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I am a new provider who just recently filled all my spots. I was desperate so I kind of took what I could get. Luckily I am not having any major problems with any of my families. In the future however, I'd like to be more selective with the families that I choose to take.
I usually don't gather much from first impressions and I stink at getting a good read on people the first time I meet them. It takes about 3 or 4 times for me to interact with a person to really get a feel for what they are like. So it makes me nervous that, after a short interview, I have to be able to determine if this family (parent and child) will be a good fit for my daycare. Everyone is on their best behavior during the 30-60 minute interview - true colors show only AFTER they have already enrolled! I do have in my contract that the first two weeks of care is a trial period.
In the interview I usually ask parents about previous providers, methods of reward and discipline used at home, what they expect from me as a provider,
their child's tempermant/personalty, and child's routine at home.
Does anyone have any additional open-ended questions that I can ask parents that would help me better gauge what kind of parent/child I will be dealing with? Are there any red flags or cues to look out for that would suggest that a parent/child might not be a good fit down the line? In the 5 short months that I've been doing care, I've determined that parents who ask how 'flexible" I am on my hours usually want to drop off earlier than or pick up later than their contracted hours. I've also read before that one thing to be leery of is a parent who tries to negotiate your rates.
How do you all determine whether a family will be a good fit? How often have you had to terminate during your trial period?
I usually don't gather much from first impressions and I stink at getting a good read on people the first time I meet them. It takes about 3 or 4 times for me to interact with a person to really get a feel for what they are like. So it makes me nervous that, after a short interview, I have to be able to determine if this family (parent and child) will be a good fit for my daycare. Everyone is on their best behavior during the 30-60 minute interview - true colors show only AFTER they have already enrolled! I do have in my contract that the first two weeks of care is a trial period.
In the interview I usually ask parents about previous providers, methods of reward and discipline used at home, what they expect from me as a provider,
their child's tempermant/personalty, and child's routine at home.
Does anyone have any additional open-ended questions that I can ask parents that would help me better gauge what kind of parent/child I will be dealing with? Are there any red flags or cues to look out for that would suggest that a parent/child might not be a good fit down the line? In the 5 short months that I've been doing care, I've determined that parents who ask how 'flexible" I am on my hours usually want to drop off earlier than or pick up later than their contracted hours. I've also read before that one thing to be leery of is a parent who tries to negotiate your rates.
How do you all determine whether a family will be a good fit? How often have you had to terminate during your trial period?
. It pertains to boyfriends of single moms too, if they are allowed on daycare grounds. As soon as people know about that people w/ a record don't come back. People without records can still be terrible daycare parents, but at least it helps establish an expectation up front of what kind of people we want in and around our home, family and daycare
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