendan

SA Tony
SA Lucy

Tuesday:
1. Angela
2. Tommy
3.
4. Billy
5. Joe
6. Frank

SA Tony
SA Lucy

I can take one look at it and see where I have availability, and it's easy to adjust, add/remove kids.

I also HIGHLY recommend you only keep PT'ers with a set schedule. If a PT client wants varying days, they pay a FT rate, and can attend 1, or all 5.

[daniellesweety1]

I made a blank spreadsheet for 6+2 SA. My under 2 spaces are red, everyone else is blue. It looks similar to this when printed:

Monday:
1. Angela
2. Tommy
3. Sue
4. Billy
5. Joe
6. Brendan

SA Tony
SA Lucy

Tuesday:
1. Angela
2. Tommy
3.
4. Billy
5. Joe
6. Frank

SA Tony
SA Lucy

I can take one look at it and see where I have availability, and it's easy to adjust, add/remove kids.

I also HIGHLY recommend you only keep PT'ers with a set schedule. If a PT client wants varying days, they pay a FT rate, and can attend 1, or all 5.

This is what I was thinking as well, maybe I will do 8 slots since my daughter is counted as one. and then do a color coded system. My plan is either allowing MWF, or TT, or is do others do something like MTW, or TF? I guess if its 3 days or 2 days should it matter what. Or is best I only give them the 2 options of MWF or TT?

[daycarediva]

This is what I was thinking as well, maybe I will do 8 slots since my daughter is counted as one. and then do a color coded system. My plan is either allowing MWF, or TT, or is do others do something like MTW, or TF? I guess if its 3 days or 2 days should it matter what. Or is best I only give them the 2 options of MWF or TT?

I am going to M/W/F and T/Th

I USED to allow PT'ers to chose their days. Now I only enroll the above so that they can share a space.

If they want 4 days vs 5, I allow them to chose and use the additional day as a drop in space. My 4 day rate is only $15 less than my FT rate anyway, so it's not a big loss. HTH!

[coolconfidentme]

I use excell. Can't make any mistakes....

Me too, & also I color code boys/girls & infant/older by gender. I can have 3 under 16 months & 7 over.