Help When Leaving My Job At The Daycare...

[Unregistered]

I am looking for some advice for other teachers that have been in this situation.

I have taught 3.5-4 year olds for the past three months. I love my job. I was looking to do this long-term, and talked with the children about things we would do this summer and always talked about the future as if I were going to be there. Well, I recently found out my hours will be cut dramatically in the summer, and I can't afford to stay at the daycare working part-time. Someone has offered me 40 hours/week (what I was working at my preschool) for the SAME PAY RATE to watch her 1 year old and 7 year old. So, due to money, I am being forced to leave my job. I am giving my 2 weeks notice tomorrow.

Before I came to the job, the children had been through 2 teachers within the past 6 months. I hate to do this to them again. Believe me, if I didn't have to worry about money, I wouldn't leave. It is tearing me up to have to do this to them again.

My question is: how can I make the transition as pain-free as possible? I am already thinking about taking a photo with them and giving it to them along with a letter and my phone number if they ever want to talk to "Mrs Ashley" in the future...but is there anything else I can possibly do?

[wdmmom]

Most centers prohibit contact with families beyond your employment. I would check with that first.

If these kids have been through several teachers already, I don't see this being much of a change. I would talk to your employer and confirm that your hours will be cut drastically and go from there.

Is there any way to work for the new family and keep part time hours at the center?

Will you go back to full time after the summer?

[nannyde]

If I were the owner, I wouldn't want you to give out your private information to the families. I don't know if you signed anything before you started but a wise Center owner will completely prohibit any contact between employees before during and after employment with their client base.

It's a good way to loose business.

[Meeko]

[QUOTE=wdmmom;109719]Most centers prohibit contact with families beyond your employment. I would check with that first"

Your employers may not like it....but unless you signed a contract with them, there is nothing they can legally do to stop you from talking to other people! And I would never have signed a contract that told me who I could or couldn't talk to....especially AFTER I left!!!!!

I worked at a center for 3 years...teaching pre-school. When my last child was born I decided to go back to day care at home. I left and took 3 of my class kids with me! My employers were completely fine with it!! They knew the kids and the parents loved me. Even if they weren't OK with it...there is nothing they could have done. I am free to have my own business and the parents are free to choose who ever they want to care for their kids. I think it would be fine if you want to keep in contact with your "old" kids. I've done it for years and years.

[Meeko]

If I were the owner, I wouldn't want you to give out your private information to the families. I don't know if you signed anything before you started but a wise Center owner will completely prohibit any contact between employees before during and after employment with their client base.

It's a good way to loose business.

Wow! This wouldn't fly around here! Most people see each other at church, school and neighborhood functions. I was always spending time with my day care kids when I worked at the center. Not always planned...it just happened.

Our kids would take part in a service projects together on Saturdays....or us women would get together for craft days at church, conferences for church, many of the parents of my class kids would have their kids in the same school activities as mine and so we would chat and sit together in the audience. Several of my pre-school class were also in my Sunday School class at church and their parents were friends of ours! I simply cannot imagine not being able to talk to literally dozens of families that lived in my neighborhood!

[nannyde]

[QUOTE=Meeko60;109727]

Most centers prohibit contact with families beyond your employment. I would check with that first"

Your employers may not like it....but unless you signed a contract with them, there is nothing they can legally do to stop you from talking to other people! And I would never have signed a contract that told me who I could or couldn't talk to....especially AFTER I left!!!!!

I worked at a center for 3 years...teaching pre-school. When my last child was born I decided to go back to day care at home. I left and took 3 of my class kids with me! My employers were completely fine with it!! They knew the kids and the parents loved me. Even if they weren't OK with it...there is nothing they could have done. I am free to have my own business and the parents are free to choose who ever they want to care for their kids. I think it would be fine if you want to keep in contact with your "old" kids. I've done it for years and years.

Yes you can do as you please if you haven't made an agreement before hiring. I don't know too many centers that would be pleased by loosing three clients especially if they were the three and up age (the money kids) and full time.

The centers I consult with have non competition agreements and confidentiality agreements they have the employees sign before they are hired. It basically says no outside contact with parents before, during, and after employment and you will not use the business to garner business for any business you set up.

It's a common scenario for staff in centers to start their own home day care and want to take kids with them that they already know. It's also common for parents to want to privately hire staff from the center for their private nanny when they get two plus kids and it's cheaper to pay a nanny than it is to pay center rates for an infant and toddler/preK kid/s. They also steal forms and handbooks for their own business (intellectual property that costs the center time and money to create). This can be very costly to a centers bottom line.

In this day and age it's even harder for centers to keep reign on their business and outside contact with clients. Staff having cell phones with internet access and private phone numbers can lead to a LOT of conflict in the center. You can end up having your classrooms on Facebook and Myspace. You can have clients privately contacting workers to work around policies especially early/late arrivals and SICK care and communicable disease care. You can have transportation agreements between clients and staff that put you into a gray area liability wise. You can have parents making deals directly with workers instead of the center admin.

[childcarebytori]

I worked at a daycare center for 1.5 years before I left to pursue home daycare. I worked in a 2-year-old room during that whole time and I became very attached to the children and their families.

Two weeks before I left, I wrote a small note to the kids saying I would miss them. Inside the card I placed one of my babysitting magnets that I got for free at VistaPrint and let the parents know I'd be available for babysitting on nights and weekends, or as back-up incase of daycare closings. I had already done babysitting for a handful of the families already as I had given out my card to the new families who arrived into the classroom, but I would miss all of my kids and would love to see them again after I left.

Two of the children from my classroom came to my daycare when I opened up, and I am always packed full when the daycare closes for any reason. I've done babysitting for every single one of my families at least once and I always smile to see my magnet on their fridges. The director of the center knew about me babysitting for the families and she's always been polite when I visit, but I can tell she was upset that two families left with me. There wasn't anything she could do, though, so she just accepted it, I think.

Even if you have only worked there for a short while, I'm sure you will miss them dearly. I would look into pursuing business cards for babysitting and hand them out before you leave. My families, and I'm sure yours, do definitely appreciate it! It's a great way to keep I'm touch.

[Meeko]

[QUOTE=nannyde;109730]

Yes you can do as you please if you haven't made an agreement before hiring. I don't know too many centers that would be pleased by loosing three clients especially if they were the three and up age (the money kids) and full time.

The centers I consult with have non competition agreements and confidentiality agreements they have the employees sign before they are hired. It basically says no outside contact with parents before, during, and after employment and you will not use the business to garner business for any business you set up.

It's a common scenario for staff in centers to start their own home day care and want to take kids with them that they already know. It's also common for parents to want to privately hire staff from the center for their private nanny when they get two plus kids and it's cheaper to pay a nanny than it is to pay center rates for an infant and toddler/preK kid/s. They also steal forms and handbooks for their own business (intellectual property that costs the center time and money to create). This can be very costly to a centers bottom line.

In this day and age it's even harder for centers to keep reign on their business and outside contact with clients. Staff having cell phones with internet access and private phone numbers can lead to a LOT of conflict in the center. You can end up having your classrooms on Facebook and Myspace. You can have clients privately contacting workers to work around policies especially early/late arrivals and SICK care and communicable disease care. You can have transportation agreements between clients and staff that put you into a gray area liability wise. You can have parents making deals directly with workers instead of the center admin.

I can see some of the business side of all that...but it still wouldn't work around here. Maybe in a big city. Our communities here are too tied up together in church etc to ever ban people from socializing. We all meet and greet at the grocery store, around town etc. I would never be able to attend any church or school functions if I had been banned from having contact with present or past day care kids, because I am not about to tell my neighbor that my EX employer says I can't socialize with her at the church pot luck...or tell my husband we can't go to dinner with a group of friends because "Bert" has a kid that used to be in my class etc etc. It would alienate the entire area!

[Unregistered]

unfortunate

This is most unfortunate. I agree with the rest of the group that you probably aren't going to be allowed to provide your personal information under your employer's policy. When teachers have left, parents rarely found out in advance. We usually found out through the center after the fact. It was always a major disruption for the children because they really need stability and consistency. It should be obvious to your current employer that what they are doing is just plain wrong for the children - you'll be the 3rd teacher to quit in 6 months? Those poor kids! I think before you leave, you definately should have a discussion with the director at this facility and go to his/her boss if this is a national chain to complain about the turnover and why you are really quitting. This isn't bridge burning - it's an exit interview and you are bringing up valid concerns that other teachers should be bringing up as well. There is no excuse for cutting your hours if the preschool is a full time program.

[Meeko]

I worked at a daycare center for 1.5 years before I left to pursue home daycare. I worked in a 2-year-old room during that whole time and I became very attached to the children and their families.

Two weeks before I left, I wrote a small note to the kids saying I would miss them. Inside the card I placed one of my babysitting magnets that I got for free at VistaPrint and let the parents know I'd be available for babysitting on nights and weekends, or as back-up incase of daycare closings. I had already done babysitting for a handful of the families already as I had given out my card to the new families who arrived into the classroom, but I would miss all of my kids and would love to see them again after I left.

Two of the children from my classroom came to my daycare when I opened up, and I am always packed full when the daycare closes for any reason. I've done babysitting for every single one of my families at least once and I always smile to see my magnet on their fridges. The director of the center knew about me babysitting for the families and she's always been polite when I visit, but I can tell she was upset that two families left with me. There wasn't anything she could do, though, so she just accepted it, I think.

Even if you have only worked there for a short while, I'm sure you will miss them dearly. I would look into pursuing business cards for babysitting and hand them out before you leave. My families, and I'm sure yours, do definitely appreciate it! It's a great way to keep I'm touch.

I am still close with my old employer and pop in to say hi when I get the chance...or I often see her around town. She was sad to lose me when I left and tried to get me to stay...but she knew I wanted to be home with my baby (who is now 14...good grief where does the time go!) of course she wasn't THRILLED to lose the 3 kids to me...but she knows that people have choices and it's nothing to get upset over. She still calls me to ask if I want to come to training classes to get my required hours in etc. No animosity whatsoever. We sat together at the last appreciation dinner that CCRR did for us providers and I just went to her daughters wedding.

I guess that's why I love living here. It's "love your neighbor" and not "Every man for himself" !!!

[nannyde]

[QUOTE=Meeko60;109734]

I can see some of the business side of all that...but it still wouldn't work around here. Maybe in a big city. Our communities here are too tied up together in church etc to ever ban people from socializing. We all meet and greet at the grocery store, around town etc. I would never be able to attend any church or school functions if I had been banned from having contact with present or past day care kids, because I am not about to tell my neighbor that my EX employer says I can't socialize with her at the church pot luck...or tell my husband we can't go to dinner with a group of friends because "Bert" has a kid that used to be in my class etc etc. It would alienate the entire area!

It's not about this: I can't socialize with her at the church pot luck

It's about this: I left and took 3 of my class kids with me!

Of course you can't control people running into each other and having common things like church and baseball. I'm talking about doing BUSINESS with them that is competition to your business and discussing the business of the business. That's what the confidentiality and non-competition agreements are.

[melskids]

when i worked at a center ( and i am in a small close knit town, where everyone knows everyone, goes to church and school together, etc) i still had to sign papers that i wouldnt open a daycare of my own for 1 year after my employment, and that i wouldnt take any of their clients with me.

i dont know if it was legal, or they could persue it, but it was over a year before i opened anyway.....

[Meeko]

I guess things are just different elsewhere!

Parents asked me why I was leaving and what was I going to do? I told them I wanted to stay home with my baby and was going back to doing home day care. Within hours, the parents wanted to know how they could sign up with me. They didn't want to take their chances with a new teacher. Their children loved me. I just can't see myself telling them they don't get to choose! The director told the leaving parents that she would miss them, but that she understood how they felt about me. She wished me well with my new business.

My assistant is my son. But if I had a paid assistant and she decided to leave and took some of my kids with her...I may not like losing the income temporarily...but she has as much right to open a day care as the next person. And if parents want to follow her...then so be it. Would I really want to keep parents that don't want to be here?!!! If they all left...then maybe I should take a long hard look as to why? If you run a good program, then you shouldn't have to worry about losing some business for a short while.

[nannyde]

I guess things are just different elsewhere!

Parents asked me why I was leaving and what was I going to do? I told them I wanted to stay home with my baby and was going back to doing home day care. Within hours, the parents wanted to know how they could sign up with me. They didn't want to take their chances with a new teacher. Their children loved me. I just can't see myself telling them they don't get to choose! The director told the leaving parents that she would miss them, but that she understood how they felt about me. She wished me well with my new business.

My assistant is my son. But if I had a paid assistant and she decided to leave and took some of my kids with her...I may not like losing the income temporarily...but she has as much right to open a day care as the next person. And if parents want to follow her...then so be it. Would I really want to keep parents that don't want to be here?!!! If they all left...then maybe I should take a long hard look as to why? If you run a good program, then you shouldn't have to worry about losing some business for a short while.

Parents asked me why I was leaving and what was I going to do?

If I were the owner I wouldn't want you to tell them you were leaving. It's really none of their business. The same business that found you and kept you for three years will find and keep your replacement. They obviously know what they are doing because they picked YOU. I would trust that they will do the same for your replacement.

This kind of thing is why directors often just have employees leave or switch rooms/ hours when they give notice.

Since she is the owner it is up to HER to tell clients when there will be an employee change in the room.

I just can't see myself telling them they don't get to choose! Yes it's that kind of thinking in every business that gets people to contact clients to get them to switch to their business. After all, they should get to choose.

This thinking is the genesis of non competition agreements. You seem lovely and you believe it. When an employer hires you they know there is a good chance that you will have this kind of thinking.

The director told the leaving parents that she would miss them, but that she understood how they felt about me.

Was that the owner of the business or the director? I can't imagine an owner being happy she just lost a key employee and lost three great clients to boot. If the director got the same pay whether those three clients were there or not then she has nothing to loose by saying that.

If this director didn't own the business there may have been more to this story than you know.

But if I had a paid assistant and she decided to leave and took some of my kids with her...I may not like losing the income temporarily...but she has as much right to open a day care as the next person.

Not me. I would be very upset. I don't hire my staff assistant to do any parent contact or conferencing. I don't want to mix my parents with my employee. My current staff assistant has been here for two years and hasn't spent five minutes TOTAL with any of my clients other than meeting them at the interviews.

Centers are different in that the employees must have face to face contact with the parents but in my small setting it's not necessary at all to have two people doing parent contact. I do ALL of it here... every day...every week... every month.. every year.

If you run a good program, then you shouldn't have to worry about losing some business for a short while.

Or it could be just becomes an OPTION for them to have a known person who is way cheaper.

I've had many a friend over the year who have lost staff assistants to parents who poached them right from their day care and clients who were poached by staff assistants who became friends with them in their business. Families that have two or three kids are the most likely to want the staff assistant to come work for them. Often that is for less money OR they want a nanny for the price they are paying for day care.

[Meeko]

[QUOTE=nannyde;109862]

Parents asked me why I was leaving and what was I going to do?

If I were the owner I wouldn't want you to tell them you were leaving. It's really none of their business.

They put it in the center newsletter that I was leaving and how much I would be missed!


Was that the owner of the business or the director? I can't imagine an owner being happy she just lost a key employee and lost three great clients to boot. If the director got the same pay whether those three clients were there or not then she has nothing to loose by saying that.

If this director didn't own the business there may have been more to this story than you know.

...she's the owner and the director! Husband and wife business. Still my friends 14 years after I left!


I CAN see your point from a business standpoint.

But I live in a very friendly, very close knit community and that amount of distrust between business's wouldn't be tolerated. Like I said....my employer hugged me and wished me well!

What do these centers threaten people with if they try and start their own daycares or take clients that used to be theirs? Do they sue? Can they take away someone's license?

I admit I don't know if any of the national chains here (there's a KinderCare two cities away from here) do this. But I know a lot of the local, privately owned center owners personally and they don't exercise that much control over their employees.

I actually called a friend who runs a center to ask about this. (Not the one I worked at) She was so shocked that some centers would act that way. She's had a successful center for over 20 years...and has lost several employees to do day care themselves......but she doesn't give it a seconds thought....it hasn't affected her center in the slightest. She has always replaced the lost employee and signed up more kids. She said if she was that unfriendly to her employees, her doors would have closed years ago.