When to Start??

[MrsMacklin]

This is my first time posting on here!! This is probably a silly post but I figured you guys would understand the most!

Here's the situation.. I am currently a Nanny and will be done with this job in September (if I don't quit early) because both kids will be in school full time. My husband and I don't make much money and are in some serious debt thanks to his school loans! Needless to say, we need to make more money ASAP!! The daycare is a way for me to stay at home when we have a baby and to help get us out of debt faster.. in addition to the fact that I love to work with kids and help them grow!

We really need the money from the daycare but i keep getting parents that only need part-time or need to start next week (which is impossible because I would like to give my current employers a 3-4 week notice).

My dilemma...
Option 1: Should i quit my current job and keep advertising as a start date in late February.. HOPING that I get some full timers in those weeks (we need 3 full time kids to replace my current income.. hoping for 5 full timers total). The thing is, we CANNOT go for more than 2 weeks without my full income.

Option 2: Wait it out and keep advertising for September.

[DCMomOf3]

Welcome!!!

I say if you can afford it, wait until spring to advertise. I would think you would have a better chance and finding new kids in the spring/summer. I am not sure why but I have found parents don't often look during the winter.

I hope you get some other feedback as well.

[lvt77]

Just a bit of feed back, I have been in biz for 2 years and it took me almost 6 months to fill all of my spots. Most of my kids are p/t, but I was able to fill all of their spots and have nothad an opening for a long time...

Hope this helps some.... If I could go back and do it all over again, I would have done all of my research, advertising and created all of my policies before i ever took on any kids....

Best of luck to you

[MrsMacklin]

Thanks for your responses!! I was wondering if I would have better luck around June when some parents may need Summer care and at least that would give me something! BUT.. i would hate to leave the family I nanny for with only 3 months left :confused:

Thought about telling the parents I work for now that I'm opening up a home daycare in the summer and they can just bring their kids to me (but then I can't take their kids to swimming lessons, etc...).

[lvt77]

Thanks for your responses!! I was wondering if I would have better luck around June when some parents may need Summer care and at least that would give me something! BUT.. i would hate to leave the family I nanny for with only 3 months left :confused:

Thought about telling the parents I work for now that I'm opening up a home daycare in the summer and they can just bring their kids to me (but then I can't take their kids to swimming lessons, etc...).

that sounds like a good plan... you would already have some clients....
This will give you time to spread the word that you will be opening your own DC!!
I think you will do great if you love kids.....

[MrsMacklin]

awe thanks!! I do love working with kids. I've done everything from Preschool Teacher, nanny, babysitting, volunteer!!

[DCMomOf3]

Well, your family must know that you have to start planning ahead for your future; they know your relationship is going to change very soon. You could be frank with them and tell them that you will be advertising for a home daycare starting Feb. (or when you decide). The trouble is you could find good, new clients the first week or it could take months, you just won't know. Tell them that when you get clients that you plan to sign, you will still be willing to watch their kids but the shift would have to be to your house and your schedule. I would hope that you've had a good long-standing relationship with them and they will understand.

[MrsMacklin]

Thanks for your input!! I do have a good relationship with the parents. I have been here for 2 years now. If both kids weren't in Pre-K/Kindergarten, I know that if I opened tomorrow, they would be dropping their kids off! But unfortunately I wouldn't be able to leave my house and drive 15 minutes one way just to drop them off.

I do have an advertisement for my car that I haven't put on yet because I wasn't sure when I was opening. I didn't want them to start freaking out on me!

[renodeb]

I have found that winter is very slow as far as getting enrollments, if you can wait until spring then thats what I would do. Good luck.
Debbie

[Abigail]

Do you have to be licensed to get 5 children in your area? Here I can five children total (including my own, but we don't have any yet) and if I am licensed I can have 7 children total and 2 school-age children for before/after school. I also would be in the same boat as you knowing that I would need three children to make ends meet for the going rate here. Is your home ready to have children in it? Do you have toys, sleeping areas, safety items, emegency safety/first aid kits? I would make sure you have paperwork ready (a parent handbook stating how you run your business AND a contract for each client to sign) along with any other neccessary paperwork ready before you start advertising. I'm doing this now and it's taking months. I could have had it done by now but I'm working two part time jobs and I'm not in a hurry since I'm not ready to open daycare--we want to buy a house then open daycare). I would try for opening in May and in another month let your current nanny family know that you will be opening a family child care accepting up to five children in your home come May. I would also see if she would like to have her children enrolled when the times comes so she will not have to find another nanny, but you'll probably have to lower what she currently pays you since she'll be driving them to and from your house. If you need any help, let me know. Seems like we're in the same boat.

[lil angels]

I think I would hold out till June when her kids are out of school then it would be more likely she would let you have them over the summer to give yourself even more time to find clients. I find that I get lots of calls in spring fall and around the first of the yr. and a lot of baby calls yr round. If you give yourself till summer you can get your house and contracts and other paperwork ready also start picking up toys and things to keep them busy. It takes a while to get everything ready I would pick a date and start putting up fliers now because there is a lot of people who are looking now for when school gets out and people that are having baby's always want something early too ...good luck

[Former Teacher]

I am in the same boat as you (kinda)

I am currently a nanny to a WONDERFUL family. I have to admit they treat me TO good. Next summer is their last summer here before dad gets transferred (Army). I am really dreading it. There is an odd chance that he won't but he was only guaranteed to be here for 3 years and well that comes up next summer.

I have been doing "research" online: craigslist, care.com etc. to find out what other parents are paying etc. I am not planning on doing care in my home (I can't, I live in an apartment and it's against the lease anyway) so I am seeing what others are doing.

I remember in 09 when I was searching for a job (before this one). People liked that I was older ( I was only 35 :. Since this was summer people also liked the fact that I would be full time and not going back to school.

My plan when the time comes is maybe take a week or 2 breather and then start the move on finding a new job. I do want to take some kind of rest in between jobs though. My current family said they would give me some time off to look for a job but I don't want to do that. 1. being I don't want to take advantage of that. 2. being that I don't want to find something and leave them in a bind when they have been so good to me.

I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to do..also welcome to the forum!

[missnikki]

I agree with the previous posters who suggested coming clean with your current family. If you are upfront with them early on, you might be able to get some referrals from families they know with kids, or siblings of fellow classmates when they get to school. Keep the peace with them, be honest. I'm sure they will understand.