Feel Like I Am in a Lose-Lose Situation

[Disneyfan]

So my dcp that I had to put my foot down with about their hours and my contract wanted to have a "talk" last week. (Dcd while coaching baseball I agreed to watch dcg a little later) Basically during our "talk" dcm was very upset she starting crying right away and was choked up most of the time(until she got snippy with me at the end) I Have a heart and I felt bad at first and then had to think about MYSELF and MY NEEDS. So I am very proud of myself and stuck to my rules/contract. Dcm made a comment that they will explore options then and it sounded by Jan 1st they will be elsewhere.

So I am wanting to take advantage of this and shorten my hours. The first time dcm said something about exploring options I starting advertising the very next day. I put fliers up and advertised on FB. This week I put an ad in the paper and I got 0 phone calls! All of a sudden this week people on fb are advertising "babysitting" with low rates and flexible hours. And I can't help but think are half of these people even watching the number of kids that they legally can have? I am licensed and I really feel lost! Not sure what else to do. I am sure dcm will find a replacement easily and I will be struggling to fill my spots

[Cat Herder]

The holiday vacation daycare jumpers will be out soon.... that is what all the "cheap provider" posting is about. It happens every year and most will be closed within 30 days of the new year, no worries. One of the "victimless" (unless you are thinking of, ya know, the kids) crimes of the daycare world. :hug:

Just wait it out, stick to you guns, get your name out in the community by volunteering..... the rest will work itself out.

[Shell]

The holiday vacation daycare jumpers will be out soon.... that is what all the "cheap provider" posting is about. It happens every year and most will be closed within 30 days of the new year, no worries. One of the victimless crimes of the daycare world. :hug:

Just wait it out, stick to you guns, get your name out in the community by volunteering..... the rest will work itself out.

don't let the possibility of them leaving deter you from doing what you want to do for yourself and your family. If you do, dcm will feel she is in the drivers seat, and treat you like crap. I see those ads on Facebook, too, and agree it's a short lived gig.

[Disneyfan]

Thank you Cat Herder and Shell. And don't worry Shell I am NOT letting dcm think she is in the driver's seat.

[Thriftylady]

Those ads on facebook kill me. I have been trying for three months to get started again and I see that and I know that these "cheap" providers just don't offer what I do (probably not what you do either). We offer healthy meals and snacks, learning opportunities of various kinds, limited TV time, this that and the other. Those "cheap" providers offer propping your kid in front of the TV and feeding them ramen noodles and the cheapest of hot dogs. I am cheaper than many in my area, but people still post on facebook groups that they can't afford care and can only pay "$50 a week" or whatever and people come jumping out of the woodwork to provide care. I just can't afford to work that cheap and offer crafts, healthy meals and all that and I am not about to lower my standards!

[Crazy8]

the "sahm available to watch your child cheap" is truly going to run me out of business. It was never as bad as it is now. And being on a bunch of budgeting boards I see it constantly - every one thinks "watching a few kids" is the solution to their money problems. They figure they are home with their own anyway what's a few more and they don't care how little they get for it because its still more than they had before. Avg rate around here is $40/day, but they will do it for $25/day because to them its just money in their pockets - they aren't putting any of that money into the kids or any type of program. A box of mac n cheese is $1 - its all profit for them.

[Cradle2crayons]

the "sahm available to watch your child cheap" is truly going to run me out of business. It was never as bad as it is now. And being on a bunch of budgeting boards I see it constantly - every one thinks "watching a few kids" is the solution to their money problems. They figure they are home with their own anyway what's a few more and they don't care how little they get for it because its still more than they had before. Avg rate around here is $40/day, but they will do it for $25/day because to them its just money in their pockets - they aren't putting any of that money into the kids or any type of program. A box of mac n cheese is $1 - its all profit for them.

I saw an ad here recently for $40 a week... For all five days.. I thought the $60 a week ads were bad... But Geesh... The state only pays 7-8 bucks a day... But I can't feed a child for that... It's crazy... I'm very lucky that I don't have issues getting business...

[wonderfullisa]

I saw an ad here recently for $40 a week... For all five days.. I thought the $60 a week ads were bad... But Geesh... The state only pays 7-8 bucks a day... But I can't feed a child for that... It's crazy... I'm very lucky that I don't have issues getting business...

Holy moly!
It's insane the differences in areas. Where I am, I actually was able to raise my rates to match what the state pays.
(I will also admit that I started out as a sahm who didn't want to work outside of the house. I just happened to also love little kids and be pretty patient.)

[hsdcmama]

That's how it is in my area too. Fb ads out the wazoo, and hardly any calls or interviews for me. It's been like that since Day 1; sometimes I really worry about what I'll do if/when my current families move on.

[AuntTami]

That's how it is in my area too. Fb ads out the wazoo, and hardly any calls or interviews for me. It's been like that since Day 1; sometimes I really worry about what I'll do if/when my current families move on.

Same is happening here too. When I opened in AUGUST, there were NO ads on craigslist/facebook for daycare in my town(I live in a suburb of a large town, but my specific suburb had no posts)....

Since then, there have been 3 new "providers" popping up, one I'm almost certain is the lady across the street who I NEVER see.

I swear she doesn't leave her house. I saw her a few months back, and she was ready to give birth on the sidewalk almost...The time I saw her before that, she wasn't even pregnant!

I'm STILL struggling to get families in here. I have 1 FT and 1 PT...Fortunately my FT family loves me, but if I don't get my other 2 spots filled FT, I don't know what to do. I can't afford to lower my rates any further and still offer everything I do.

[Cradle2crayons]

Holy moly!
It's insane the differences in areas. Where I am, I actually was able to raise my rates to match what the state pays.
(I will also admit that I started out as a sahm who didn't want to work outside of the house. I just happened to also love little kids and be pretty patient.)

The state pays centers a little more but still not their rate either. But they can also accept more than my five limit.

My rates are cheaper than some... But it's hard for single moms working two jobs using a voucher that still requires they pay quite a bit out of pocket.

[AmyKidsCo]

Tom Copeland's article: How to Compete Against Unregulated Caregivers has some great ideas. You can use the suggestions in your own FB ads!

[Childminder]

Not all States have a law where watching children is regulated or you have to have a license but here in Michigan it is illegal to watch unrelated children in your home.

I have joined a facebook group that posts, researches, and then reports unlicensed providers as a group. If one of us reports the State "might" send out a letter or "warning", if five of us report the State is required to go out and investigate. I read Tom's blog and appreciate the ideas about this issue. That information has been shared on the FB page and we can use it to get these people shut down or licensed.

I cannot compete with the SAHM's and craigslist ads as far as price. I offer a quality program and years of experience but can't get them in the door if they can go to someone that charges $10-15 a day.