I'm Doomed!

[cara041083]

I started my in-home daycare about 2 years ago. Well in our area (about 3 blocks from me) There is a couple that do group daycare. They are president of the PTA for the schools here, as well as run the watch dog program here. They are VERY well known and are ALWAYS full! I finally for the first time since being open, have filled all my spots. I am starting to look for replacements for a family I want to term. Well I was out side today working in the yard, and I noticed that the house that was for sale a few house's down had the daycare's bus pull in. THEY BOUGHT THE HOUSE TO START A CENTER DAYCARE!!!! I can't compete with that. I dont know what to do. If I can't keep kids (all of my parents came to me from here because she was full but she was there first choice) I will be out of business. I feel sick. I guess I will see what happens and worse case if I have to get a job, at least there is a daycare really close my kids could go to!

[MarinaVanessa]

Oh wow, that ****s. I suppose finding work elsewhere would be easier than moving though. Hang in there.

[NightOwl]

Find out what they offer and offer different things. Do they have secured entry? Install one. Do they take field trips? Offer them. Do they have a curriculum? Offer one. Do they have daily water play? Set up your backyard for summer water fun. Pajama days? Show and tell days? How about a referral program? I offer a free week for each family as a thank you who sends me a referral that enrolls for care. You have to make yourself stand out from the others.

[Starburst]

Find out what they offer and offer different things. Do they have secured entry? Install one. Do they take field trips? Offer them. Do they have a curriculum? Offer one. Do they have daily water play? Set up your backyard for summer water fun. Pajama days? Show and tell days? How about a referral program? I offer a free week for each family as a thank you who sends me a referral that enrolls for care. You have to make yourself stand out from the others.

I would also like to add that I noticed you mentioned they are active in the community (PTA, neighborhood watch), would you consider being more active in your community? Are you a member of a church or an organization? Do you volunteer? Are your kids (if old enough) involved in any extra-curricular activities? Can you take some child care classes and network with other providers? What kind of program do you have and are you willing to expand it to meet the needs your local market (Infant care? Preschool? Before/after school? Home school? Overnight care? Weekend care?) Do you throw birthday parties for your daycare kids? Do you offer family fun night or date night specials? Maybe you can even do community service with the kids at your daycare (like visiting a retirement home once a month and seeing if the kids can "adopt" a grandparent or two).

[cheerfuldom]

I would find a way to set yourself apart from their program so your clientele is different than theirs. i have several fellow home daycare providers very close by, there is probably a half dozen just in my neighborhood 15 to 20 streets. For a long time, I took infants which a lot of places didn't take. Now I do teacher's kids and work off the school schedule, which is also hard to find. I don't know of any of my local providers in my neighborhood that offer that so that is how I set myself apart. There is a huge, nice, established licensed daycare home, two actually, within walking distance of my house plus several small legally unlicensed places so I understand the concern!

[Unregistered]

I have a center two blocks away in one direction, four blocks away the opposite direction, and another one two and a half blocks in a third direction. These are all centers and I am family.
At one point there were three family dcs within one block of me. Now I'm the only one. There is also a co-op daycare (that goes by NO licensing rules!) a block away.

Oh, and a new preschool just opened in the church a block away.

I am always as full as I want to be though. I do the things that I love to do, and can't help talking about them when parents interview :: They must like it.

So don't lose confidence. ALL of these places opened after I became licensed.

[nothingwithoutjoy]

I would be sure to emphasize, in your advertising and visits with families, the advantages of family child care: small group, mixed-age groups, home atmosphere, siblings together, long-term relationship with one provider, etc. People who choose family child care are often not interested in centers (and vice versa).

[Starburst]

I would be sure to emphasize, in your advertising and visits with families, the advantages of family child care: small group, mixed-age groups, home atmosphere, siblings together, long-term relationship with one provider, etc. People who choose family child care are often not interested in centers (and vice versa).

True, this upgrade may actually cost them some clients. I remember reading a blog about a woman who started a home-based preschool and after a few years she opened a preschool center and private kindergarten and eventually two locations. Some of the parents who were with her program with previous children left because they missed the smaller environment.

http://www.startapreschool.com/blog/featuredarticles/some-people-grrr/

[Josiegirl]

I see the same thing happening in my town. It seems like the family homes are being weeded out as the centers grow and grow. I keep telling myself there must be a clientele out there who still want the smaller personalized atmosphere of a family home. Strive to advertize the aspect of their child having a home away from home, lots of individualized attention, etc., etc.

I don't get why so many parents want their child(especially at such a young age) put in a large center. I truly believe a child's most important work to do is play, at least until the age of 3, and even longer. I never sent my first child to prek and that was a mistake, due to the fact he wasn't used to being away from me. But I sent my 2 dds(lesson learned) to a prek, but at 3-4 yo, it was 2 a.m.s a week, and 4-5 it was 3 a.m.s a week. And it was solely for the socialization and structure part. We did everything else here.

There is a huge trend right now about moving back to nature. Is there a way you could strive towards offering that?

For the past 30+ years, once I got started, I've never had a problem being full, even during years when I let my certification lapse. For the past year I've been down 1 ft, and now may be down another. It's scary, I'm on my own so don't have any other income. Thankfully, I've got school kids coming back. But next fall, I'm already very worried.

Good luck with yours and hope you get enough word of mouth to keep getting families!

[Annalee]

I started my in-home daycare about 2 years ago. Well in our area (about 3 blocks from me) There is a couple that do group daycare. They are president of the PTA for the schools here, as well as run the watch dog program here. They are VERY well known and are ALWAYS full! I finally for the first time since being open, have filled all my spots. I am starting to look for replacements for a family I want to term. Well I was out side today working in the yard, and I noticed that the house that was for sale a few house's down had the daycare's bus pull in. THEY BOUGHT THE HOUSE TO START A CENTER DAYCARE!!!! I can't compete with that. I dont know what to do. If I can't keep kids (all of my parents came to me from here because she was full but she was there first choice) I will be out of business. I feel sick. I guess I will see what happens and worse case if I have to get a job, at least there is a daycare really close my kids could go to!

Don't fret yet....I have centers within 5 miles of each side of me licensed for 99 kids each. My home child care was here first, and I was worried when the centers were built but there seems to be enough kids for us all...There are parents who prefer center and those who prefer home child care....I have a waiting list and am not sure about the centers.... Keep thinking positive! :hug:

[cara041083]

I would also like to add that I noticed you mentioned they are active in the community (PTA, neighborhood watch), would you consider being more active in your community? Are you a member of a church or an organization? Do you volunteer? Are your kids (if old enough) involved in any extra-curricular activities? Can you take some child care classes and network with other providers? What kind of program do you have and are you willing to expand it to meet the needs your local market (Infant care? Preschool? Before/after school? Home school? Overnight care? Weekend care?) Do you throw birthday parties for your daycare kids? Do you offer family fun night or date night specials? Maybe you can even do community service with the kids at your daycare (like visiting a retirement home once a month and seeing if the kids can "adopt" a grandparent or two).

I try my best to do all these things, but my husband travels during the week and when Im here by my self, by the time the daycare kids leave most of the time I miss the school event, or the church event, Plus all of our elementary schools offer a before and after program for $40.00 a month and since I have 4 kids on my own, I can only take 6 more. Because of the ages of mine, it fills up the baby category and I can only take 1 more infant and 3 other kids. So I am really limited on what I can do

[childcaremom]

Don't fret yet....I have centers within 5 miles of each side of me licensed for 99 kids each. My home child care was here first, and I was worried when the centers were built but there seems to be enough kids for us all...There are parents who prefer center and those who prefer home child care....I have a waiting list and am not sure about the centers.... Keep thinking positive! :hug:

I think that if you are confident and enthusiastic about what you offer, that will attract people to your program.

Is there something little that you can shift to set yourself apart? Do you have any special trainings/skills? Are you crafty? Do you like to bake/cook? Garden? Any other things that you could share with the kids is something that you can use to set yourself apart.

There are daycares everywhere in my area and it was really hard to compete with them. I changed my focus to be on an outdoor program, children's yoga classes, and homemade meals. These are all things that I already did, but I just emphasized that I was offering this b/c no one else in my area was. Then I raised my rates. And then I filled up!

So it can be done Think positive and spin what makes you special.

[Unregistered]

Yes, say what you already love to do, whether it's home-cooked meals, letting kids help with cooking/baking, individualized learning/care that fosters a better relationship and a better learning environment, emphasize self-help skills, more outdoor time than a scheduled playground trip, one consistent care provider, flexibility in your schedule that accomodates kids' interests and lets them develop a deeper level of play.

Think about when things are going well at your program, when you are loving doing child care -- what are you doing then? Think about what makes it work, and why it's good for the children. Those things may be the strengths of your program.

Whatever YOU see as a strength of your program, TELL people about it.

[Annalee]

Don't fret yet....I have centers within 5 miles of each side of me licensed for 99 kids each. My home child care was here first, and I was worried when the centers were built but there seems to be enough kids for us all...There are parents who prefer center and those who prefer home child care....I have a waiting list and am not sure about the centers.... Keep thinking positive! :hug:

After I posted this, I had a self-employed parent come in and give a 2 wk notice on a 4 yr old sibling...seems he is going to a parents day out 2 days a wk and going to stay with dad from now on....so you just never know. :: I think hours of care, strictness of contract, pay, all come into play and providers, many time, are at the mercy of the client. It is easy to take this all personally, but I think it is just the luck of the draw!

[Blackcat31]

I started my in-home daycare about 2 years ago. Well in our area (about 3 blocks from me) There is a couple that do group daycare. They are president of the PTA for the schools here, as well as run the watch dog program here. They are VERY well known and are ALWAYS full! I finally for the first time since being open, have filled all my spots. I am starting to look for replacements for a family I want to term. Well I was out side today working in the yard, and I noticed that the house that was for sale a few house's down had the daycare's bus pull in. THEY BOUGHT THE HOUSE TO START A CENTER DAYCARE!!!! I can't compete with that. I dont know what to do. If I can't keep kids (all of my parents came to me from here because she was full but she was there first choice) I will be out of business. I feel sick. I guess I will see what happens and worse case if I have to get a job, at least there is a daycare really close my kids could go to!

IME, parent choose daycare based on a number of different reasons.

Some due to hours offered or availability and some because of cost or even location.

I like to choose my clients (and vice versa) based on how well the parent and I get along and whether or not we "click".

For me, THAT is the key to running a successful business.

It also helps with word of mouth because clients who spread the word do so in a personal way by sharing their personal experiences about me.

There are LOTS of child cares in my area....enough that there are usually always open spaces anywhere a family looks but I try not to look at it like my program is competing with anyone because I am not necessarily selling my program....I am selling ME.

Honestly, I don't think it is rocket science to offer a nurturing, supportive, loving and/or educational program..... most providers do that already and do it well.

For me it's about the journey....caring for the child WITH the parent from birth to school age.

That partnership is what I really try to focus on and sell because it is the one unique thing that no one else offers.

Don't stress about what others have going on or how many centers they have. Focus on offering parents a unique opportunity to partner with YOU in caring for and basically being a "partner" in raising that child. YOU are something no other program can offer.