Do You Advertise When You Have No Openings?

[SilverSabre25]

I just lost a child and got a replacement in the space of 24 hours a week ago--most fortuitous timing EVER. I have my suspicions about this new family and how long they're planning on staying with me. They asked tons of questions about my contract and how to get out of it if they needed to (I assured them that a two weeks' notice is all I need but they still seemed REALLY concerned about it)--their daughter has never been in care before so maybe they just were nervous about a "contract" but I'm still nervous about being left without that income.

I'm thinking of continuing to advertise on Craigslist and take families on a waiting list if I get any responses and if they don't need care immediately...but I don't know if this would be a weird thing to do?

I don't have any openings and I still advertise every other day on CL. I had a young couple call me with a 2 week old baby and would need care starting late March. I let them come for a 30 min tour and they are begging me to take their baby. I told them i have no openings right now. But they gave me a red flag, told them I close at 5:30 and then dad said well give or take on traffic, we may be a few minutes late..lol

But they are on a waiting list. You never know when a parent could get laid off or just fired and you have an opening. So I would say YES advertise like crazy!!

[melskids]

yes, i always continue to advertise. i am full, but dont have a waiting list though.

[SilverSabre25]

Can I ask what your reasons are for advertising when you don't actually have space available and what you tell parents who contact you looking for care?

Originally Posted by SilverSabre25

Can I ask what your reasons are for advertising when you don't actually have space available and what you tell parents who contact you looking for care?

I tell them I am taking a waiting list. Some of the parents are just starting to look for work and they want to try to line up childcare first. I always let them come for a 30 minute interview and this way they can see my daycare and we talk about rules. I feel this gives the parent a feel of me and me a feel of the parent. Then I tell them to call me if they get a job to see if I have an opening.

Also I feel this is a good way to get your daycare out there. If you don't have the opening when they do find a job and they have to go to another daycare, there is always the chance your daycare name will come up in conversations with friends, neighbors, and co workers.

Like the parents I interviewed with the 2 week old baby, dad works at a very large apartment complex and mom works in a eye doctor office, so who knows who they might tell about my daycare