Going From Metro To Rural - How Long Will It Take To Re-Establish?

[TaylorTots]

I am located in a metro environment. We currently rent our home and our landlords were very gracious to allow me to continue my in home childcare business here since we moved here 2 years ago. The town I live in is AMAZING for daycare parents - very rare payment issues and quiet the baby boom happening. Our townhome is smaller and there isn't a separate daycare area, it needs to change.

We want to buy a home. We want to buy a home fairly rural - we used to live in a town of about 5k and are looking for something that big MAX. We are thinking at least a year out, maybe two years. We will still be in commuting distance to the metro area, but my daycare pool of clients will be severly cut - what type of realistic time table should I expect once we move before I will have a regular income of at least a couple daycare families? I will lose all my current families if/when this move happens.

I know this can vary widely but I'm just looking for personal experiences here. Anybody had this situation? I read about so many of the providers on this board having moved in the past.

[LysesKids]

I moved from Metro to a more rural area a year ago, (if I was more in the boonies, I would have worse issues like I did 6 years ago); I just got my 4th spot filled - it took 4 months to get the first 2 kids and I started advertising 2 months prior to the move; I lived off 2 kids for 6 months and my credit cards took a major hit, I also don't have a better half bringing in $$. I offered drop-in, weekends, everything short of 24/7 ( NEVER)... it ****ed and as much as I like where I am, it's not the best for getting clients.

[Cradle2crayons]

I live in the sticks... The woods... The boonies.... Aka in the middle of literal nowhere. No neighbors... No stores.... No nothing. So far deep in the woods I can't even witness a sunrise or sunset boonies... Aka redneck gun slinging no law enforcement boonies. Just to clarify.

There are definitely completely different daycare issues to deal with.

Some people have issues staying full in boonies. Not me. I'm so full I don't know what to do with myself.

But... There are DEFINATELY issues related to advertising.... That living more metro would fix for some. It takes a bit of creativity to figure out how it all works. But I wouldn't trade it for the world.

[TaylorTots]

Thank you for the input and great thoughts on advertising - may have to depend more on the state referral network and at least get set up to take state pay to open up to more clients.

We can definitely adjust our budget for 6m+ if need be until I have a couple kiddos. Childcare income is our children's extracurricular costs, our date nights, our entertainment money and such. Not our "need to survive" income.

[finsup]

I live on the outside of a "city"...it's sort of a city, I guess . Not huge but bigger then a town. Where I live is about 20 minutes from the downtown area...that has been an issue with some parents. But the ones I end up with are all from the smaller towns closer to me and the parents commute into the city so I'm on there way. That worked out well...but it does take anywhere from 3 weeks-2 months to get people in. Driving time for parents has been the biggest factor...most don't want to drive 20 minutes here, 20 minutes back into town and then however long it takes them to get home. Plus I'm in Maine, winter makes it REALLY hard for parents who may even consider the drive but then start thinking about snow and such and yup, not good for business! Doesn't make it impossible though, I just know that it will take me slightly longer to fill spots.

[Thriftylady]

Well I am rural, and I have been working for three months to get going. Still have no kiddos. I think it depends on a lot of factors though. How rural? How close to a city? There are a ton of factors.

[KSDC]

I think it depends on the rural area you are moving to. My small town has a shortage of DCPs. So, here you would probably get new children pretty quickly. But, other areas might be harder, KWIM?

[Second Home]

We moved from a busy suburban area to rural ( best move we have made for our family ) . 2 of my suburban kids followed me until they went to K . After they left it took about 4 months to get new clients in my area . I knew in advance that it would be harder to get clients out here but it was worth it . Even now 7years later I am slow getting new clients. Which is one of the reasons I take S/A kids .

[Unregistered]

I know people doing in home DC in rural NE Iowa. Towns of about 2,000 to 4,000. One town of 2,000 the providers are full to the brim. There is a school in town, so teachers kids need care.

There is a town of about 12 miles away that is a town of about 7,000, so people do commute there. Otherwise I can't imagine where people work, but they do and they need child care. I know of about four/five towns in this rural area where in home providers do well.

Also, a friend of mine is a provider and they farm. She is off a highway, but still far out in rural NE Iowa, and she is always full too.

I don't know if this helps at all, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents. Good luck!