First Interview Tomorrow--Any Advice?

[MNmamaOf4]

Okay, so I'm doing my first interview tomorrow night, the family has a 4 month old and a 4 year old, currently they only need care for the 4 month old. I've already e-mailed my contract to the mom and she looked it over and called me right away Saturday morning, said there wasn't anything in it that they didn't expect and that they'd like to meet me. Her DH already knows my DH. This will be my first time meeting them.

I'm just starting out my daycare. I got licensed in July before I had my baby in September, had planned to start in November, didn't have any calls or interest after advertising, so I have been looking for other work from home jobs, etc. I just started a baby 2 weeks ago, this is his 3rd week here. I posted about this the other day about terming the contract with the current family.

So my dilemma since I'm currently taking a almost 6 month old, is that I don't have room for the new infant. I'm allowed to have 2 infants in my care, but I have a 4 month old myself, so I can only take one other infant. The DCB I have now is here part-time and she has changed her schedule with me several times in the last 2 weeks. On Thursday at pick up I let her know that I had interest in a full-time spot for an infant, she said "Well you can still take him right?" And I said "Not if I get the full time infant I wouldn't be able to", I gave her warning before she even started or signed a contract that I could terminate the contract at any time if I got a full time infant. I told her this on Thursday as well and she didn't seem to get it. I sent a new contract home with her too, because I changed my rates from hourly to daily for less confusion, etc. Today she said "I can't find the contract you gave me, so I didn't bring it" She never wanted to come for an interview before I started him, even after me insisting several times. I met her for about 2 seconds when she stopped to pick up paperwork. My former DCP referred her to me, and I'm not sure why she didn't take him, because she had openings. I kind of knew it could be a train wreck and had bad feelings about it, but DH wanted me to give it a try and see how it worked out. It's been fine other than she constantly changes her schedule.

If this interview goes well tomorrow night, I think I'd like to take on the full-time family and term the part-time family.

First questions is:
Any advice on the interview? Questions I should ask, etc? I feel like I'm clueless on this. Where we use to take our kids was a family friend so we never really did an interview before hand.

Any advice on the part-time family? How do I go about terming them if that's the route I decide to go? Especially since they've been here for only 2 weeks and this is their 3rd week.

Thanks in advance for your help!

PS-I'm sorry this is so long!

[lil angels]

If you decide to term your family that you have now you should give two weeks if that is what you require from them. Write her a short letter letting her know her last day and that you had told her in the begining that this could happen. Or you could offer them the full time rate because of the changing hrs. And you keep getting the calls so you need full rate because you can't take in someone else for the hrs that they are keeping.

Now the new family you would have to wait 2 weeks to start them. Most people are fine with stuff like that because they would want it. Don't tell them way just tell them that a family that you have is moving or leaving or something like that. Find out where and what hrs your new family works so that 2 weeks after they start you don't end up with another hard schedule. I don't normally do part time with infants I charge them full time no matter what their hrs are because there is such a need for infant care most people are willing to pay it.

I always let them know what type of formula that I offer, They need to have 2 bottles here, extra cloths, diapers and wipes. These are a few of the things in my contract that I require.

Good luck

[MNmamaOf4]

If you decide to term your family that you have now you should give two weeks if that is what you require from them. Write her a short letter letting her know her last day and that you had told her in the begining that this could happen. Or you could offer them the full time rate because of the changing hrs. And you keep getting the calls so you need full rate because you can't take in someone else for the hrs that they are keeping.

Now the new family you would have to wait 2 weeks to start them. Most people are fine with stuff like that because they would want it. Don't tell them way just tell them that a family that you have is moving or leaving or something like that. Find out where and what hrs your new family works so that 2 weeks after they start you don't end up with another hard schedule. I don't normally do part time with infants I charge them full time no matter what their hrs are because there is such a need for infant care most people are willing to pay it.

I always let them know what type of formula that I offer, They need to have 2 bottles here, extra cloths, diapers and wipes. These are a few of the things in my contract that I require.

Good luck

Thank you for your advice. I planned to give a 2 week notice if I do term them. I also offered for her to pay for a full-time position, but she stated that was too expensive. She's young and going to school along with working.

The new family wants 4 days a week, which I'm fine with, they recently adopted and the grandmother is taking care of him right now, but it's getting to be too much for her, but she still wants him 1x a week. The parents I'm interviewing are even happy with splitting a spot with the current infant, but the mom I have now changes her schedule so much that that's not even possible. I even told her that this morning and she couldn't give me a definite schedule. I'm fine if she wants to keep changing her schedule, but then pay for a full-time spot. She said to me this morning "Well some weeks it'd be 4 days and some less" Well make up your mind!

Thanks again!