do you get these calls?

[Crazy8]

I put "home daycare" in the title of my daycare to avoid the confusion of what type of daycare I run. Our agency would prefer us to use "family child care" but I found many just don't know what that means. Thought home daycare was more self explainatory. So why do I constantly get these calls???

Caller: Is this such-and-such home daycare?
Me: yes it is, can I help you?
Caller: this is a preschool, right?
Me: no, it is a home daycare (and often list some state requirements - limit of children, etc.).

Then it takes 5 more exchanges for them to realize what I am saying.

And then this morning I have a guy getting nasty because I won't give out my address after I already told him its a home daycare not a center and after I said I was full (which he then hung up on and then called back practically "demanding" my address).

I am really thinking email only is the way to go!!!

[spud912]

ALL.THE.TIME!

I use my cell phone as my business phone, so I always answer like normal ("hello?"). I can *hear* the confusion in their voice as they say "oh, is this ____ Child Care?" or they will say "Oh, I think I dialed the wrong number." After we get through that confusion, they either ask me a question with the obvious assumption that I'm a center or a large family daycare ("do you accept scholarships," "are you hiring?" "can I speak to the director?" "this is Channel 5 news and we are looking for some child care centers to sponsor").

Once I tell them I am a home daycare, their response is always DRIPPING with disgust (like if they were expecting to drink a root beer float and got unsweetened iced tea instead).

[Shell]

ALL.THE.TIME!

I use my cell phone as my business phone, so I always answer like normal ("hello?"). I can *hear* the confusion in their voice as they say "oh, is this ____ Child Care?" or they will say "Oh, I think I dialed the wrong number." After we get through that confusion, they either ask me a question with the obvious assumption that I'm a center or a large family daycare ("do you accept scholarships," "are you hiring?" "can I speak to the director?" "this is Channel 5 news and we are looking for some child care centers to sponsor").

Once I tell them I am a home daycare, their response is always DRIPPING with disgust (like if they were expecting to drink a root beer float and got unsweetened iced tea instead).

:: :: ::

[melilley]

I haven't gotten any of those calls, but right now I am advertising and only give my email address. I'll correspond through email first and then if I feel it's right, give my number. In my state though, you can just go on our state's website and get our numbers off of there. When I advertised before, I gave my number and I was getting calls at all times and most of the time it was during dc hours when I can't talk anyways. If someone does call, I let it go to vm and if they leave a message about child care, then I will call them back when it's convenient for me.

It's really weird that that guy was demanding your address. Kind of scary.

[daycarediva]

Yes! I always let them go to VM. I call back if it sounds like a normal person. Otherwise I don't return their calls.

I had a lady argue with me when I called her back though. On her message she was looking for care in fall for a then 3 yo(when I have openings). She didn't say a word about an infant (don't accept them). She kept saying "But where will his little brother go?" I finally said "If you want to keep them together, you will need to find someone who accepts infants and has two availabilities." The wackadoodle called my registrar and complained about age discrimination. HAHA! My registrar called me to tell me, she was that ADAMENT I should be cited or shut down for not taking both of her kids. ::

[Starburst]

Well some home daycares do provide preschool or preschool activities (the one I worked at did). If you do preschool and think they are looking for a center I would say "I provide child care and preschool to a small group of children in my home." and if you don't I would say "I provide small group child care in my home, but we do not offer preschool activities."

Though that guy must be nuts if he thinks that he would get an interview after being so rude and threatening. Yes, because aggressively yelling at someone will make them want to tell you where they live and care for small children. Such a wonderful way to start off a professional relationship. He probably doesn't even have kids and is some psychopath looking to go Freddy Cougar on someone.

Spud912: I like unsweetened iced tea (I can't stand sweetened tea, especially that stuff from McDonalds)

Daycare Diva: I feel sorry for the provider that gets stuck with her as a client.