Bumping a Part Time Child to get a Full Time

[Blackcat31]

I'm faced with this decision as well... I have a PT family that I REALLY like!! But they're only here Th & Fri and it's like the 2 days everyone wants! I can't give everyone Th & Fri availability... For some reason all of a sudden I've gotten a million calls for PT infants. I have had 6 interviews and still have 2 more. I really don't have that many spots, 1 already found someone else, and 1 is temp care while her mom is out of town helping her sister with her baby and drop-in as needed in the future. Only 1 is a FT family BUT I almost end up losing money if I take them over multiple PT families. IF I can make multiple families work for this one spot I would do that since it's more money. I'm likely losing one family today and it's a 2+ DCB so it does help me accommodate one more infant, but that still doesn't work well. It's just such a pain to work with all these different families and their different schedules but now I feel a little more value as I can pick and choose who I want and if a FT family comes along I may not offer as big of a discount for the future. Only $10/wk instead of $25/wk. :confused:

Ugh... I wish you luck. Like BC said though, anyone would be willing to take them at a FT rate with a PT schedule but no one wants to do that. I have a mom I interviewing with a schedule like this. BUT she has her schedule literally an entire year+ in advance (teacher on B days only) and she'll pay for those days and her MIL will have him some days as well. Like she can have him Fridays or something so I have Mon-Wed some weeks and Tue-Thurs other weeks. He's close to the same age as the others I have turning 2, so it can all work out by Oct but it's the Aug to Oct that will be trying. Thankfully my SA son will be in school mid Aug as well and then goes back to sharing one space... Ugh I don't know. We'll see how things go. I have a feeling my DCG may end up going to preschool soon when she turns 2 so I'm not counting them for long term.

And of course as I typed this the mom who is looking for FT care wrote me that she wants to hold the spot!! I'm happy and excited but bummed at the same time to have to tell SOOOOOO many people that I won't be able to work with them now.

One of the things I do to help make dealing with part timers easier is I allow part time space to fall on M, W, F or T, Th ONLY. If they want weird days like just Thursday, Friday...I can't do it...too hard to fill the other 3 days...

Most part timers are set up as every other day.

I don't normally take 2 days a week but will if I have someone in the M,W F spot. The 2 families that fill that space pays more than one full timer.

If they can't manage the M,W,F or T,Th option I can't manage care for them,

ALL infants here, REGARDLESS of attendance pay one flat weekly rate. Infant space is soooo hard to find here that it simplifies things for me.

[NightOwl]

I've had to do it - I approached the parent, told them I had a fulltime position that they either would need to take (and pay the full time wages) or I would have to give them their notice. They said they wanted to stay and paid the full time wage even though their child did not come full time. I had that child for two years and I can count on one hand the amount of times she used the entire week for her child.

I do this. And I make it clear to part time people up front that this could be a possibility.

[TwinKristi]

Thanks, I know it would be much easier to force scheduled days and rates but I feel like I'm still making my way in the industry. I just realized last weeks just how many providers there are! A mom on the soccer league runs one and I dropped off my card to her about the soccer reg and she called me back to chat and said 3 others in her development do as well! I have 3 people nearby me who do, I know of many others. Once i get them here I have to sell ME at that point and I'm struggling with that idea. I feel like people know pretty quickly if they like me or not and it comes down to other factors like hours, flexibility, rate, etc.
Ugh I'm so stressed about this and need to stop freaking out and just go with the flow. Part of my worry is upsetting these people who may feel like they found their ideal provider upon meeting me and then have to start all over again. But it is what it is and I can't take 5 infants so my hands are tied. FT trumps PT.

[MarinaVanessa]

Thanks, I know it would be much easier to force scheduled days and rates but I feel like I'm still making my way in the industry. I just realized last weeks just how many providers there are! A mom on the soccer league runs one and I dropped off my card to her about the soccer reg and she called me back to chat and said 3 others in her development do as well! I have 3 people nearby me who do, I know of many others. Once i get them here I have to sell ME at that point and I'm struggling with that idea. I feel like people know pretty quickly if they like me or not and it comes down to other factors like hours, flexibility, rate, etc.
Ugh I'm so stressed about this and need to stop freaking out and just go with the flow. Part of my worry is upsetting these people who may feel like they found their ideal provider upon meeting me and then have to start all over again. But it is what it is and I can't take 5 infants so my hands are tied. FT trumps PT.

One thing that I got from this forum is confidence. I also learned what my value is. Once that clicks and you yourself believe that you provide a valuable service and that you are an asset it's easier for the parents to see it. When you carry yourself with confidence and pride in your work your body language will reflect that. You will emit an energy of positiveness and whatever else that you hope to portray. If you support physical activity be bubbly and energetic, if you support soothing environments be calm etc.

The most important thing is to believe in yourself and in your program. When you believe it and portray that then the parents will believe it too and it will be easier to enforce policies and run your program the way that you envisioned it. It will also be easier to make changes (like clients) that benefit your business.

The "good" clients that you want are the ones that appreciate you and your program and if they do that they'll stay or make accommodations in order to stay in your program when you want to make changes.

[LysesKids]

See I have bumped Part timers… after they were given the option of going full time (I do babies only & have limited spaces); I also offer part time with a twist. If you have set PT days you pay less than if you have a rotating schedule (rotating PT is charged a 10% premium for the option)… has to be same # of days each week, none of the 2 days one week, 3 days the next crap.

I explain it to families as it's taking away from a space that could be contracted full time, however it's still cheaper than doing it as a Pay by the day, drop-in client which is not a guaranteed in the childcare.

[TwinKristi]

Thank you MV... After this last mega round of interviews I feel much more confident in myself and see my value for sure. I just still get the butterflies and feel nervous. The one mom who chose another provider actually let me know why and said it was a really hard choice but this other provider was closer to their home so ultimately that did it. There's nothing I could have done differently, some people value the 20 extra mins they'd spend driving every day. I totally understand that. 1 is bringing her child Monday, one is bringing a deposit Monday to start as soon as she finds a job and 4 others will be in touch, 1 more interview tonight. 1 more next week unless I hear back from more families.

[Unregistered]

Scheduling

I am group so have a little flexibility, but I generally only take one part time family, with a minimum 3 days per week, whether they come or not. it is good to explain to them that you are losing a large amount of the income your family needs in order to accommodate their needs. Honestly, so many families just don't seem to get that if they don't pay us, we don't eat. They need a little information to understand our licensing restrictions, as well.

[MarinaVanessa]

Thank you MV... After this last mega round of interviews I feel much more confident in myself and see my value for sure. I just still get the butterflies and feel nervous. The one mom who chose another provider actually let me know why and said it was a really hard choice but this other provider was closer to their home so ultimately that did it. There's nothing I could have done differently, some people value the 20 extra mins they'd spend driving every day. I totally understand that. 1 is bringing her child Monday, one is bringing a deposit Monday to start as soon as she finds a job and 4 others will be in touch, 1 more interview tonight. 1 more next week unless I hear back from more families.

How did your interviews go??? Any new clients? How is it going?