Seeing the Future

[Josiegirl]

Do you see yourself doing this forever? Just while your own kids finish up school? Not past next week?

Just curious how long all of you think child care will last for you?
I went into this 32 years ago, thinking I'd find something else when my kids all went onto high school. My youngest is now entering her jr. year of college and I see no signs of stopping. Thinking about finding another job at this point in my life feels ridiculous to me. I'm 60 and have no marketable skills, plus jobs aren't exactly plentiful around here. To find a job, even if it were to work for a center, etc., requires all kinds of credentials now. 32 years experience means squat.

[snbauser]

Don't know. I originally planned on doing this until my youngest started school full time. He is going into 7th grade this year. Now my target date is when he finishes high school. But when the time comes, who knows.

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

I will be doing this forever I really love being at home. I love my little ones. Perfect job.. except for the whole parent irresponsible thing.

[MOM OF 4]

I thought about doing it forever, loved being my own boss!!! However, it was not a steady income, which we needed.

After I left daycare to get a job outside the home, I went back and forth trying to decide if I'd go back or not, but ultimately, I'll stay in my position til I graduate nursing school (2016!!!!)

[jenboo]

I haven't been open a year yet but I went into this as a career. I have a bachelors degree in child and family development, we purchased our house specifically with a home daycare in mind. I do not have any of my own children yet.
When my husband is making more money (he is going to school right now) I would love to switch to a half day preschool program (maybe in 5ish years)
I also really want to become a midwife at some point (maybe once my future youngest child is in elementary school).

[NightOwl]

I'm in this for the long haul. I love it. My youngest goes to kinder next month and the thought crossed my mind about discontinuing, but then I thought, why the hell would I do that?? I love my enrolled kids and their families. And they're mostly very young, so I want to see them go off to kinder. And by then I'll have a new crop of babies/toddlers and I'll want to see those go off to kinder too! This profession has "****ed me in". Lol.

[Unregistered]

Long Haul
Been licensed for 34 years, 33 of that as group FCC.
Worked in customer service for a large company for 9 years before that. That made me appreciate the logic of little kids - most of them are not as screwed up as most adults I worked with.
Wanted to do FCC for five years before I had the courage to quit my job and take the leap into the unknown.
Have supported my family single-handedly since I started, including buying my home.
Have a very good reputation among teachers and child care organizations, and a very good licensing record.

Now:
I am 60.
Hoping that QRIS does not chase me out before I am ready to be done.
Wishing that parents came with better skills, like they used to.
Don't see that happening though - they did not grow up with responsibilities for younger siblings or learn skills by babysitting.
Hoping that I will be able to support myself in retirement, but it's iffy. The rules all changed since I was young. (There were no IRAs to sock away the money that makes the money for you.)
Planning to work until I'm 70, maybe beyond. Possibly unlicensed after 70.
None of that applies if I have to do QRIS. Maybe I won't be allowed to do licensed care?? I do not participate because I don't want to take the time away from my kids.
I spend a lot of after-hours on curriculum, planning, parent support, etc.

Wish me luck

[CraftyMom]

I'm taking it one day at a time.

I went into this 2 years ago planning to continue until my youngest was in kindergarten, which is still 2 years away. Then I would work mother's hours at my out of the house job where I've been for 8 years, though for the last year I have been per diem in the evenings.

However, I wouldn't make as much money that way. It makes more sense to continue daycare since I still have to get my kids off to school in the morning and off the bus in the afternoon.

I currently have no plans to stop daycare any time soon. I enjoy it, especially with the group I have now.

We'll see what happens I guess. Maybe I'll end up doing this forever, or maybe just until my youngest is old enough to stay home alone after school, maybe 12? Which would be 9 years from now.

I'm not much of a long-term planner, I go with the flow. Things could change tomorrow, the future is never certain

[Sunchimes]

I've been doing this 3-1/2 years. It has always been my backup plan, but I had never needed it. When I lost my business almost 4 years ago thanks to crooked politicians, I found that 30 years of self employment didn't lead to marketable skills, at least not in a small, rural town. I have a college degree, but it is so old that it's virtually useless unless I go back to school. So I started the process to become registered, only to learn that my historic house wouldn't be approved. So, I'm listed, what you guys call legally unlisted.

I'll be 61 in a couple of weeks. I imagine I will be doing this until I can't handle the lifting and moving anymore. Or until the state decides to eliminate listed homes.

[Josiegirl]

Unreg., that's kind of the way I feel too. I'm 60 and am very afraid there will either not be enough families in the area who still want a family home setting or the state will regulate all us little people right out of the business. They're becoming so demanding of home providers now.

My ideal would be to only take teachers' kids and have summers off. OR work 4 day weeks. I could live with that too.

[Onetiredmom]

I've been doing this for almost 7 years, and when I started, I knew I would do it for a while as I had three young kids. My youngest is starting 1st grade in the fall, and I have not been enjoying daycare lately, so I will be telling the families on Monday that my last day will be Aug. 1. I have a Bachelor's Degree in English Secondary Ed and have secured a job at a local private high school starting in late August. I'm excited for the change, for shorter daily hours, for summers off with my kids, but am nervous about telling the parents on Monday.

[Unregistered]

Unreg., that's kind of the way I feel too. I'm 60 and am very afraid there will either not be enough families in the area who still want a family home setting or the state will regulate all us little people right out of the business. They're becoming so demanding of home providers now.

My ideal would be to only take teachers' kids and have summers off. OR work 4 day weeks. I could live with that too.

I get lots of referrals from old families, so I think I can keep going if the state lets me keep going. But like you said, they may regulate us out of business, especially with QRIS.
If that becomes a requirement for licensing, I guess I won't qualify. I am not going to go get a degree to get a good star rating and I don't want a bad star rating. If I go back to school, it will be because I want to go, not because the state is forcing me.

I would like to work fewer days too, or half days. I might be able to work a deal with the preschool near me. Their former director was one of my daycare moms, so she might put in a good word for me. And then maybe I could do half days, with the kids going to the preschool the other half. That is what I think of as my retirement plan

Still depends on what the regulations do to us though.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

If I could quit tomorrow I would. I am totally burnt out on wild, unruly children and misbehaving adults. Ask me again in a few months once my group has changed. For the past 15 months it has been survival mode and I feel totally done.

I would also feel differently if I could make income just doing daycare. But, many switch to me from daycares since I offer a preschool program. I am so tired of the super structured nature of it but it is what it is. I have a BA in early childhood-6th grade ed and planned to be an elementary school teacher.

[Annalee]

Do you see yourself doing this forever? Just while your own kids finish up school? Not past next week?

Just curious how long all of you think child care will last for you?
I went into this 32 years ago, thinking I'd find something else when my kids all went onto high school. My youngest is now entering her jr. year of college and I see no signs of stopping. Thinking about finding another job at this point in my life feels ridiculous to me. I'm 60 and have no marketable skills, plus jobs aren't exactly plentiful around here. To find a job, even if it were to work for a center, etc., requires all kinds of credentials now. 32 years experience means squat.

I am on my 22nd year and have went as far as a CDA along with an Associate's degree in early childhood...have pulled 3 yrs in a center which did not work for me...i really love FCC and being my own boss..have rolled with QRIS for over 10 yrs now so i hope i can survive the long haul...i do not want to enter the school system so i pray FCC can sustain all the hits to run us out of business....I would like to think I could work 20 more years in FCC????...we shall see!!

[preschoolteacher]

I plan to quit when my son is 5 or 6 (so three or four years from now) and we begin homeschooling him. Depends on if my husband's job can support us like we hope by then. Maybe I'll keep one family or do part - time.

I like it a lot, but I'm only doing it to be home with my son.