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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Searching For New Clients When You're Expecting
SilverSabre25 06:47 AM 11-01-2010
Do you tell them up front that you're expecting? For the record, I'm not showing yet or anything (although I might be in a couple weeks, in which case I guess it'll be necessary to mention). If you do mention it, do you explain when you're due and what your maternity leave plans are?
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MarinaVanessa 07:19 AM 11-01-2010
I always let them know right away. I just had an interview a few weeks ago and I let him know on the phone right away that I was pregnant and when I was due so that wouldn't be any surprises. Of course I was already almost 8 months pregnant lol but he didn't mind at all and they are my newest clients even though I'll be due this month.

I just find that honesty is the best policy and I wouldn't want to keep it from a potential client especially since they'll figure it out anyway.
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misol 08:16 AM 11-01-2010
Unless the birth of my baby would cause me to have to term a client in order to free up a space for my own baby I would not mention it in an interview. If you are already showing and the parent does not mention it then I would assume it's not a problem for them and not mention it either. I wouldn't volunteer the information until I had a solid plan about what to do for maternity leave which would probbly be about 2 months before my expected due date.

I agree with MarinaVanessa in that honesty is the best poilicy. However, I also believe that timing is an important consideration. Personal information should be shared with clients on a need to know basis and at the right time.
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TGT09 01:13 PM 11-01-2010
While I agree with the need to know basis, if I were a dcp I would feel like you purposely lied to me and might have harsh feelings and pull my child. Jmo. It'll be obvious at a later date that you just didn't say anything and that you were definitely pregnant when you interviewed and accepted their child.
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MarinaVanessa 01:50 PM 11-01-2010
Originally Posted by TGT09:
While I agree with the need to know basis, if I were a dcp I would feel like you purposely lied to me and might have harsh feelings and pull my child. Jmo. It'll be obvious at a later date that you just didn't say anything and that you were definitely pregnant when you interviewed and accepted their child.
I see it like TGT09 also. I mean if I were a parent and I found out a few months later that the provider that I signed up with was pregnant and she didn't tell me, I would wonder why. I mean why would it be a secret? I guess I see it as lying by omission if information was left out intentionally.

As a provider I feel that I would want a parent that was okay with me being pregnant from the start anyway. I would worry that the parent might be put off by me having to take maternity leave or something and I'd want a famlily that was ok with it from the beginning. I wouldn't want to take a family on and then later they leave because they didn't want to find a temporary DC.

I wouldn't like it if a parent kept something intentionally from me that could potentially make or break my decision to take them on and so I wouldn't do that to a parent either.
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DCMomOf3 02:18 PM 11-01-2010
I guess it would depend on how far along you are. If you just found out, or are in that beginning stage where you haven't seen/heard the heartbeat, I would not be as concerned with telling. If you are telling friends, you should be telling parents. I think it would be ok to wait and get a feel for them and if you would like to take on the family, then tell them before contracts are signed so they have an out if they want it.
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TGT09 04:51 PM 11-01-2010
My personal experience was this: My DH and I planned to adopt a domestic newborn and would need to travel (possibly) to another state for 3 weeks. When I interviewed parents (my last 2 actually) I told them up front because I didn't want anyone using me and then being surprised. I felt like they would later think "why didn't she tell me?" or be super angry that I omitted that fact about me and be blindsided. BOTH families were more than happy to work with me. We have since decided to foster so it will no longer be an issue but at least I have parents that I know chose me regardless. :-)
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Abigail 08:13 PM 11-01-2010
Do you have anything about maternity leaves in your handbook? How many spots are you trying to fill right now?
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Amylyn930 04:35 AM 11-02-2010
Okay so im in a similar situation..

I am working on getting licensed but already took in a few kids to babysit during the day. I am in MD and the state requires you to have a designated "substitute" before you can get licensed, for emergency care etc.

I told the one family (has 3 kids) I am watching currently that I am pregnant and expecting in May. They were very okay with that-- however a couple days after our interview she called and asked what I planned on doing once baby came because they wouldnt want to find temp. care for 8 weeks or so..

I told her that I will have a sub by then and that she can fill it a lot and keep things as same as possible for the children..

Which yes I do plan on doing that.. but then I was thinking more in to it and no 8 weeks off isnt necessary.. however maybe 2?!? I dont really want a bunch of kids running around my house, etc while i have family visiting/ tending to a newborn right?!

Soo do you think it would be appropriate to tell them maybe in January they will need to find care for two weeks.. not that I know the exact dates yet since babies are unpredictable?!
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SilverSabre25 06:57 AM 11-02-2010
Thanks for the thoughts everyone! If I actually get anyone for interviews, then I will mention it because I'm getting to the end of the first trimester.

I do have maternity leave mentioned in my contract--I get 4 to 6 weeks unpaid after the baby is born as well as any medically necessary time before the birth. HOWEVER--I'm thinking that I'm going to alter that because I don't need 4 weeks off...and I can't *afford* 4 weeks unpaid!

Abigail, my spaces are full but I'm trying to replace a couple of part-timers with full-timers. These two are also my "problem kids" or "problem parents" and they're under two, so I need to get at least one replaced with an over-2 so I can have my own kid.

Amylyn, I was thinking the same thing about time off! My DH is going to have about 2 weeks he can take when the babe is born, so I think that's as much as I will take as well. I might only take one week and call it one of my paid vacation weeks. Then DH will be here for the second week, then I'll be on my own after that.
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