Do You Transport Kids??

[Country Kids]

I actually won't take children that go to a different preschool while here. I figure I offer it and why should I lose out on money. Also, like I explain to parents, the kids then get to many rules going and what is allowed one place isn't at the next, different friends, teachers, etc. Then they usually come right at lunch or nap and are still full of energy from the other place and usually don't want to settle down. To much of a hassle!

[mac60]

Oh I totally agree. I don't lose out on money though, I charge the same whether they leave for a bit or not, should charge more for the interruptions though.

[squareone]

I transport for field trips but I do not offer transportation to and from school/preschool.

It works out pretty well but it just TAKES FOREVER loading and unloading a van full of kids!

[MyAngels]

I am wondering how many daycare providers take kids out and about in their vehicle. Do you take or pick up dck's from school? I have never filled out the paperwork to be able to take these kids anywhere.....mostly because I had no desire to take a 6 yr old and 5 kids under the age of 3 out and about, BUT starting in the fall I will need to be able to assist my dh in picking up our daughters from school and preschool when needed. I will only be doing it when absolutely necessary. Here is my situation:

I have one dcg here who is 4. Her mom mentioned to me sometime last spring that they wanted to get her into a preschool. I told her where we are sending dd and told her that there is usually a waiting list but I could contact the teacher and see if she had any openings. She had one opening left on the same days that my daughter will be attending (T, Th). Dcg's mom enrolled her right away. I think that dcg's mom assumed we will take her and pick her up, however, I do not think that we (dh and I) are out of line to ask them to pick up 1 day a week if dh takes them both morning's and picks up one morning, leaving them only to pick up one day/week. I sent dcg's mom an email 2 weeks ago asking if they could do this and she has never discussed it with me other than to say "I got your email, but havent talked to dh about it". I know that the daycare I used to send my girls to did not have anything to do with transporting kids. Parents were responsible for getting their kids to and from preschool and school. My dh has a carpet cleaning business, so luckily he is somewhat flexible. The problem lies in the fact that if he is taking our older daughter to elementary school at 8 a.m. every day and then comes and pics up our other dd and dcg and takes them to preschool at 8:30 and then has to come home and switch vehicles into his work van and go to a job and set up and try to clean and come home and switch vehicles and get back to the preschool by 11 a.m. and then bring the girls home and try to work before being back to the elementary school by 3 p.m. He sometimes does big jobs that take anywhere from 4-7 hours depending on the size, so this is really going to affect how he has to schedule things. It was hard enough last year with only one child attending school and those hours were from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., if he had a job out of town, sometimes 60 miles away, it was an all day trip. If dcg wouldnt have gone to this preschool, we would have tried to carpool with another daycare family. Sorry, I guess this is more of a rant than anything. I just dont know of many daycares (where I live anyway) that are responsible for transportation to and from school/preschool. Any thoughts here?? Thanks.

Could you talk to some of the other parents who also have kids in the class? Maybe there is a SAHM that you could arrange rides with, giving her a few dollars for gas.

As far as arranging a ride for the dcg, that would be a nice thing to do, but I would make sure she understands that you are not responsible for getting her child to and from preschool.

[TBird]

I transport for our activities but not to preschools. I offer preschool here so I assume that if the child is with me, he/she is here for the duration (through Kindergarten that is). I would consider transporting to a dance or music class though if I had enough participants.

[Unregistered]

I take the kids on field trips but I dont transport to and from schools. I hope you can get things starightened out with those parents.