Contracted Hours

[NoMoreJuice!]

I know we've talked about contracted hours many times, and I've read about how much those of you who implemented them like the system. I am considering changing my contract for the summer, the craziest time of year for me due to an excess of school age kids. Currently most of my families are paying 175 a week, and my employee leaves at 4 pm. I have 12 kids total, and can have 7 alone. Several are already picked up before four, but I think this may give the rest extra incentive to pick up earlier. What do you think? What would you change? And how will the families react?

7:30 to 3:30, $130
7:30 to 4:00, $140
7:30 to 4:30, $150
7:30 to 5:00, $165
7:30 to 5:30, $180

[midaycare]

I recently did this. I only have one family taking advantage of an earlier pickup time, but a lot of people on here have great luck with it!

[spedmommy4]

I recently did this. I only have one family taking advantage of an earlier pickup time, but a lot of people on here have great luck with it!

My families were not phased by it. It sounds like you are proposing a $5 increase for the latest time. I will say my experience was the same as midaycares. Pretty much everyone still pays more and stays until 5:30.

[Blackcat31]

I know we've talked about contracted hours many times, and I've read about how much those of you who implemented them like the system. I am considering changing my contract for the summer, the craziest time of year for me due to an excess of school age kids. Currently most of my families are paying 175 a week, and my employee leaves at 4 pm. I have 12 kids total, and can have 7 alone. Several are already picked up before four, but I think this may give the rest extra incentive to pick up earlier. What do you think? What would you change? And how will the families react?

7:30 to 3:30, $130
7:30 to 4:00, $140
7:30 to 4:30, $150
7:30 to 5:00, $165
7:30 to 5:30, $180

When I made the move to contracted hours I took the amount most were already paying for the week (in your case $175) and made that my 3:00 pick up time (8 hour day) and added $ from there.

It was amazing how quickly parents figured out how to save themselves a few dollars and pick up earlier.

I sold it as a rate increase.
But ONLY if you choose to stay longer than 8 hours.

Now I work less hours but make more money.

[childcaremom]

When I made the move to contracted hours I took the amount most were already paying for the week (in your case $175) and made that my 3:00 pick up time (8 hour day) and added $ from there.

It was amazing how quickly parents figured out how to save themselves a few dollars and pick up earlier.

I sold it as a rate increase.
But ONLY if you choose to stay longer than 8 hours.

Now I work less hours but make more money.

I think setting it up this way is how you will get parents to pick up early.

If you need to have early pick ups in order to stay compliant with numbers, I would make sure that parents know that by choosing their pick up option, that it is permanent (in other words, can't change week by week), or that any changes need to have approval before they are a go.

[spedmommy4]

When I made the move to contracted hours I took the amount most were already paying for the week (in your case $175) and made that my 3:00 pick up time (8 hour day) and added $ from there.

It was amazing how quickly parents figured out how to save themselves a few dollars and pick up earlier.

I sold it as a rate increase.
But ONLY if you choose to stay longer than 8 hours.

Now I work less hours but make more money.

Brilliant! That is going be how I adjust this at the start of the next school year.