Terminating a Good-Standing Daycare Family

**khaski** · 02-04-2012, 07:39 PM

Have you considered asking your current family to contract through the summer, ask there are concerns they may pull early?

**WV_mom_of2** · 02-04-2012, 08:02 PM

Daycare is a hard business to be in. I have been doing it off and on for 6 years. No matter how hard you try you get attached to the kids and that makes it hard to let them go. The first family that I did business with had three kids, one a newborn. The day I had to tell her I was letting them go I held onto that baby and cried like a big baby LOL.

It's hard not knowing if new clients will come along when you need them. I had one lined up for this past summer who just never showed up. No call to say they weren't coming, no email, nothing.

QM · 02-04-2012, 08:32 PM

LynnLC - Honestly, I'm charging more than the average daycare provider does in this city; I'm on the higher end of the "pay scale" you could say. Even though I charge more than most I haven't found tremendously difficult in finding families. Just nervous at passing something up when an interview opportunity is sitting in my face.

QM · 02-04-2012, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by khaski

Have you considered asking your current family to contract through the summer, ask there are concerns they may pull early?

The current family says they want to stay with me until their daughter starts school. I've asked twice in the past three months and they've said the same thing twice. I can't only take them at their word.

Originally Posted by WV_mom_of2

It's hard not knowing if new clients will come along when you need them. I had one lined up for this past summer who just never showed up. No call to say they weren't coming, no email, nothing.

Personally, I'd never consider I had filled the space until I had the contract signed with the non-refundable deposit (that gets applied to the last two weeks of care) in my hand.

**LynnLC** · 02-05-2012, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by QM

LynnLC - Honestly, I'm charging more than the average daycare provider does in this city; I'm on the higher end of the "pay scale" you could say. Even though I charge more than most I haven't found tremendously difficult in finding families. Just nervous at passing something up when an interview opportunity is sitting in my face.

Good. Trips? Parks? splash around places? Outdoor adventures? Those are signs of great care. You should be charging more. If I had not been a SAHM, these would have been a big fat A+ for my peace of mind. So nice to see a caring provider. Love that! Thanks and to all who give superior child care.

**WV_mom_of2** · 02-05-2012, 10:53 AM

I had a contract ready for her to sign on that first day (she works in another town and goes the opposite direction usually so wasn't in area to sign it before). She told me on Wed that he would be here the next Monday and never showed up. And I don't chase them. If you don't show up and you don't call you are just dropped.

In my area if you asked for a non-refundable deposit or tried to charge more than 20.00 a day per child you would have NO clients. I live in a very rural area and people just will NOT pay what you are worth. I do the little trips, etc with mine too but still parents won't pay extra. There is a daycare center in town that only charges 22.00 per day so they just take them there.

**LynnLC** · 02-05-2012, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by WV_mom_of2

I had a contract ready for her to sign on that first day (she works in another town and goes the opposite direction usually so wasn't in area to sign it before). She told me on Wed that he would be here the next Monday and never showed up. And I don't chase them. If you don't show up and you don't call you are just dropped.

In my area if you asked for a non-refundable deposit or tried to charge more than 20.00 a day per child you would have NO clients. I live in a very rural area and people just will NOT pay what you are worth. I do the little trips, etc with mine too but still parents won't pay extra. There is a daycare center in town that only charges 22.00 per day so they just take them there.

$20? Oh my Lord... move to Boston. It is a minimum of 450 a week and that's cheap.

**Momto5RN** · 02-05-2012, 08:17 PM

sorry but terminating a good standing family just seems wrong and is not putting a childs needs first which IMO will be very bad look to any families you may need in the future .
I wouldnt do that they have trusted you for so long and then you are going to break that trust ?

i would put my own likes of trips aside for days when you arent full or think of things to do at the house if i had to . The child comes before me and my likes at this point,

and could you imagine what you might due to the kid psychologically ? she wont understand the reasoning - just will know that someone she has become close to and cares about suddenly dropped her. Please dont do that to a child .

**WV_mom_of2** · 02-06-2012, 01:56 PM

I only make 15.00 per day, per child and that includes breakfast, lunch and snacks. I tried charging 20.00 a day but have been told numerous times that if I am going to charge 20.00 they might as well take them to the daycare center. You either charge less than the center or get no clients. At this time I am unable to work outside the home so even at 15.00 a day it gives me a little money coming in.

**CrazyCat** · 02-10-2012, 01:33 PM

WV~and "I" would tell them to go ahead and take them to the center..they won't get the personal hands on care they would receive with you~!

I had 2 boys in daycare..and I would MUCH rather have them in a family-type situation than a daycare. (Which I did)~!